The 10 greatest players in Thunder history, ranked

Story by

Story by
The 10 greatest players in Thunder history, ranked

Wyatt Allsup · ClutchPoints

Mon, Sep 1, 2025 ·

9 min read

About Our Ads

The post The 10 greatest players in Thunder history, ranked appeared first on ClutchPoints .

The Oklahoma City Thunder is the most recently relocated NBA franchise, moving from Seattle in 2008. (The Brooklyn Nets moved from New Jersey in 2012, but they only moved 14 miles.) The Seattle Supersonics' legacy dates back to the 1960s, and the franchise claims two NBA titles.

The Thunder had fallen short of that goal since their move to OKC until the most recent 2024-25 season when they had the best record in the NBA and won the NBA Finals in an epic seven-game series with the upstart Indiana Pacers . But they've had some remarkable talent and some very exciting teams over the past 15 seasons. Let's revisit some of the Thunder's greatest players since 2008 and rank the Top 10.

10. Jeff Green

Jeff Green was drafted by the Boston Celtics with the fifth pick of the 2007 draft and traded to the Seattle Supersonics in the Ray Allen trade. Green made the NBA's All-Rookie First Team in his lone season with the Sonics. In total, he played three and a half seasons as a member of the Thunder/Sonics. He averaged 16.5 points and 7 rebounds in his most productive season.

9. Chris Paul

Chris Paul only played one season for the Thunder, but the team massively exceeded expectations, and it came at the Thunder's lowest point in OKC history. Following the 2019 playoffs, Paul George requested a trade to the Los Angeles Clippers , which the team granted.

Then, the front office decided it was time to admit that the Russell Westbrook era had to come to an end, and they traded him to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Paul, who appeared to be a declining player.

The Thunder went from potential contenders with Westbrook and George to staring a rebuild in the face, much to the dismay of Oklahoma City fans. Paul was 34 at the time and clearly had no interest in being part of a rebuild. But rather than sulk about being cast aside by James Harden and the Houston Rockets, Paul gave the Thunder everything he had.

Paul averaged 18 points and 7 assists, leading a young Thunder team to the fifth seed in the Western Conference. They ultimately lost in 7 games to Westbrook, Harden, and the Rockets in the first round of the 2020 NBA playoffs. Though his tenure was short, and he didn't earn any hardware in OKC, Paul cracks the Top 10.

8. Paul George

Following Russell Westbrook 's iconic MVP year, the Thunder added Paul George via trade with the Indiana Pacers ahead of the 2017-18 season. Along with the signing of Carmelo Anthony , the Thunder had high expectations to contend in the Western Conference.

George ended up playing two seasons with the Thunder, though his stint in Oklahoma City was admittedly a disappointment. The Thunder lost in the first round in both postseasons, despite George having the best year of his career in 2018-19, finishing third in MVP voting.

George made two All-Star teams, two All-NBA teams and one All-Defensive First Team selection before his trade to the Clippers. He also led the league in steals in 2019.

7. Nick Collison

So far, Nick Collison is the only player to have his number retired by the Thunder. He spent the entirety of his 14-year career with the Sonics and the Thunder.

Although Collison never averaged double-digit points and was never an every-day starter, he was a key part of the culture of the organization. When the Thunder made it to the NBA Finals in 2012, Collison was an important veteran presence for the young star trio of Russell Westbrook, James Harden , and Kevin Durant , all of whom were just 22 or 23.

Collison remained involved with the team after his retirement, and he now works in the front office.

6. Steven Adams

Steven Adams was one of the most consistent presences of the Thunder throughout the last decade. After Oklahoma City drafted Adams in 2013, he played seven seasons for the Thunder and played 70+ games in all but one of them.

He was an every day starter for the team and averaged roughly 10 points and 8 assists on 59% shooting in just 27 minutes per game over his Thunder career.

He was the most dependable teammate for Russell Westbrook during his MVP campaign, and when the Thunder traded him, he was the last piece from that era of Thunder basketball to leave the team.

5. James Harden

James Harden's time in Oklahoma City will forever be one of the biggest "what-ifs" in NBA History. With Westbrook and Durant, the Thunder made the Finals in Harden's third season in the league in 2012.

