Who will be OKC Thunder's biggest threats other than Wemby, Spurs? Let's rank them

The OKC Thunder fell short of defending its NBA championship last season.

Injuries ultimately derailed OKC, which found itself without Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell down the stretch of the playoffs. It ultimately lost in seven games to San Antonio in the Western Conference finals.

But both players are now healthy entering the 2026-27 NBA season . And despite trading away Lu Dort , Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins this summer, the Thunder is poised to compete for a championship once again. It's tied with the Spurs for the best title odds in the league, according to BetMGM .

There are plenty of other contenders in the mix as well. Here are the top 10 biggest threats to OKC this season:

Miami traded for Giannis Antetokounmpo . Toronto traded for Kawhi Leonard . The Los Angeles Lakers revamped their roster to give Luka Dončić more support.

All of those teams have a case to make this list, but don't forget about Indiana. The Pacers are only a little over a year removed from reaching Game 7 of the NBA Finals, and Tyrese Haliburton is now healthy after being sidelined last season by a torn Achilles. Ivica Zubac is also an upgrade at center, and Kelly Oubre Jr. is a new addition to the bench.

Indiana only has the 15th-best championship odds (+6600), according to BetMGM , so I'm higher on it than most. But it wouldn't surprise me if the Pacers made another run to the Finals and put up a good fight.

Fred VanVleet tore his ACL right before the start of last season, forcing Houston to lean heavily on second-year guard Reed Sheppard . Steven Adams was also limited to just 32 games, and his absence was felt on the glass.

But Houston still managed to finish fifth in the West with a 52-30 record, and it'll now get both guys back. It'll also have Marcus Smart in the mix, giving the team another veteran guard it can count on.

Floor spacing is still a concern. But Houston has the size to cause matchup problems for OKC, along with every other team, and it's much deeper than last season.

Detroit went from 14-68 to 44-38 to 60-22 throughout the past three seasons. It's one of the biggest teams on the rise thanks in large part to Cade Cunningham , a gifted scorer who has cemented his superstar status.

Losing Tobias Harris this summer hurts because he provided shot creation for a team that's shorthanded in that department. But the additions of John Collins and Isaiah Joe are good ones.

Maybe this is the year the Pistons finally break through after reaching last season's Eastern Conference semifinals. And if they do reach the Finals, they could muck up enough games with their physical play style to give themselves a shot.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC Thunder vs Boston Celtics photos

Some people might be quick to dismiss Boston because it traded away Jaylen Brown this summer. And while his production will be tough to replace, don't sleep on the Celtics .

Boston went 56-26 last season despite only having half of its star duo of Brown and Jayson Tatum , as the latter was sidelined for all but 16 games due to a torn Achilles. And it'll be put in the same position again this season now that Brown is gone and Tatum is healthy.

The Celtics are also bringing back key role players such as Derrick White , Payton Pritchard and Neemias Queta . And they added another two contributors in Paul George and Mitchell Robinson . It's a talented group with championship experience and an elite head coach in Joe Mazzulla, making it one you can't count out.

This is another team that some people might be down on. And I can once again see why since Denver was eliminated in the first round of last season's playoffs. It then lost Peyton Watson , Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jonas Valančiūnas this summer.

But Denver still has Nikola Jokić , a three-time MVP who serves as an offensive hub at the five. It still has a strong second option in Jamal Murray , who earned his first All-Star selection last season. And it still has a ton of familiarity with OKC if the two teams collide in the playoffs.

Aaron Gordon will have to stay healthy after getting injured at the end of each of the last two playoff runs. Christian Braun will also have to bounce back from a tough year, and DeMar DeRozan will have to carry a shaky second unit. But the Nuggets have to be on this list as long as Jokić is on the floor.

Minnesota was the most difficult teams to rank. It deserves to be in the top 10, but just how high?

That depends on how high you are on LaMelo Ball , who played in 72 games last season after logging fewer than 50 appearances in each of the previous three years. Will he be able to stay on the floor and form a lethal offensive duo with Anthony Edwards ? Will he also be able to deliver on stages he has never played on before?

Of course, Ball isn't the only question mark. Minnesota's depth is another concern, especially in the frontcourt. And when facing OKC, Jaden McDaniels and Jonathan Kuminga might struggle at the four against Chet Holmgren . But the Timberwolves have the potential to be contenders if everything comes together, so I'll rank them fifth.

Cleveland reached the Eastern Conference finals last season for the first time since 2018. And even though it got swept by New York, it was a step in the right direction for a team that has fallen short of postseason expectations in the past.

But the Cavaliers should be even better equipped to make a deep run this time around. They traded for Watson, a versatile forward who shot 41.1% from deep last season, and they added even more wing depth by signing Mario Hezonja .

From shot creators to playmakers to wing defenders to rim protectors, Cleveland checks off a lot of boxes. It could finally make that long-awaited Finals run.

Philadelphia won the offseason thanks in large part to its newly-hired president of basketball operations, Mike Gansey.

He first traded George and future draft picks for Brown, who just averaged a career-high 28.7 points and finished sixth in MVP voting. Then he landed LeBron James . And he rounded out the roster with the additions of Anfernee Simons , Dean Wade and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope .

Of course, all eyes are still on Joel Embiid . Philadelphia won't have a chance of winning a championship with a center duo of Adem Bona and Ariel Hukporti . But the star big man is healthy entering this season, and the 76ers look like one of the league's biggest contenders.

Get ready for Round 1 of NBA Playoffs with our best OKC Thunder photos

New York won a championship last season for the first time since 1973. And aside from replacing Robinson with Andre Drummond , the Knicks should look very similar this time around.

The biggest reason why I didn't rank New York first on this list is because its matchup with OKC isn't a great one. The Thunder has plenty of point-of-attack defenders to throw at Jalen Brunson . It also has plenty of dangerous attackers such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams who'll test the rim protection of Karl-Anthony Towns .

But New York still won a title for a reason. Brunson is an elite scorer, Towns is a highly-skilled big man and the Knicks have strong play in the wing department. They also have experience playing together on the biggest stage in basketball, making them a real threat.

San Antonio fell short of winning a championship last season, but I think it'll present the biggest challenge for OKC this time around.

The Spurs have a matchup nightmare in Victor Wembanyama , who thoroughly outplayed Holmgren during last year's Western Conference finals. They have an elite point-of-attack defender in Stephon Castle , who made life difficult for Gilgeous-Alexander. And they have a good supporting cast of players that now includes Harris.

But most importantly, San Antonio now has experience. And even though I'd still give a slight edge to OKC if it can stay healthy, it would have its hands full in a potential rematch.

Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com .