When the Thunder set out to build a champion, they learned hard lessons from how their historic trio of KD, Russell Westbrook and James Harden flamed out a decade ago.

Fresh off their first title, the Oklahoma City Thunder are unanimous favorites to repeat as NBA Finals champions in 2025-26, according to the oddsmakers.

The promise came three years ago from Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti. It might have been overlooked for a couple of reasons.