The OKC Thunder's Offseason has Reinforced its Cache of Depth

The Thunder was notably adept at reaching into its bench to extrapolate value a year ago in its run to the top seed of the West – that's only been strengthened heading into 2024-25.

May 11, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) celebrates with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) after scoring during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks during game three of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Over the course of a few seasons, Oklahoma City has constructed a deep lineup across all fronts.

Now with budding sophomores, a superstar who continues to soar, several defensive stalwarts and with many key role players to back them, the Thunder's depth did wonders last season and will continue to do so into 2024-25 -- and can be argued as the deepest team in the league.

It's uncommon for a team this young to hold as much talent as far into its reserves as this team does, but when your third-stringers could be comprised of either Cason Wallace or Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams and Jaylin Williams, it's a testament to what general manager Sam Presti has built in a very short amount of time. Two to three years ago, the majority of those listed could have been, or were, starters on a sub .500 team – and now, even as they've grown and progressed greatly, they're bolstering the Thunder's reserves.

This offseason specifically has fortified Oklahoma City's depth even further. Acquiring Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein to accompany a team that ranked atop the Western Conference last season is something that should scare teams that are even a part of the upper echelon – especially knowing how difficult they were to matchup against prior to those acquisitions.

This season will see the Thunder be a relatively dissimilar team than the year prior – with roles shifting and minutes divvied out differently, it's going to be a change. But it's a very positive and anticipatory change, one that could lead to much higher dividends, and one that could lead them further than where they reached in last year's postseason.

This wasn't curated overnight, and those who were on the team several years ago will remember the short-lived dog days of 2020-2022. But as the next season nears, the Thunder's depth could be a massive catalyst to see Oklahoma City retain a top spot in the Western Conference and beyond.

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