Thunder GM Sam Presti Sends Strong Message on OKC’s Title Defense
The Oklahoma City Thunder completed their remarkable climb to the top last season by defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games to capture the 2025 NBA title. Now, with less than a month until their title defense begins, general manager Sam Presti has made it clear: one championship isn’t enough for this team.
Led by reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rising stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, the Thunder enter the season as favorites to repeat. With their depth and unique mindset, they’ll be difficult to dethrone—a fact underscored by Presti’s recent remarks.
After years of rebuilding, Oklahoma City has turned into one of the league’s most formidable squads. They cruised through the regular season in 2025 and outlasted Indiana in the Finals. While celebrating their first title, the Thunder also made strategic roster adjustments to keep their championship window wide open, even as new salary cap rules make sustained contention harder to achieve.
Avoiding a “championship hangover” is the next challenge, and Presti emphasized that the team must move forward rather than dwell on last year’s success.
“In Oklahoma, we’re builders,” Presti told reporters Thursday. “We’re not guardians of the past. That’s over and it’s ours. What matters now is the future. If we want to pursue excellence, we have to let go of last year and start again.”
Repeating as NBA champions is never easy, but the Thunder have the mix of talent, youth, and depth to make it possible. Staying healthy and maintaining their high level of play will be crucial. If they do, Presti’s message about chasing the future rather than clinging to the past could set the tone for another deep run in 2026.
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