The OKC Thunder are coming into the 2025-26 season as reigning NBA Champions. As is the case with all teams looking to defend their crown, they are now officially viewed as the hunted by all 29 other organizations strewn across the association.
With the bevy of key signings and splashy trades made this offseason, it's undeniable that rival front offices have been hard at work while trying to position their squads to be a roadblock in Oklahoma City's repeat bid.
From Houston's blockbuster deal with Phoenix for Kevin Durant to the Nuggets' slew of top-tier acquisitions, just within their own conference are a number of clubs that could realistically give the defending champs trouble.
Of course, not all of their highly buzzed-about West-based foes are believed to be as menacing as some may currently suspect.
In fact, just recently, one of the league's most popular and battle-tested teams, the Golden State Warriors, was essentially tabbed as a non-threat by Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor.
During a recent episode of The Kevin O'Connor Show, the national reporter discussed the current state of this year's Dubs team, covering all kinds of topics ranging from their lacking roster depth to the ongoing standoff between them and Jonathan Kuminga in extension negotiations.
Amid his analysis of Golden State, O'Connor ultimately went on record saying that, even with all their big-name stars in tow, "I just don't see this Warriors team as a contender."
"I don't think they have enough pieces. I don't have enough faith in Jimmy Butler. Draymond [Green] is not quite in his prime anymore. Stephen Curry, even he is not quite at his prime level anymore. As these guys get older, they need more support, and the younger guys have not proved in a way that is necessary for this team. Ultimately, I just think they're a level below a lot of these other teams in the Western Conference," O'Connor said.
Despite still being led by guys such as Steph Curry and Draymond Green, two players who helped spearhead the charge for their four championship runs since 2015, it's undeniable that both are in the final stages of their playing careers, as they are 37 and 35 years of age, respectively.
Butler, the third piece of the club's star trio, is smack dab in the middle of both at the ripe age of 36.
Even outside of age, all three have dealt with myriad health-related ailments over these past several seasons. Both Butler and Curry, specifically, are coming off a 2025 postseason where they were hobbled throughout and sidelined for multiple games as a result of nagging injuries.
At the end of the day, both their propensity to get injured and the wear-and-tear that has come with 10+ years of action in the NBA could realistically hold this team back in the championship race during this upcoming campaign.
Even though rumors are starting to percolate that the Warriors are eying splashy, win-now moves during the summer of 2027, when it comes to this season and the next, O'Connor is far from enthusiastic about their chances of taking home the Larry O'Brien Trophy, which, in turn, only makes the list of perceived Thunder threats even smaller.