In a recent declaration, he made it more than clear that the Thunder are about to play just as aggressively as they did in 2026, when they reached deep into the postseason and pushed the San Antonio Spurs to a Game 7 during the conference playoffs. That is something all other teams should pay attention to.

“Our goal is to repeat a process, not chase an outcome. This process is to position our team and our organization so that if we are fortunate enough to have things break our way, we can achieve ultimate success. This is how every NBA champion is able to achieve success,” Presti said.

A strong season for the Thunder

Two straight years with 60+ wins for the Thunder is exactly what Presti wants to see continue. Since the 2012-13 season, they haven’t won that many games. In the words of the General Manager, his franchise is more than ready to get back to work and replicate the results of the last two seasons.

Presti’s confidence in what the Thunder have to offer is a clear wake-up call for rivals who might think the team is shaken after being unable to defend their NBA title in 2026. In his presser, he noted that great teams not only have stamina, but the endurance to sustain success over time.

The 2026 season was quite special for Presti and his organization. Not only did they enter the year as defending champions, but it marked their third straight appearance in the postseason. Following a playoff drought from 2020-21 to the 2022-23 season, this current run signals just how prepared the team truly is.

The insightful update was shared on X by ESPN’s senior NBA insider Tim MacMahon. “I was told though that Shai was playing a little bit coy there,” the veteran reporter stated. MacMahon then elaborated on the guard’s quiet strategy, adding: “He will at least remind Sam Presti and the Thunder management just how much he values having Lu Dort as his teammate.”

Lu Dort is one of two key players the Thunder need to negotiate with to navigate the team’s complex salary cap restrictions. Both critical pieces hold expensive team options that place the front office in an incredibly difficult position regarding long-term luxury tax penalties.

Is Dort necessary for the Thunder?

Gilgeous-Alexander is highly determined to keep his teammate. Throughout the most recent regular season, Dort remained a vital mainstay in the starting lineup, averaging 8.3 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while facing the opposition’s top scoring threats

Dort extensive postseason background ensures that he can keep helping the Thunder reach another deep playoff run and potentially capture an elusive championship ring. His unique chemistry with the core roster makes him an invaluable asset for head coach Mark Daigneault.

The veteran defender made his ultimate desires perfectly clear during his exit interviews on May 31, expressing total confidence in management. “I’m really grateful for all the stuff that Sam did for me until this point, and obviously I want to stay here,” Dort passionately stated to the media.

The young big man addressed his lackluster performance during the Thunder exit interviews, which were captured in a video shared on X by Anthony Slater. “I feel like part of it was being kind of closed out heavy, too,” Holmgren explained when questioned about his unusually low number of shot attempts.

He further elaborated on his hesitation during the games, recognizing it as a critical learning moment for his NBA career. “Also, just being a little bit out of rhythm at times. I feel like there were definitely opportunities to get more attempts up that I didn’t in the moment. That’s an area to improve,” Holmgren concluded.

How bad did Holmgren play against the Spurs?

Against San Antonio, the center averaged just 10.5 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting a poor 27.3% from beyond the arc. His worst moment came in the decisive Game 7, where he vanished offensively, scoring only four points.

This sudden drop in production heavily impacted the Thunder, especially with injuries already sidelining key roster pieces like Jalen Williams. Without Holmgren acting as a reliable secondary scoring option alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the offense stagnated against Victor Wembanyama’s interior presence.

At just 24 years old, this painful experience provides him with a clear blueprint of what he needs to adjust in the gym this summer. Armed with a team that completely backs him, Holmgren is well-positioned to fix his aggressiveness and bounce back stronger next season.

According to Jake Weinbach on X, “The Thunder are likely to decline the team options of Isaiah Hartenstein ($28.5M) and Lu Dort ($18.2M) to cut costs this offseason. Although, re-signing each player on a team-friendly deal in free agency would still be a viable option as OKC navigates the salary cap.” The report immediately sparked speculation about the futures of two key contributors.

Weinbach’s report does not necessarily mean either player is on the way out. Instead, it highlights a potential strategy where Oklahoma City declines the current options and then attempts to bring both NBA veterans back on more affordable contracts. Such a move could give the front office greater flexibility.

Hartenstein and Dort remain committed to OKC

Hartenstein made it clear after the season that he would welcome the opportunity to stay. “I love being here. I love the organization,” he said while acknowledging that negotiations are ultimately in the hands of team executives and his representatives.

Dort delivered a similar message regarding his future. “I obviously want to stay here,” he said, crediting the organization and the city for helping shape his career. The veteran guard remained one of Oklahoma City’s most important perimeter defenders throughout the playoffs.

The Thunder now face an important decision. Keeping both players could help preserve continuity around their young core, while restructuring their contracts may provide additional roster flexibility moving forward. With Hartenstein and Dort both publicly expressing interest in staying, the coming weeks could determine whether Oklahoma City can keep two valuable pieces in place for another postseason run.

