Perhaps nobody else in the NBA values continuity as much as the Oklahoma City Thunder. After they captured the Larry O’Brien trophy, they will run it back with mostly the same group of people — from the coaching staff to the actual roster.

In professional sports, constant turnover is part of the business. Nobody sticks in the same spot for too long. But the Thunder have gone against the grain. Specifically, in their coaching staff. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has been in OKC his entire NBA existence.

Daigneault has worn about every hat imaginable. He arrived as the G League’s OKC Blue head coach in 2014 and spent some time as a Thunder assistant before he was promoted to Thunder head coach in 2020. Since then, he’s ascended from an unknown to one of the sharpest minds who survived a rebuild and led a championship contender.

Since Daigneault took over as head coach, he’s had the same coaching staff around him. The Thunder have enjoyed an amazing carryover there over the last five-plus years. And surprisingly enough, nobody else in the NBA has decided to hire an OKC assistant for their respective rebuilds.

That’s allowed the Thunder to switch around several of their coaching assistants from job to job. Grant Gibbs, Kam Woods and now Daniel Dixon will share the same experiences being Thunder assistants who also served time as the Blue head coach.

This past offseason, the Thunder played musical chairs once again. This time, Woods and Dixon switched spots. The former returns to being an OKC assistant after three seasons as the Blue head coach and the latter will be the G League head coach after a couple of years on the Thunder bench.

“He’s a great example of our effort to pipeline our own people,” Daigneault said about Woods. “And groom our own people.”

Woods helped the Blue capture a G League championship in the 2023-24 season. He spent ample time in his three seasons with prized prospects such as Ousmane Dieng, Jaylin Williams, Tre Mann and Aaron Wiggins. Now Dixon will get the same opportunity with players like Branden Carlson and Brooks Barnhizer.

The Thunder hope Dixon can make similar strides as the Blue head coach. He’s coached the last two years at the Summer League for OKC. Now, he’ll have an entire group of players and assistants under his call. Perhaps no other NBA franchise has fully utilized its G League affiliate as well as OKC.

“Now we’re returning him back here in the same position he left but now a completely different coach,” Daigneault said. “Somebody that’s coached 150 games as a head coach. Led a staff, led a team. Had all those experiences. We’re getting back and way more fully formed coach than when he left.”

The proof is in the pudding for the Thunder. Daigneault went through the same journey to become an NBA head coach. Perhaps other coaching staff members can have the same level of success down the road. Even though it hasn’t happened yet, it’s a safe bet to make that somebody in OKC will eventually get the prestigious job elsewhere.

Mark Daigneault on their decision to swap Kam Woods and Daniel Dixon with their roles as Blue head coach and Thunder assistant: pic.twitter.com/R1YFOhpgEq

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) October 1, 2025