Despite his youth and role off the bench, Harden averaged 17 points and shot 39% from three-point territory, and played a critical role in the team's closing lineup. He won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for his efforts.

The Thunder were simply outmatched by the Miami Heat 's trio of LeBron James , Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh .

With a payday looming in the future, the Thunder front office decided to trade Harden to the Rockets rather than write him a large contract, a move the franchise may forever regret. The team was still very strong after Harden's departure, but the Thunder never made it back to that stage.

Harden instantly became an All-Star and one of the best players in the NBA. He may not have elevated to that same level of production had he stayed in OKC with Westbrook and Durant, but we'll never know what this trio could have been capable of with more time together. All three players won MVP awards during their careers.

4. Serge Ibaka

Serge Ibaka played for the Thunder for his first seven NBA seasons. During the season the team went to the NBA Finals, he averaged a ridiculous 3.7 blocks per game. He's the franchise's all-time leader in that stat with 1,300 rejections.

He made three All-NBA First Teams in Oklahoma City and led the league in blocks twice. He also finished top-three in Defensive Player of the Year voting twice.

3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the present and future of the Thunder. He arrived in OKC as part of the Paul George trade following his rookie season, and he is having his best season in his seventh year, sixth in OKC. In fact, Gilgeous-Alexander joined historic company by winning NBA MVP, a scoring title and NBA Finals MVP in the same season. He led the NBA with 32.7 points per game and also averaged 6.4 assists, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.7 steals.

In his Thunder career, he's averaging 27.4 points, 5.5 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He's a three-time All-Star and twice made the All-NBA First Team. In 2023-24, he finished a distant second to the Denver Nuggets ' Nikola Jokic for MVP as the Thunder finished with the best record in the West and won their first playoff series since 2016.

SGA just finished his age 26 season, so he should have many more years with the Thunder to climb higher on this list.

2. Kevin Durant

Kevin Durant is the best basketball player to ever put on a Thunder or Sonics jersey. He was drafted to Seattle in 2007 and went on to have an excellent career with the Thunder. However, his distasteful exodus from Oklahoma City soured his legacy in Thunder circles, and many never forgave him.

In the 2016 Western Conference Finals, Durant and the Thunder were up 3-1 on the Golden State Warriors , who had just won an NBA record 73 games behind 2x reigning MVP Stephen Curry . The Warriors would win three straight games and go on to lose to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, and what happened next forever changed the course of NBA history.

Durant left the Thunder in free agency with no warning and signed with the Warriors, creating a powerhouse unlike the league had ever seen. The move was considered weak by many fans and former players, and even worse was the manner in which he hung his friend and teammate Russell Westbrook out to dry.

That's the reason Durant is not No. 1 on this list, but his career on the Thunder was spectacular regardless. He won the 2014 MVP award and four scoring titles.

Durant was a 7x All-Star and 6x All-NBA player and even joined the exclusive 50-40-90 club in 2013. He was the driving force behind the Thunder's rise to NBA relevance, and the team might not have made it in Oklahoma City without him.

1. Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook's impact on the Thunder organization cannot be overstated. His legacy will be defined by his tenacious effort and the intensity he brought to every possession on the basketball court.

He left everything out there in every game he ever played for Oklahoma City, win or lose, and that has earned him the ultimate respect from Thunder fans. He never cheated the game, his team, his city, or himself.

Westbrook was never able to bring home that elusive championship, but he did just about everything else for his franchise with undying loyalty for 11 seasons.

Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP, an 8x All-Star, 8x All-NBA selection, 2x All-Star Game MVP, 2x scoring champion, 2x league leader in assists and broke just about every triple-double record there is as a member of the Thunder.

He averaged a triple-double in three separate seasons on the Thunder and gave OKC fans countless great memories of acrobatic plays, monster dunks and clutch moments.

Durant was always better than Westbrook as a basketball player, but Westbrook was more committed, more loyal, and he delivered for the franchise for longer. He will always remain the fan favorite in the hearts of OKC fans, and he's the greatest Thunder player ever.

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: