"They are going to have to start to paying guys" - Doc Rivers breaks down why OKC won't be able to keep this team together
"They are going to have to start to paying guys" - Doc Rivers breaks down why OKC won't be able to keep this team together originally appeared on Basketball Network.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been an absolute juggernaut this season and are now just a win away from capturing the 2025 NBA championship. The winds have blown in their favor all season.
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After winning a franchise record 68 wins in the regular season, thanks to the spectacular efforts of superstar guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was named the league's MVP, they breezed through the Western Conference side of the playoffs and have withstood a gallant stand from the Indiana Pacers to inch closer to the title.
However, according to veteran coach Doc Rivers, OKC can expect to experience some turbulent waters in the next few seasons as they make tough decisions regarding their personnel and which players they can afford to retain.
Money matters
The Thunder are poised to be one of the league's most dominant teams for the next few years. With Alex Caruso being their oldest player at 31, they have a young, talented core led by Gilgeous-Alexander, fellow All-Star Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein and Cason Wallace.
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However, success in the NBA does not come cheap. With the new CBA and impending salary cap changes, the Thunder will have to navigate salary cap restrictions to keep their key players together. Doc is familiar with this, having been a coach and a team executive since 2000.
"They also have some things coming up — max contracts, paying guys, and that whole challenge of sustaining a core. What Sam (Presti) has done is amazing when you think about it. He's done this without, you know, Shai really at full playoff strength," Rivers shared on "The Bill Simmons Podcast."
"But next year, after this season or in a year, they're going to have to start paying guys. And then all of a sudden, they probably won't be as deep as they are now, because they're going to have to make some tough decisions," the NBA lifer added.
The Thunder are expected to bring everyone back next season, but two core members — Holmgren and J-Dub — are slated to become restricted free agents. And when money is concerned, things can get tricky.
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Related: "I can't get so close to it, too, because of my competitive nature" - Michael Jordan on why he can't get himself to be a fan of any one player in the NBA
OKC has been in this situation before
Rivers mentioned that OKC has been in this situation before. The team was fresh off losing to the Miami Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals. However, fans and experts were optimistic about their chances of competing for NBA titles in the years to come, with their core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and James Harden. Ultimately, their 2012 run to the NBA Finals proved to be that team's only one, as Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets in the offseason.
"I still remember Jeff Van Gundy, Mark Jackson, and Mike Breen talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder when they were losing to Miami. They said, 'Well, this is a tough loss, but they'll be back here over and over again.' This is the first time they've been back. So you can never take it for granted," Doc said.
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"They've been in this situation once before, and they had to decide on who to keep. They kept Ibaka at the time over Harden, which turned out to be, you know, not the best decision in the world," Rivers said.
The Beard went on to become a league MVP and one of the most potent scorers the league has ever seen. While Ibaka was a solid big man, he paled in comparison to what Harden was and still is. That said, it will be interesting to see what moves OKC's front office will make to keep their roster intact for as long as possible.
Related: "When you have those two things, you're gonna figure it out" - SGA says he knew Jalen Williams was going to be special from the jump
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 18, 2025, where it first appeared.
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