It takes more than just on-court talent for an NBA team to win.
Instead, a franchise needs to be led by a strong, determined, smart front office.
The Athletic recently had a poll of 40 NBA executives and asked them which team has the top front office in the league.
According to NBACentral, there was a clear winner of that poll: the Oklahoma City Thunder, who received 354 points.
They were followed by the Boston Celtics with 250 points, then the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies, and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, and San Antonio Spurs are also on the list.
NBA executives voted on the top front offices in the league:
1.Oklahoma City Thunderhttps://t.co/QUkI7VfggX Celticshttps://t.co/XygofsXWVB Heat
4.Memphis Grizzlies
5.Minnesota Timberwolveshttps://t.co/41QpQgeQIt York Knicks
7.Orlando Magic
8.Cleveland Cavaliers
9.Golden… pic.twitter.com/0JEIN72Ak9
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) December 11, 2024
The Thunder are currently the best team in the Western Conference with a 19-5 record, but they didn’t get to this point overnight.
Instead, it’s taken years and years of the front office quietly accumulating a ton of draft picks and young talent.
They have taken the long road to get here, and it’s all paying off.
The Thunder are currently the odds-on favorites to beat the rest of the West, and the front office’s foresight and commitment are a huge reason why.
The Celtics are another team that followed a path like OKC’s.
For many years, Brad Stevens has been sticking to his plan, putting together a well-rounded and deep roster that worked well from every part of the court.
They finally met their goal last season when they won the NBA championship, proving their methodical approach to roster-building was well worth it.
Will the Thunder follow in their footsteps this season?
NEXT: Brian Windhorst Names 2 Stars To Watch Near Trade Deadline