The Western Conference is a neck-and-neck race, except for one team. The Oklahoma City Thunder lead the Western Conference by 10 games, comfortably holding the first seed. They have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a walking 30-piece who is earning MVP nods in every arena. Around him is a well-decorated roster to complement his elegance. But this has happened before in Oklahoma.

The Thunder are renowned for the young core they have regularly built. Sam Presti assembled a trio of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant, and James Harden in the past. Each of them went on to become MVPs. But they never won a championship together. The current side too is young and craving success, but what if it doesn’t come their way?

Stephen A. Smith has an audacious suggestion. He feels the Thunder should go back to the last man who led them to an NBA Finals appearance. “The Oklahoma City Thunder should go and get Kevin Durant back,” Smith proclaimed. His point is direct, the Thunder have the picks and tempting players to offer to Phoenix. However, he also put the pressure on Presti.

“Enough of Sam Presti. The man is a phenomenal executive we know this. You got to close… Sam Presti has had 17 years and has never closed,” Stephen A. Smith says about the highly successful GM.

In the past, great teams adding Kevin Durant has led to a title. Just look at how the Golden State Warriors did it. It was glorious and frankly unopposed when they had a healthy squad. The Slim Reaper is an icon of the franchise who became a villain for the Thunder when he left in 2017. But this is a chance for a fresh start.

Although aging, Kevin Durant continues to retain the title of being a superstar. He’s capable of instantly moving the needle, still supplying nearly 27 points per game. Durant loves to hoop, and his deep admiration for the game arises during the playoffs. For the Thunder, a young squad, having a veteran like Durant managing those high-pressure moments could be transformational.

But in an era where teams can’t remain financially lofty for several years, is the Thunder the true winner with youth by their side?

No homecoming for Kevin Durant?

Around the GM circle in the NBA, there’s one common agreement regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder. Teams don’t respect them just yet. It’s kind of surprising considering they have been the top seed for two years running. It’s because even in doing so, the biggest achievement still remains unattained.

“Yeah. I was talking to somebody in the GM in the Western Conference and I was saying, how do you feel about the Thunder not getting respect? He’s like, why should they get respect? He wasn’t being dismissive to them. He’s like, you shouldn’t get respect until you’ve done it before,” Brian Windhorst revealed on Hoop Collective.

If not this season, it does open up some huge questions about the Thunder. Is their current roster power the right formula? Do they need a change? Now, adding Kevin Durant would catapult them as outright favorites. However, they would also be losing important pieces, which might include Isaiah Hartenstein, since he is the only one that carries the biggest salary hit besides SGA.

Promising stars like Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams remain on their rookie contracts for a few more seasons. There will come a time when they will have to be paid. But isn’t waiting the wise choice? The Oklahoma City Thunder are placed brilliantly to go in either direction.

However, there is no price for youth. With an average age under 25, Presti has every reason to show patience with the current roster. At least for another two years, which is when some of them become extension-eligible. Why wait? Because going over the second apron is now punitive towards teams.

The Thunder currently have the fifth highest cap allocations out of all teams. That will remain intact even next season. Before the Celtics, it was in 2017 that a one-seed actually won the NBA championship. So if their draft assets will be just as attractive two years later, why be so hasty now?

Watching their young stars grow and develop to gauge their fit could be the direction OKC chooses to go. Hence, as exciting as a Kevin Durant reunion seems, the Thunder trust the squad they have. Until last season, they had some problems playing away from home, posting a record of 24-17.

But that’s changed. They have only lost 7 times on the road this season. So the improvements are clear and encouraging. So why disturb the process when time is on their side?