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5d ago

Small-Market Thunder and Pacers Open NBA Finals Built on Strategic Rebuilding

Roster building relied on low-cost draft picks under the salary cap; calculated trades filled key roles without blockbuster signings.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, trophée en main, pose avec ses coéquipiers du Thunder d'Oklahoma City après avoir battu les Minnesota Timberwolves en finale de la Conférence Ouest des playoffs NBA, le 28 mai 2025, à Oklahoma City
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Tyrese Haliburton, le meneur des Indiana Pacers, lors d'un match de saison régulière de la NBA contre le Utah Jazz, à Indianapolis, le 4 avril 2025
Chet Holmgren (d.), le pivot du Thunder d'Oklahoma City, défend contre Julius Randle, l'ailier fort des Timberwolves du Minnesota, pendant le cinquième match de la finale de la Conférence Ouest des Playoffs NBA 2025, à Oklahoma City, le 28 mai 2025

Overview

  • The 2025 NBA Finals begin June 5 in Oklahoma City as the Thunder host the Pacers in a matchup of two small-market franchises.
  • Both teams are the first finalists since the salary cap’s introduction to remain below the spending limit, preserving financial flexibility for future seasons.
  • Oklahoma City’s roster centers on MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, acquired in the 2019 Paul George trade and supported by successive high-value draft selections.
  • Indiana’s core features Tyrese Haliburton, obtained through a Paul George–Domantas Sabonis trade sequence, and Pascal Siakam, who joined via last year’s free agency swap.
  • Thunder general manager Sam Presti is credited as the architect of both finals contenders, having assembled competitive teams through targeted trades and draft maneuvering.