Some storylines may not involve celebrating the game, or celebrating OKC and what they did last season. Some might involve me, which is unfortunate.”

Despite those setbacks, the Thunder still managed to dominate the regular season and win the franchise's first NBA title. Fortunatly for OKC, the team was mostly healthy in the playoffs, but heading into the 2025-26 campaign, the group is once again dealing with multiple injuries.

Here's what OKC Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said during his preseason press conference on Thursday.

It's only been a year, but it's safe to say Isaiah Hartenstein is easily the Oklahoma City Thunder's best outside addition. They'd be a perfect match if this were an old-school dating game show. He had a career season on an NBA champion.

Daigneault also said it helps the Thunder strengthen their relationship with referees. While most fans would love to see OKC berate the officials for any 50-50 call that went against it, he understands that's not a feasible approach that helps your reputation around the league.

This is a version of the burning question facing the Oklahoma City Thunder at the outset of their NBA title defense, just a few months after taking down the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 and then needing help popping champagne bottles in the locker room when it was time to celebrate.

The OKC Thunder finally brought the Larry O'Brien Trophy home when it won its first NBA championship on June 22. Since then, multiple Thunder players brought the trophy to their own homes this offseason to celebrate their accomplishment. From Arkansas to Germany, here's where the Larry O'Brien Trophy traveled this summer: