Should the Thunder make a play for Giannis Antetokounmpo in an attempt to Wemby-proof their future?

Heading home tied 2-2 in the Western Conference finals, the odds still favor the Oklahoma City Thunder getting through this series and winning their second consecutive NBA title.

But the most interesting part of what has happened through four games against the San Antonio Spurs isn’t merely about a series that now hangs in the balance and a psychological edge that has now shifted after the Spurs rolled to a 103-82 victory in Game 4. It’s not even about this series, per se.

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If you’re Oklahoma City vice president and general manager Sam Presti and you have watched San Antonio make up this much ground this quickly, measured the trajectory of Victor Wembanyama and the young core around him, and projected what this rivalry is going to look like over the next five years, an obvious question emerges:

Do the Thunder need to make a play for Giannis Antetokounmpo?

For all 29 teams in the NBA, it is now abundantly clear The Wemby Factor is going to, on some level, influence the way they build their teams for the foreseeable future. Some organizations could look at this series and conclude that trading significant assets to go all-in right now is a losing bet. For those who are on the cusp of contention, any such move for a superstar player must consider whether it will make a difference in a playoff series against Wembanyama.

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That’s how impactful these Western Conference finals should be viewed in the arc of NBA history. The Wembanyama Spurs are no longer a far-off theory that could one day win a championship. Even if they don’t quite get it done this year, the conversation going forward starts with the Spurs. They are here.

And it leaves Oklahoma City in a fascinating place.

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Let’s say the Thunder manage to get by this series in six or seven games and beat the New York Knicks to win their second straight title. With their young core locked in, plus the treasure trove of first-round draft picks and swaps Presti has accumulated through previous trades, we should be talking…

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Author : Dan Wolken

Publish date : 2026-05-25 23:03:00

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