The San Antonio Spurs went 4-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the regular season and then bested them in the Western Conference Finals. It’s clear that the Spurs are the better team.
One could argue that Jalen Williams was injured for a lot of those games, but an 8-5 record speaks for itself. Victor Wembanyama turned Chet Holmgren into a shell of himself, and the Spurs were able to keep up with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The Spurs’ trio of Wembanyama, Dylan Harper, and Stephon Castle remains intact. The Thunder, of course, have their own big three of Holmgren, Williams, and SGA. Every time San Antonio and OKC match up, it’s must-see TV for basketball fans. However, one offseason move ensured that the Spurs would have the upper hand.
Lu Dort Trade Will Haunt the Thunder
On Sunday, the Thunder completed a three-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks and Atlanta Hawks.
The Thunder netted three second-round picks, the Hawks added Dort and Ryan Nembhard, and the Mavericks landed Zaccharie Risacher. Dallas is hoping that Risacher will blossom next to Cooper Flagg. The Hawks added a win-now player next to Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels.
The Thunder, meanwhile, get to avoid paying luxury taxes and fall under the second apron. While cap space navigation is key to winning in the modern NBA, losing one of the league’s best defenders always hurts.
In the Conference Finals against the Spurs, Dort averaged only 4.3 points. He was ineffective on offense, but he was arguably the most physical defender on the floor at any given moment.
He doesn’t match up well against Wembanyama, but that’s what Isaiah Hartenstein is for. Between SGA, Dort, and Alex Caruso, the Thunder are one of the few teams in the NBA that have an answer for Castle, Harper, and Fox.
No more!
In the future, the Spurs will have to make similar salary sacrifices. Keldon Johnson could be on the outs, and Devin Vassell might become too expensive for San Antonio. For now, though, San Antonio is adding talent, not cutting it, and with OKC’s All-Defensive wing shipped off to the Eastern Conference, the Spurs are officially the team to beat out West.
Others have clearly taken notice. Before the trade, the Thunder were favored to make the Finals. As of Monday morning, the Spurs and Thunder are both tied, with +145 odds to win the West.
After fans see how Tobias Harris fits with the intact Spurs’ core, expect San Antonio to get another boost.
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