The San Antonio Spurs had their way with the Oklahoma City Thunder last season, but at least one active NBA coach thinks their success was a fluke.
The two teams with the brightest future in the NBA are the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder. If they weren't in the same conference, fans would expect both teams to meet in the Finals year after year. Instead, we have to settle for Western Conference Finals matchups.
In the current era, the Spurs are up 1-0 on the Thunder, beating them in seven games in 2026. On top of that, the Spurs dominated them in the regular season and NBA Cup. It would seem that OKC has a lot to prove.
However, the Thunder were without Jalen Williams for much of the season, including parts of the playoffs. Williams is pretty easily their second-best player, and being without him is a massive loss. When he comes back healthy next season, the Spurs are expected to take a back seat.
Thunder Top Spurs in NBA Ranking
Pretty much every NBA power ranking has the Spurs, Thunder, and New York Knicks in the top three. You can place that trio in pretty much any order you want, and most fans wouldn't press too hard.
That's why ranking OKC over San Antonio doesn't get a rise out of us, especially when it can be backed up.
"The Thunder had to dump three players–Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins–for financial reasons this summer," prefaced Heavy's Sean Deveney. "Still, when healthy, the Thunder have the best roster in the league and have championship credentials. Said one Western Conference coach: 'The Spurs have great young players, but no one is more complete than the Thunder.'”
Maybe that means the Spurs have a brighter future? Considering Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Williams are all on maximum contracts, that seems correct. San Antonio, thanks to Victor Wembanyama's pay cut, does have some financial flexibility. Plus, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper haven't even begun to peak.
The three best teams in the NBA are San Antonio, OKC, and New York. The two most promising teams moving forward long-term are clearly the Spurs and Thunder.
In that categrory, the Victor Wembanyama-led team has a major leg up.
