Last season, the Minnesota Timberwolves were the final foe the OKC Thunder faced in the Western Conference before officially punching their ticket to the NBA Finals and, ultimately, taking home their first Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Considering this, coupled with the fact that they were also the conference's runner-ups in the previous campaign, it should come as no surprise that they are already considered a legitimate threat to Oklahoma City's repeat bid in 2025-26.
However, while the odds-makers have several ball clubs viewed as greater dangers to the Thunder this year, such as the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and, most notably, the Denver Nuggets, recent trade rumors have begun to circulate that, if they were to translate into a legitimate deal, could theoretically shift the West's hierarchy in the T-Wolves' favor.