The Oklahoma City Thunder had an impressive season as they clinched the number-one seed in the Western Conference. Heading into the offseason, the Thunder will be looking to add the missing pieces to make it to the NBA Finals.
The Thunder have a great core in place, as they finished the season with a 57-25 record. They swept the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round before losing to the Dallas Mavericks in the second round in six games.
Oklahoma City's core is centered around superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are the complimentary rising young stars.
The Thunder also have quality young role players, including Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, Josh Giddey, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins. Oklahoma City's roster still has holes, but its strong core gives it a foundation to build upon.
With that said, here are two major offseason fixes the Thunder must make to win the 2025 NBA Finals.
Add a strong, physical center
One of the Thunder's biggest weaknesses was their lack of a strong and physical presence down low. Holmgren is a talented young center, but his skinny frame allows physical centers to dominate him down low.
Jonas Valanciunas found success in the first round against Holmgren despite the New Orleans Pelicans getting swept.
This offseason, the Thunder must bring in a strong and physical center who can come off the bench behind Holmgren and also have the versatility to play alongside him.
There are multiple options that Oklahoma City can pursue to fill this role. In free agency, a dream target would be stealing Isaiah Hartenstein from the New York Knicks.
Hartenstein had a career year for the Knicks, averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.2 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game. He also shot an efficient 64.4 percent from the field. Hartenstein is a good rebounder and defender and would be the physical presence that the Thunder need down low.
A cheaper target to fill this role in free agency would be Andre Drummond. Drummond averaged 8.4 points and nine rebounds in just 17.1 minutes per game.
The 30-year-old is one of the best rebounders in basketball and is a quality backup center. Drummond would be a great addition if they miss out on Hartenstein.
The Thunder's biggest need this offseason is adding that strong and physical presence down low, and there are multiple options for them to pursue.
Bring in more length at forward
Another need that the Thunder must address is adding more length at the forward position.
Sam Presti and the front office attempted to do this by acquiring Gordon Hayward before the trade deadline. Hayward didn't end up being the answer, and the Thunder now have to look elsewhere.
There are tons of options that Oklahoma City could go after. Lauri Markkanen is by far the best on the list without going for a max contract forward like Paul George. Markkanen, if made available by the Utah Jazz, would be an ideal target as he's an All-Star on a reasonable contract.
Kyle Kuzma is another option, as the Washington Wizards are shopping him. Kuzma is an all-around forward at six-foot-nine who could be an impactful player for the Thunder.
Oklahoma City's offseason ahead is crucial. The Thunder are already a title contender, but adding a physical center and more length at the forward position would help them win the 2025 NBA Finals.
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