OKC Thunder's Starting Five Is Looking To Prove They Deserve To Be Deemed The Best

With big offseason moves made, Bleacher Report does not have OKC's starting five as the best in the league.

May 28, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) warms up before the start of game six of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the game is on the line, Oklahoma City can put the best possible squad in the NBA on the floor, well, almost. 

With this year’s NBA offseason being one of the most hectic in recent years, rosters all throughout the league look completely different. Some teams have definitely improved for the better, while other teams have seemed to have fallen behind. 

Bleacher Report recently came out with its ranking of every NBA projected starting five for next season, and although they are near the top, this offseason has placed another team above them, according to the sports outlet. 

Bleacher Report predicts that Cason Wallace will fill the starting spot for the Thunder that was left open by the departure of Lu Dort. While he might not be the Thunder’s best available player, Wallace fills the spot the best due to his lockdown defensive play. Now with a starting five of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Wallace, the Thunder’s starting five is still full of stars ready to take the league by storm. 

However, Bleacher Report listed OKC’s starting five as the second best in the league. The squad topped the starting five of both teams that made the NBA Finals, with San Antonio ranking sixth and the Knicks ranking third, but it’s the newest East powerhouse that grabbed the top spot. 

The Philadelphia 76ers sit at the No. 1 spot, as they added both Jaylen Brown and LeBron James to their starting lineup. While these two, along with Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, are a star-studded cast, the names can’t match up to what the Thunder squad has proven. 

The article did give OKC credit by saying that if Williams can stay healthy this year, then that alone might be enough to push the team over the edge and make it the best starting lineup in the league. 

Even if the Thunder’s starters really do rank No. 2, that isn’t what makes a championship run. As mentioned in the article, the Thunder’s biggest strength is the depth of its roster. Five players alone don’t secure you a championship, and the Thunder’s 2024-25 championship was a prime example of this. 

OKC’s starting five will have all next season to prove this list wrong, but in the end, it will be looking for another trophy to add to its case when it is all said and done.