Oklahoma City can’t go up against the NBA’s big cities when it comes to attracting top free agents. Philadelphia, Miami and Los Angeles just have a lot more to offer.
However, a growing roster of talent figures to provide a popular place for the right players ready to join a Thunder team that plans on being a playoff regular starting now.
With NBA Free Agency under way, BetOklahoma.com compiled a system to determine the most desirable destinations within the league using a series of metrics.
We compiled data on state tax burdens (data from WalletHub), media market ranking (data from USTVDB.com, via Nielsen’s 2022-2023 DMA rankings), city popularity (World'sBestCities.com, via Resonance Consultancy), as well as attendance rankings since the 2018-19 season (ESPN.com), winning percentage since the 2019-20 season (Basketball-Reference.com) and 2024 NBA Championship Odds (SportsOddsHistory.com) to construct an aggregate ranking.
Toronto was not included on the list as we utilized U.S. data only. We did not include attendance data from the 2020-21 NBA season, as COVID protocols varied across the league. For Washington D.C.’s state tax income, we utilized data from nearby Virginia. The 2024 NBA Championship odds are up to date as of July 5, 2023.
There is no Oklahoma sports betting on the Thunder or any other team in the state. Legislation to approve wagering failed to make much progress in 2023.
Most Desirable NBA Cities
Although there are no Oklahoma betting apps, national sites list defending champion Denver as the favorite to repeat at +475 odds. Boston is second at +500.
Thunder Dream of Returning to Playoff Race
The home of All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander comes in ranked 22nd overall as the best place to be for NBA free agents. The Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat and Boston Celtics rank as the top three destinations, with the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers ranking next and as the top two teams in the Western Conference.
While Oklahoma City’s ranking in the city metric is tied for 23rd, the Thunder’s team metrics are ranked 10th. That’s despite some rough seasons recently, including finishing bad enough to select Chet Holmgren at No. 2 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.
When it comes to free-agent shopping by general manager Sam Presti, there aren’t a lot of holes thanks to the roster he’s created with great draft picks and deals.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who came in a trade with the Clippers in 2019, just averaged a career-best 31.4 points, the fourth-best total in the league for 2022-23. The Thunder won their first play-in game against the Pelicans, but then fell to the Timberwolves in the second game.
The Thunder’s young players made great strides this year. Forward Josh Giddey, the No. 6 pick in 2021, averaged 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists. Jalen Williams, the No. 12 pick in 2022, earned All-Rookie honors after averaging 14.6 points. Undrafted forward-guard Luguentz Dort has been a defensive dynamo while also averaging 13.4 points in four seasons.
And then Presti gets to add Holmgren to the roster this year after he missed the season with a Lisfranc injury. He’ll join rookie center Dereck Lively II, the No. 12 pick in this year’s draft out of Duke.
On the free-agent side, the Thunder lost power forward Dario Saric to the Warriors, and they brought in forward Jack White from the Nuggets.
That still leaves Presti with some work to do, and according to the metrics and the record, the Thunder are a team on the rise looking to make some noise in the Western Conference’s crowded playoff race in 2023-24.
There is no BetMGM Oklahoma Sportsbook, but the operator nationally lists the Thunder at +10000 to win the NBA championship.
