Will OKC Thunder Continue Slipping in 2026-27 Season?

The Thunder's win total decreased by four last season, and there's a chance it could steadily continue to fall.

Feb 22, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder Head Coach Mark Daigneault gestures to an official before a play against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City is looking to have another season at the top of the league, but that may still come with a worse record.

Next season, the Thunder are hoping to fight their way back to the top of the NBA landscape and secure another NBA championship. After winning the title in 2025, Oklahoma City’s injuries piled up on its way to a Game 7 exit in the Western Conference Finals.

With San Antonio again expected to be competing with the Thunder for the top spot in the West, the 2026-27 season could take some interesting turns. Among those potential turns could be another season of slippage for Oklahoma City.

After winning 68 games in 2024-25, the Thunder’s win total decreased to 64 games last season. Of course, the Thunder’s injury issues and the overall grind of an 82-game season caught up to them after a historic run in their title year.

While there were plenty of reasons why Oklahoma City was unable to fully replicate its magic from the 2025 season, it still represented some slippage for the team. It may also represent the start of a trend for the Thunder as they prepare for next season.

With Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins out of the picture, some of the Thunder’s depth will be reliant upon contributions from several first- or second-year players. Considering that the Thunder could always run into some injury troubles again next season, that lowers the floor a bit for the title favorites.

Even if the Thunder slip a bit again next season in comparison to their past couple of years, there isn’t necessarily any reason for concern. After all, the Thunder winning 68 and 64 games over the past couple of years is an incredible feat, and certainly isn’t something that’s easily replicated.

Looking at it objectively, “slippage” for the Thunder could quite literally mean the team winning only 63 games next season. Ultimately, the Thunder shouldn’t be competing against their past selves, but instead against the rest of the league as it stands now.

Whatever the magic number ends up being to secure home-court advantage throughout the playoffs again should be the top priority. That number will likely be in the 60s, but if the Thunder don’t quite hit the 64- or 68-win mark, it won’t mean much overall.

Still, it would be a welcome sight for Oklahoma City if it could have a bounce-back year of sorts and get to 65+ wins.