Overview

• The Finals open June 5 in Oklahoma City as the 80-18 Thunder host the fourth-seeded Pacers in Indiana’s first championship series since 2000.
• Each team’s core was built via Paul George trades: Oklahoma City acquired MVP guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in 2019 and Indiana landed Olympic gold medalist Tyrese Haliburton through the 2022 Sabonis deal.
• Despite ranking 25th and 18th in 2024-25 payroll, respectively, the Thunder and Pacers advanced to the Finals under the NBA’s luxury-tax threshold.
• Both franchises are projected to exceed the luxury-tax line next season, driven by pending contract extensions such as Gilgeous-Alexander’s eligible $380 million supermax in 2026.
• Paul George praised the matchup for demonstrating how teams can build title contenders through strategic asset management instead of chasing max-contract stars.