With Jalen Williams surviving in only one full game of the Thunder’s seven-game series, due to a recurring left hamstring injury, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander highlighted the void left in Jalen Williams’ absence during the Thunder’s exit interviews on Sunday.

“Not having Dub for the whole year, basically, sucked. He’s just such a unicorn out there,” Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “He’s a 20-point-per-game scorer, guards 1 through 5. Last season, he got All-NBA for offense, All-NBA for defense, and was an All-Star all in the same season at maybe 24 years old. Losing a guy like that just hurts. He’s just uber talented. Having that Swiss Army Knife 24/7 is a luxury. We just didn’t have that luxury this time, and sometimes it just goes like that.”

The differential numbers during the matchup

Without Jalen Williams, the Spurs put the defensive clamps on All-Star Chet Holmgren, challenging the rest of the Thunder starters to rise to the occasion as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 35 points were met with Cason Wallace’s 17 points against a Spurs offense where seven players scored in double digits. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cason Wallace were the only Thunder starters who scored in double figures.

On the side of the winners, and with plenty of reasons and arguments, Victor Wembanyama’s 22 points led San Antonio. Julian Champagnie finished with 22 points, and point guard Stephon Castle added 16 points.

Shai recognizes it was a failure

Despite another MVP season and another deep playoff run, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was not interested in celebrating individual accomplishments after the loss. During Oklahoma City’s exit interviews, the two-time MVP delivered a brutally honest assessment of his season.

“It was a failure. I failed at my goal. I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. But in my experience, I learn the most about myself and make the biggest improvements in my career when I fail at a goal and don’t get what I want. I look at this no differently. I didn’t get where I wanted to go this season. There’s a reason for that.”

“Now I have to identify that reason and make sure it never happens again.” It is a mindset that helps explain why Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the NBA’s elite superstars. Individually, there was almost nothing left for him to accomplish this season.

Shortly after, when asked what he had understood most about himself through what was undoubtedly the most important basketball game of his young career, Victor Wembanyama reflected before responding. “I would say what I learned is I can go through hurdles that I didn’t know could get so high,” the generational talent shared.

“It’s just pushing through, you know. I found resources inside of me. Relentlessness. I already knew that, but doing it at this level, this is the best basketball on the planet that’s being played right now, and the crazy thing is, maybe I’m crazy for that, but I want to do that 15, 20 more times.” He then finished with a line that resonated in real time as much as for what could lie ahead. “Let’s hope it doesn’t become an addiction. Maybe it is already.”

An achievement with merit by Wembanyama

The 22-year-old center ended the regular season as the first-ever unanimous Defensive Player of the Year and placed third in MVP voting behind eventual winner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. Wembanyama cited the loss of the MVP award to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of the motivating factors for him in the Western Conference Finals, averaging 27.3 points, 10.9 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.4 steals, and 2.7 blocks over the series and outplaying the league MVP.

Victor Wembanyama is proving to be on pace with some of the game’s greatest players with how soon he’s racking up major accomplishments. The series win over the Thunder and Victor Wembanyama’s crucial role in the victory, have made him the second-youngest player to lead his team to the NBA Finals, behind Magic Johnson, who did the same at 20 years old with the Los Angeles Lakers. This is the list:

1. Magic Johnson, Los Angeles Lakers (1980): 20 years, 264 days.
2. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (2026): 22 years, 146 days.
3. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (2007): 22 years, 169 days.
4. Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando Magic (1995): 23 years old, 94 days.
5. Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs (1999): 23 years, 61 days.

Wemby over Doncic for a relatively new award

The NBA introduced the concept of Conference Finals MVPs in 2022, so there have only been five recipients in each Conference since its implementation. Unsurprisingly, Victor Wembanyama is the youngest Conference Finals MVP, surpassing Luka Doncic, who led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals at 25 years old.

The defeat was particularly painful given the Thunder’s position as defending champions and favorites entering the decisive matchup. Oklahoma City had home-court advantage and the experience of last year’s title run, but San Antonio delivered when it mattered most to complete the series comeback.

Following the game, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made it clear that the focus must now shift toward learning from the disappointment and preparing for another championship push. “They were just the better team tonight from start to finish. Hats off to them. They played better and deserved to win. We just have to take it one day at a time from here on out. Try to get better this summer and be a better team than we were this season and last season. Just try to get over the hump.”

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander believes Spurs have what it takes to win NBA title

While the loss was difficult to accept, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had nothing but praise for the team that ended Oklahoma City’s season. The Thunder star acknowledged that San Antonio earned its place in the NBA Finals and possesses many of the qualities necessary to win a championship. “They have the makeup for sure. You don’t beat us without the makeup and we’re here. They got the makeup to go get a championship.”

The comments carry significant weight considering Oklahoma City was widely viewed as one of the strongest teams in the league. For Gilgeous-Alexander, the Spurs proved their legitimacy by defeating a defending champion in a pressure-packed seven-game series.

