Should OKC Thunder be Concerned About Spurs' Overlooked Addition?

The Thunder's path to a title goes through San Antonio, and the Spurs made a key addition this summer.

May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren (7) looks to pass against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first quarter in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NBA offseason has been filled with big moves, and Oklahoma City’s rival made one that could have a significant impact in 2027.

After falling to the San Antonio Spurs in a seven-game Western Conference Finals matchup, the Thunder have had to tear down a bit of their team this offseason. As financial issues arose, the Thunder sent out Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, leaving the team with less reliable depth for next season.

While the story of the conference finals was the absences of Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, the Thunder getting healthy won’t necessarily mean they’ll get the best of San Antonio next year. The Spurs’ youth and expected development after a Finals run is certainly a factor in what will make them even tougher to beat in 2027, but the addition of Tobias Harris may be the swing factor if the Thunder have to meet San Antonio again in the postseason.

Making the playoffs each of the past eight seasons, Harris has been a key piece of several postseason runs in Philadelphia and Detroit. Starting for the top-seeded Pistons last season, Harris averaged 18.1 points and 7.2 rebounds across 14 playoff games. 

That type of production as a big forward could be massive for a Spurs team that has mostly relied on the catch-and-shoot abilities of Julian Champagnie and Devin Vassell at that spot. It could also exploit a weakness for Oklahoma City, which has no true forwards outside of Jalen Williams and Kenrich Williams.

While Harris has the ability to give San Antonio some more scoring on the wing, he also may be relegated to the same catch-and-shoot role as others at his position, given the Spurs’ backcourt production. Add in Victor Wembanyama, and the Spurs may not need or get the same sort of production that Harris was giving in Detroit. 

Although Harris has recently shown his worth on a winning team, sometimes moves like these don’t work out, which means this move could actually benefit Oklahoma City. After all, adding a 34-year-old forward to a young contender is far from a sure thing, as evidenced by Sam Presti’s trade for Gordon Hayward in 2024.

Harris could certainly be an X factor against the Thunder next season, but Oklahoma City shouldn’t worry too much about his potential role for the Spurs. The Thunder have enough talent to take down any team in the league at full strength, including the team that beat them last season.