Chicago Sports Today

Chicago Sports News continuously updated

OKC 2025 Offseason: So, What’s Next for the Defending Champs?

by

Satisfactory is not enough to describe how Oklahoma City has handled its matters to start the offseason. They began by making a few key signings to extend role players. Then they later brought in new talents from the NBA Draft to supplant their young core. And when it mattered most, they signed their core trio to massive extension deals. The OKC 2025 offseason has been impressive so far. But what does the team have to improve further to lock in their chances of a title repeat?

Jun 22, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jalen Williams (8) celebrates after winning game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

As the rest of the league made their presence felt in the offseason, the Thunder kept up with them so far. Sure, other teams have made splashes of their own, signing big stars and moving key talents. But for Oklahoma City, this offseason is already a successful one – no matter what critics may say when it comes to their decisions.

OKC 2025 Offseason: So, What’s Next for the Defending Champs?

Now that all the necessary moves have been cleared for OKC, what’s the next step for the reigning NBA champions?

The Supporting Cast

The Thunder quickly moved to sign Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with a max extension. That was followed up with Chet Holmgren agreeing to a huge rookie extension. And Jalen Williams was the last to complete the trio’s signing for the years to come. That was a huge step in clearing all of Oklahoma City’s to-do-list. OKC has also signed Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell to key new deals without actually pulling out much cash from their pockets.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

But there’s still so much work to do, well, at least for the years to come. There’s still Luguentz Dort, whose deal has a club option in 2026-27. The same goes for Isaiah Hartenstein, who has a club option in the same year as Dort. While they may not be All-Stars, both players have proven to be pivotal in helping the team come up with a championship.

It can be remembered that Dort finally finished as an All-Defensive player in the last campaign. Hartenstein, on the other hand, was shining proof that OKC was just really one move away in 2023-24 to kick off a title chase that they finished in 2024-25. The former New York Knicks center was great in crashing the boards, and Dort’s defense leading Oklahoma City was his shining value up to this point.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

As they have money left to use in the current offseason, they could try signing them now. There’s the option to wait until the 2026 offseason before handing out new contracts as well. Worst case scenario? Well, there’s a hoard of draft picks worth capitalizing on. Not to mention that they are running with a solid young set of talent.

The Bench Concerns

One thing that was worth praising for Oklahoma City last season was its ability to go deep. The Thunder bench has always been worth relying on – despite some hiccups in the NBA Finals playing against the Indiana Pacers. Still, the Thunder could use a massive improvement on that side this offseason if they wanted to.

With Alex Ducas moving on to the NBL, a roster spot has just opened up for the team. Unfortunately, Adam Flagler is a player worth waiving at this point due to his low production. The future of Kenrich Williams is also in dire need of addressing as while he does provide energy off the bench, there are indeed bigger needs for OKC to fulfill with his spot.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

As of the time of writing, the Thunder have 17 players under contract. That includes Branden Carlson and rookie Brooks Barnhizer on two-way deals. With months left to determine the final two-way spot, the Thunder could also use this time to come up with decisions that would really matter down the stretch – and most of that would be related to the bench.

Shooting Needs

Seeing as how the Thunder could still pull out wins without shooting well, this is still a huge need. Isaiah Joe remains as the team’s sole sharpshooter – and him having a slump in the playoffs should not repeat again. This just means that OKC need to add in some key shooters to supplant that issue. Sure, Nikola Topic is a great shooter coming off the EuroLeague at above 40% from three. But then, it is better to have a seasoned shooter than to gamble on a player who has yet to grace the NBA courts.

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

Three-pointers are crucial in winning games. It was surprising enough that they even won Game 4 of the NBA Finals with just three made threes. If Oklahoma City is going to run it back and try for a title again, this flaw needs to be addressed. Sure, they can win and dominate games without relying too much on it. But think about how easier their path would be if they shot well from three.

The Last Word on the OKC 2025 Offseason

If there’s one thing that we could expect from the OKC 2025 offseason is that they will always make the best moves possible. Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti has proven that his blueprint for success can work. With a championship in their hands, OKC certainly has a great bargaining chip to land the best talents on the market.

However, it is worth noting that doing nothing at all – except from the signings they made, doesn’t hurt their chances too. Oklahoma City is a capable team in its own right. OKC won a whopping 68 games and set a franchise record at the same time last season. That’s a campaign where Holmgren missed more than 30 games. They didn’t play at full strength until the final stretch of the season.

What makes the Thunder offseason exciting is that the team is very tight-lipped in their plans. Only a few rumors about OKC’s moves have ended up correct. So, keep an eye out and see what the Thunder will pull off in the succeeding months.

Photo credit: © Oklahoman-Imagn Images

The post OKC 2025 Offseason: So, What’s Next for the Defending Champs? appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.