The NBA’s shiny new era has a face. Or at least, it should. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just pulled off a season for the history books: MVP, scoring title, Finals MVP, and a ring to cap it all off. Still, when Adam Silver was asked if SGA has become the new face of the league, the NBA Commissioner preferred the proven veterans ahead of the 26-year-old NBA champ.

“I always say, like you know, we don’t create those faces at the league office. They earn it on the floor,” Silver promptly noted during his appearance on the 70th episode of Club 520 Podcast earlier this week. “Ultimately, LeBron is a face of the league. And Michael was. And KD was, and these guys and Steph.” Well, Silver did not dismiss SGA’s incredible season, but his take on ‘whether Shai is the next face of the league’ only casts doubt on the reigning MVP. And the commissioner is not the only one who doubts if the reigning MVP is ready to carry that mantle.

Enter Draymond Green, the NBA’s resident chaos agent and part-time podcast provocateur. On The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis, Dray did what Dray does best: stirred the pot, left a few crumbs of doubt, and walked away like he didn’t just drop a grenade in the middle of the discourse. Because while the world’s ready to crown SGA as the man, Draymond? Well… he’s not so sure.

On the pod, Dray gave Shai his flowers- “Beautiful to see him take that jump… after jump… after jump”, but then hit us with the “I don’t know” when asked if SGA’s the league’s new standard-bearer. Not a full-on diss, not outright denial, but enough to make you side-eye your timeline. Is Draymond right? Is SGA’s game too quiet? Too efficient? Too… Canadian? The numbers scream yes! 32.7 PPG, MVP, Finals MVP! But the vibes? Depends who you ask.

Here’s the kicker: even if SGA is the face, OKC’s future might already be on borrowed time. Thanks to Adam Silver’s new apron rules, the Thunder’s dream of a dynasty could be dead on arrival. Baron Davis put it bluntly: “ I think their best chance to win another championship is next year because you’ll still have Chet and J-Dub making rookie money, which means you’re still allowed to keep your pieces.” That should be enough to justify why Davis said, “Once that money kicks in, everything looks different.”

The CBA’s second apron is a financial straitjacket. No mid-level exceptions, no salary flexibility, and if OKC stays over the cap too long? Their draft picks get yeeted to the end of the first round. Silver sold this as “parity,” but let’s be real. It’s a death sentence for homegrown teams. SGA might be the present, but the league’s rules are rigged against him being the future.

So, where does that leave us? SGA’s got the crown, the stats, and the swagger. But between Draymond’s skepticism and Silver’s spreadsheet warfare, OKC’s golden age might be shorter than we think. One thing’s for sure: the NBA’s never been messier. Or.. more entertaining.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander & Co.’s rise is the story Kevin Durant & Co. left unfinished

Remember when KD bolted OKC because small markets couldn’t win? Yeah, about that… SGA just took the Thunder to the promised land without a superteam, without a big-market bailout, and without a single complaint about Oklahoma City’s nightlife. Kendrick Perkins put it best: “SGA don’t give a f*ck. He just wants to win; he wants to hoop.” No drama, no demands, just buckets and banners. Meanwhile, KD’s still searching for that elusive post-Warriors legacy. Funny how that works.

The contrast is chef’s kiss. Durant’s game was built on three-point pyrotechnics (2.6 per game this season), while SGA’s dominance comes from mid-range mastery and relentless drives (just 1.3 threes per game for his career). One needed superteams; the other just needed a squad that “don’t do a damn thing but think about basketball.”

Perkins nailed it: “They’re not complaining about being in the city of Oklahoma. And SGA f*ckin’ is the best player in the world. I don’t give a damn what nobody says. He proved that you could win a championship without having to rely on the three-point shot.”

Turns out, OKC’s blueprint was right all along! KD just left before the ink dried. Now, with SGA leading a team that thrives on grit over glam, the Thunder aren’t just back. They’re a middle finger to every star who thought small markets couldn’t win big. The irony? The dynasty KD wanted might’ve been here all along… if he’d just stayed.