The Oklahoma City Thunder have been the standard in the Western Conference since the start of last season. While other contenders scrambled to retool their rosters at every turn, OKC held firm, trusting their core and continuity.
That patience paid off with a championship. But heading into this season, with the arms race heating up across the West, the question became: could they stand pat again and still come out on top?
Turns out, even the Thunder have their limits when it comes to standing still.
The West Reloads
Over the past year, the Western Conference has been a whirlwind of high-stakes trades and bold front office moves. The Lakers made the biggest splash at last year’s deadline, pulling off a blockbuster deal to bring in Luka Dončić. San Antonio followed suit, landing De’Aaron Fox in a move that signaled they were done waiting on a slow rebuild.
Denver, meanwhile, made headlines this past summer by trading Michael Porter Jr. to Brooklyn in exchange for Cam Johnson-a move that added versatility and shooting to an already potent lineup. And then there’s Houston, who swung for the fences and connected, acquiring Kevin Durant in a move that instantly elevated their ceiling.
All of that movement had one thing in common: it didn’t involve Oklahoma City.
OKC Stays Quiet-Until They Don’t
From the 2025 deadline through the offseason and into the early part of this year, the Thunder were the model of consistency. No major moves.
No big splashes. Just a team returning its championship core and trusting the development of its young pieces.
But this February, GM Sam Presti finally joined the trade party-and he didn’t miss.
The Thunder acquired rookie guard Jared McCain from the Philadelphia 76ers, and while it’s still early, the impact has been immediate and undeniable.
McCain’s Instant Impact
Through just three games, McCain has brought a jolt of energy and skill to OKC’s second unit. He’s added speed, ball-handling, and-most importantly-shooting.
And not just any shooting. We’re talking about floor-warping, defense-bending shooting that’s opened up the court for everyone else.
Before McCain’s debut on February 7, the Thunder ranked 14th in the league in three-point percentage and were hitting just 32.5% of their contested looks from deep. Since then? They’ve jumped to seventh in overall three-point percentage, second in catch-and-shoot threes, and are knocking down contested triples at a clip 5% higher than before.
And here’s the kicker: they’re doing all this without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s been sidelined with an abdominal strain.
A Seamless Fit
McCain’s arrival hasn’t just added a spark-it’s created a ripple effect. His ability to stretch the floor and make quick decisions has made life easier for everyone else in the rotation. The offense is humming, the spacing is cleaner, and the ball is moving with purpose.
What’s striking is how quickly McCain has settled in. Unlike the other big-name acquisitions across the West-many of whom needed weeks or months to find their rhythm-McCain looks like he’s been in OKC’s system for years. That kind of seamless integration is rare, especially for a rookie stepping into a title-contending environment.
Looking Ahead
If this version of the Thunder is what we’re getting moving forward-an already elite team now armed with even more shooting and depth-then the rest of the West has a serious problem. And that’s before SGA returns.
The Thunder didn’t panic when the rest of the conference went all-in. They waited, they watched, and when they finally made their move, it was a calculated strike that’s already paying dividends.
If McCain continues to play at this level and the Thunder get healthy, we could be looking at a team that’s not just trying to repeat-but one that might be even better than the version that lifted the trophy last year.