He continued his praise by highlighting what makes San Antonio such a dangerous opponent heading into the Finals against the New York Knicks. “They’re young and they’re talented. They’re well-coached and play the right way.”

Speaking after the game in comments shared by Joel Lorenzi on X, Caruso said, “There’s nothing that needs to be solved. We could’ve won the game tonight. You would’ve been asking them the same thing. I don’t think there’s this narrative that this is a bugaboo.”

Caruso continued by emphasizing that the series could have gone either way. “We should’ve played better and won the game and been in the NBA Finals. They’re a good team, they’re young. We’ll both probably be around for a while. But we’ve gotta get better and try and win next time.”

Caruso knows what playoff battles look like

Throughout the series against San Antonio, Caruso once again showed why contenders value his presence so highly. While he may not always lead the box score, his defense, leadership, and ability to make winning plays helped keep Oklahoma City competitive throughout the matchup.

His perspective carries weight because of his extensive postseason experience. Caruso has played deep into the playoffs multiple times during his career and understands how thin the margin can be between advancing and going home. That experience likely explains why he refused to overreact to a single Game 7 defeat.

Looking ahead, there is every reason to believe the Thunder can return to the postseason with Caruso next season. Oklahoma City remains one of the most talented teams in the Western Conference, and veterans like Caruso provide the stability needed for long playoff runs.

The Thunder enter the game as favorites thanks to home-court advantage and a roster led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, the Spurs have all the momentum after their dominant Game 6 victory and continue to lean on the brilliance of Victor Wembanyama, who is now one win away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time in his career.

Waiting on the other side are the Knicks, who have already secured their place in the Finals after completing a sweep in the Eastern Conference Finals. The winner of Game 7 will earn the right to face New York beginning on June 3.

Is Jalen Williams playing for Thunder vs Spurs in Game 7?

No. Jalen Williams has officially been ruled out for Game 7 due to a hamstring injury. It’s a significant blow for the Thunder considering Williams has been one of the team’s most important players throughout the season and playoffs.

For San Antonio, the injury could create an opportunity to steal a road victory and complete an improbable comeback after trailing 3-2 in the series. With the NBA Finals awaiting the winner, every possession in Game 7 is expected to carry enormous weight.

Who is favorite to win Game 7 between Spurs and Thunder?

Despite the injury setback, oddsmakers continue to view the Thunder as favorites heading into Game 7. They are currently favored by 3.5 points at home, reflecting confidence in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates.

NBA insider Shams Charania reported the news shortly before the decisive matchup. “Oklahoma City Thunder’s Jalen Williams has been ruled out for Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.”

Despite entering the series as favorites and still holding home-court advantage for the winner-take-all showdown, the Thunder now face enormous pressure without one of their most important players.

Is Jalen Williams playing for Thunder vs Spurs in Game 7 of Western Conference Finals?

No. Jalen Williams is not playing in Game 7 due to a hamstring injury and his absence places even more responsibility on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to carry the Thunder offensively against a San Antonio team that suddenly appears full of confidence and momentum behind Victor Wembanyama after the Spurs’ dominant 118-91 victory in Game 6.

The Thunder are favorites entering Game 7 because of depth, home crowd and overall consistency throughout the season. However, losing Williams removes one of the team’s best two-way players at the worst possible moment against a Spurs squad that already proved capable of dominating the matchup physically in the previous game.

Game 7 now becomes even more dramatic with the NBA Finals on the line. What originally looked like a slight Thunder advantage suddenly feels far more unpredictable after the injury update surrounding one of Oklahoma City’s most important stars.

After struggling in Game 5 and receiving criticism for both his performance and his postgame media controversy earlier in the series, Wembanyama bounced back with a much more controlled and impactful performance on both ends of the floor. The young superstar looked far more comfortable offensively while helping lead one of San Antonio’s best defensive efforts of the playoffs.

Following the win, Wembanyama spoke about the importance of relying on veteran voices inside the organization ahead of the biggest game of his career so far. “First thing is listening to the experienced people, whether it’s on our team or our staff. We have plenty of those around.”

Victor Wembanyama credits Spurs’ trust and discipline after forcing Game 7

Victor Wembanyama also explained that one of the biggest differences between Game 5 and Game 6 was San Antonio’s commitment to the game plan and the adjustments made with the coaching staff. After Oklahoma City controlled large stretches of the previous matchup, the Spurs appeared significantly more organized and confident on Thursday night.

“Trusting the game plan. Discussing tactics with the staff and teammates. I think we were consistent and we did what we needed to do. We trusted the game and we trusted the basketball gods.”

The Spurs’ defensive intensity completely changed the rhythm of the series in Game 6. San Antonio disrupted Oklahoma City early, controlled the paint and prevented Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from fully taking over offensively the way he had earlier in the series.

Now the series heads to a dramatic Game 7 against the defending champions, with momentum suddenly shifting toward the Spurs after their dominant response under pressure. For Wembanyama, the upcoming matchup represents another massive step in his rapidly growing legacy as he attempts to lead San Antonio back to the NBA Finals.