The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t put a foot wrong last season. Meteoric rise seems like the perfect way to describe the once-home of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. Now the reins rest in the hands of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. But they were bold investments. Something that general manager Sam Presti put his bets on. One championship later, the 47-year-old has made sure that his boys know he won’t sit with JUST ONE.

The Thunder enter the new season crowned as favorites, and they intend to stay that way until a challenger emerges. Their dominance will be no easy feat to topple, especially with the team’s distinctive mindset, recently highlighted by Presti, shaping every play. With confidence and strategy intertwined, defeating them this season will demand more than skill—it will require audacity.

“I wouldn’t say we’re trying to chase off complacency. We’re trying to chase improvement,” Sam Presti said on Media Day. They’re focusing on constantly getting better rather than just avoiding laziness or stagnation. Moreover, past success doesn’t guarantee future results; the team must earn everything again this year. Thus, Presti added, “This year, we can’t walk in assuming all the things that went well last year are just going to be there.”

Meanwhile, OKC is stepping carefully into the new season, determined to dodge the classic championship hangover that can derail even the sharpest teams. Presti is pushing the entire organization to erase last season from memory. As reset and refocus become the new mantra for the front office as well as the locker room.

“In Oklahoma, we’re builders,” Presti said when speaking to reporters on Thursday. “We’re not guardians. We’re not guarding or defending the past; that’s over, and it’s ours. We are pursuing our future and whatever comes next. We have the opportunity to be a really, really good team again, but it’s not gonna happen by imitating ourselves or trying to recreate a specific outcome. If we want to pursue excellence, we have to let go of last year and start again.”

Repeating as NBA champion is a brutal test, made trickier by every team juggling salary cap limits. Still, fans always bet on another repeat. The Thunder face steep odds but welcome the grind. With youth, depth, and talent on their side, OKC can stay formidable. Health and consistency will determine if Presti’s bold vision comes true.

Sam Presti’s $822 million investment could produce the same results as last season

The Oklahoma City Thunder are locking in their future with authority. In July 2025, Sam Presti secured Jalen Williams with a five-year maximum rookie extension worth up to $287 million, joining Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren, who each signed massive deals this week. Williams, the second-best player on the championship roster, averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.1 assists while shooting 48.4 percent from the field.

His 40-point explosion in Game 5 of the Finals cemented his role as the perfect complement to Gilgeous-Alexander. Holmgren’s five-year $250 million deal and Gilgeous-Alexander’s four-year $285 million supermax push the Thunder’s total new extensions to a staggering $822 million. Presti and owner Clay Bennett are betting big, rewarding youth, talent, and championship success while signaling that Oklahoma City will remain a dominant force for years to come.

Oklahoma City is no longer chasing a moment—they are shaping an era. With youth, talent, and depth stacked like a fortress, the Thunder are daring every challenger to try. Last season’s glory is gone, but the hunger remains sharper than ever. Every game will demand brilliance, every play will test resilience, and every step will define whether this team can turn ambition into legacy.