LeBron James may have tried to leave the Thunder behind by heading east, but he still can’t stop talking about them.
On a recent episode of Mind the Game, James sounded like a player who knows exactly what Oklahoma City was capable of doing to a championship chase. He praised the Thunder’s talent and experience, then essentially admitted the group was too dangerous to ignore.
"I hope [fans and players] are not too quick to turn the page on OKC. They've got too much talent and experience, and I think they were hungry last year, and injuries can always affect some things...
If those guys are healthy, they will be right there. They're that good," James said.
He also said he’d like to see a Western Conference Finals rematch between OKC and the San Antonio Spurs. That’s the kind of matchup James can only watch from a distance now, no matter which team gets there.
The Thunder already gave him a first-hand reminder of why so many stars are looking elsewhere. In the Western Conference Semifinals, Oklahoma City swept his Lakers in four games, and three of those contests were decided by at least 15 points. James still put up strong numbers in the series, averaging 23.3 points on 50.0 percent shooting, but it wasn’t enough to slow down a Thunder team that looked completely in control.
That run helped explain why James ended up in Philadelphia. It also helps explain why he wasn’t the only one headed east.
Kawhi Leonard, Julius Randle, Deandre Ayton, Lu Dort, and Klay Thompson were among the players who moved away from the threats posed by the Thunder and the Spurs. The West, as a result, could end up much thinner than it was before.
And it’s not hard to see why players might want out. The Thunder have averaged 63 wins over the past three years, while the Spurs turned in a 62-win season in 2025-26 and reached the NBA Finals recently.
That kind of power in the West shifts the burden to the East, where James now finds himself. The 76ers, Pistons, Heat, and Hawks have all added help, and the Pacers are hoping to climb back into the picture with Tyrese Haliburton returning. Even so, those teams still have to get past the reigning champion, the New York Knicks, who remain the team to beat until somebody knocks them off.
So while James no longer has Oklahoma City standing directly in his way, his move doesn’t make the title path any cleaner. It may have just pushed the problem farther down the road, where a bruised East winner could still have the Thunder or Spurs waiting at the end of it.
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Oklahoma City has an open roster spot, which gives the front office some flexibility if it wants to reward Smiths recent momentum with a standard or two-way contract. If not, the path is still there for him to keep developing with the Blue, but the fact that he has created a real decision this early is the part worth watching as camp moves on. [Read more 🡒]
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For Thunder fans, the timing makes it hard to ignore because any serious push from San Antonio adds another layer to an already crowded Western picture. Statistical models are buying into that possibility, projecting a strong regular season and postseason run for the Spurs with a healthy chance to win their division and make the playoffs, though those projections still come with the usual caveat that injuries and other real-world factors can change everything. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Can Offer Otega Oweh Something Few Teams Ever Could
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Oweh is facing a recovery process that usually stretches six to 12 months, but he will not be going through it alone inside Oklahoma Citys program. Several Thunder players have dealt with major injuries of their own and have already stepped in with support and guidance, giving Oweh something few teams can genuinely provide: a locker room that understands the grind of coming back. [Read more 🡒]