“They got the infrastructure for a dynasty” – Paul Pierce breaks down how OKC can remain dominant originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Fresh off capturing the 2025 NBA title, the Oklahoma City Thunder seem well on their way to establishing a new dynasty. In the eyes of Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce, the future looks promising for OKC – especially if the front office plays its cards right.
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Speaking on “Podcast P” with Paul George, The Truth detailed why everything seems to be in place for a dynasty for the Thunder. Pierce mentioned how the team has a rich collection of draft picks and financial flexibility, but it may all boil down to how well the 2025 champs can shape their roster in the coming years.
“They got the infrastructure for a dynasty. They got draft picks. They [have] right now cap space. But they going to sign their players. What they going to have to do is, once you get the nucleus, they going to have to continue to remake their bench,” Pierce pointed out.
Some will stay, some will go
Like any other team coming off a championship, the reality of it all is that there will be players who may be lost. The reason behind this is that they helped win a championship, and their value has gone up.
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Although OKC has the cap space for now, that will eventually become a problem. Hence, the question from that point is that, aside from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, who stays and who goes?
Pierce hinted that this may become a problem and singled out a couple of names coming off the Thunder bench, players who could arguably be starters for other teams.
“Them guys off the bench, they starters. Like Isaiah Joe, [Aaron] Wiggins, they going to be starters. [Alex] Caruso, they going to be starters on other teams and they going to command more money in a couple of more years, and you not going to be able to pay everybody,” the 10-time All-Star reasoned.
Pierce’s words make sense. It is a reality, something that past champions like the Golden State Warriors had to endure. At some point, players will see bigger money and roles elsewhere and move to other teams.
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Hence, the key will be to turn to OKC’s current draft picks. Potential future voids can be filled by using Sam Presti’s immense stash. Hence, it will be a recurring process for coach Mike Daigneault, as he will have to incorporate new players into the team system, which the youngsters will hopefully embrace.
One season at a time for OKC
The debate on whether the Thunder can start a dynasty is divided. Some feel it will happen while others are apprehensive. Two NBA personalities who have had doubts are Draymond Green and Dwyane Wade.
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On the part of Green, he singled out the same money issue that Pierce explained earlier. For Draymond, it is possible to see OKC win it all again in 2026. However, he remains reserved on what follows, especially once some of the players start negotiating for larger contracts. For Wade, it was pretty much a matter of money. However, Dwyane did suggest that jealousy or players demanding a bigger role could also be potential issues.
Looking at the Thunder’s camaraderie last season, which impressed legends like Gary Payton, it would be hard to picture jealousy setting in. Money matters appear to be the main obstacle, but Oklahoma City’s management seems to have that covered with multiple draft picks.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.