The Athletic NBA Daily – Can the Thunder Win the Title Again?
Date: October 6, 2025
Hosts: Andrew Schlecht & Alex Spears
Episode Overview
This episode dives deep into the Oklahoma City Thunder's prospects of repeating as NBA champions, discussing offseason changes, contract extensions, health concerns, roster development, potential trades, and realistic expectations for the 2025-26 season. Hosts Andrew and Alex, both Thunder analysts and podcasters, bring a detailed and candid look at OKC's path to staying atop the NBA.
Key Discussion Points and Insights
Offseason Developments & Impact (02:38 – 06:23)
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Health & New Players:
- OKC sees the return to health for key players A.J. Mitchell and Nikola Topić, both of whom had minimal impact last year due to injuries.
- Concern remains over Jalen Williams ("J-Dub") and his wrist injury, described as “a frozen Laffy Taffy" still swollen and unhealed.
“No one's super worried because the team is so deep, but it still is a question I think.” — Alex Spears (03:40)
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Contract Extensions for the Big Three:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Shea) signed a 4-year, $285M extension.
- Jalen Williams: 5 years, up to $287M, unique escalator-clause based on All-NBA selections.
- Chet Holmgren: 5 years, $250M, with a flat structure (no escalators).
- Team-friendly contracts help OKC manage the cap and luxury tax, ensuring flexibility for future roster moves.
“They do give back in that way to the Thunder, which I do think is pretty significant.” — Andrew (05:51)
Who’s Poised for a Breakout? (07:27 – 11:02)
- Chet Holmgren as the X-Factor:
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Despite playoff struggles shooting and turnovers, Chet’s defensive impact was elite (team +7.6 on-court playoff minutes; opponents 52.3% FG inside 6 feet with Chet on).
“If we see any offensive improvement, he’s going to be in like all star conversations because the defense is so good already.” — Alex Spears (09:36)
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Offseason focus on regaining leg strength; expectations are high for a leap to All-Star level, provided he’s healthy.
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Notable Finals performance—5 blocks in Game 7, defensive anchor even when offense faltered.
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Expectations for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) (11:02 – 15:01)
- Superstar in His Prime:
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Coming off a season of MVP, Finals MVP, All-NBA First Team, and Scoring Champion.
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Hosts question what improvement could possibly remain, given statistical comparisons to Michael Jordan.
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Noted improvement in 3-point shooting (up to 38% on 5.7 attempts).
“I don’t know what I should expect more than last season. Like, is there any specific skill that you’re looking for Shea to improve?” — Alex Spears (12:51)
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Passing flagged as an area for individual and team-wide progress, especially to address offensive stagnation in playoffs.
"If I were to push the little switch for NBA 2K... I would pick the passing one. I think it should become a better passer." — Andrew (14:35)
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Roster Moves & Trades Outlook (18:11 – 20:24)
- Thunder Unlikely to Shake Roster:
- The team is bringing everyone back after a title.
- Cap and tax considerations keep them conservative on trades; a notable possible exception is Usman Dieng, who did not get his extension and may be dealt prior to next summer.
- Past trade-rumor favorites like Cam Johnson now irrelevant post-title, but need for shooters was still discussed.
"[There] were moments during that season and especially during the playoffs even where you're like, man, this team could use a real shooter." — Alex Spears (19:33)
What’s the Biggest Swing Factor for a Repeat? (20:24 – 26:44)
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Health Remains Paramount:
- Only 11 playoff-rotation games during the regular season—rarely at full strength.
- Intrigue around the 'Double Big' lineup (Chet & Hartenstein) and its versatility over a longer stretch.
“I would love to see what this team's ceiling is if they are completely healthy.” — Alex Spears (21:13)
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Shooting and Internal Development:
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Three-point efficiency was abysmal in the playoffs (Big 3: J-Dub 30%, Chet 29%, Shea 28%).
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Role players like Isaiah Joe (41%) provided a spark, but the stars’ struggles led to “living on a knife’s edge” in late series.
“If those guys just shoot even close… to their averages from three, we're talking about much shorter series.” — Andrew (24:36)
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Improvement here is critical to avoid pitfalls against tougher Western competition (e.g., Denver).
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Realistic Expectations for 2025–26 (27:24 – 29:59)
- Trend of Champions Not Repeating:
- Going back to 2019, no NBA champion has advanced past the Second Round the following year. Boston was closest before losing Tatum to injury.
- However, OKC's youth and injury-driven untapped potential set them up better than most recent champs.
- Minimum Goal: Western Conference Finals; anything less would be “bust” territory.
“In my head, I’m saying conference finals or bust... but they obviously have title aspirations.” — Alex Spears (29:40)
- Rematch vs. Denver anticipated as the “Series of the Era,” with the first repeat champion likely to define the post-Warriors NBA.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
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On Chet's Playoff Value:
“This team has been so good when Chet is on the court and fall off so significantly. And that's with him not being a very great offensive player yet.”
— Alex Spears (08:27) -
On SGA’s Mindset:
“[Shai’s] motivation isn't for accolades... it's in maximizing the basketball player he can be and trying to see where it goes. He doesn't know, I don't know that he even had dreams of this actually being his life.”
— Andrew (13:17) -
On the Team's 3-Point Struggles:
“They made three [threes] the whole night... They lived at the free throw line and they nearly died from three.”
— Andrew (25:40) -
On NBA Eras and Repeating:
“The first team to win their second [title] is going to really solidify themselves as the team of this era. And I think Denver and OKC are clearly best set up to do that.”
— Alex Spears (28:36)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 02:07 – Start of content, hosts introduction
- 02:38 – Offseason review, health, and contracts
- 07:27 – Player to make the biggest leap
- 11:02 – SGA’s improvements and expectations
- 18:11 – Roster moves and trade possibilities
- 20:24 – Swing factors for a repeat
- 23:47 – Playoff shooting woes
- 27:24 – Realistic expectations and context in NBA history
- 29:59 – Outro and show plugs
Tone & Style
The episode is conversational, knowledgeable, and passionate—reflecting die-hard fandom wedded to deep statistical and contextual knowledge. Both Andrew and Alex balance optimism about the Thunder’s future with realism about what it takes to repeat in today’s NBA.
For Thunder fans and NBA observers alike, this episode provides a sharp analysis of where OKC stands in the title defense sweepstakes, which questions remain unanswered, and just how rare and special back-to-back runs have become in the modern league.