The Oklahoma City Thunder are about to embark on a new journey this upcoming 2025-26 regular season. After they capped off one of the quickest rebuilds in league history with an NBA championship last year, they’ll now prepare to defend their Larry O’Brien trophy.

How the Thunder treat the upcoming regular season is one of the bigger storylines. The rest of the league will circle their matchups against OKC as a stress test to see how they stack up against the top team. Besides Alex Caruso, the rest of the roster enters new territory as a defending NBA champion.

Even though it’s not a one-for-one example, Caruso said his experience with the Los Angeles Lakers will help with that. He was part of the 2019-20 NBA championship squad. The then-reigning champions underwent massive roster turnover. LeBron James’ recent title defense ended with a whimper of a Round 1 exit in the 2021 NBA playoffs.

Caruso believes the Thunder can avoid the same disappointing result. They brought back mostly the same roster. And with the sixth-youngest roster in the league, there’s still enough individual hunger and growth to avoid complacency and going into cruise control during the regular season.

“Some of the things I will convey to the team just about how it’s different being the hunted vs. being the hunter. I think our mindset is still hunter,” Caruso said. “I think we’ll still be the team that goes after other people rather than being the team sitting on the back foot and letting other teams attack us.”

With one ring on their hand, the Thunder could add more jewelry. They signed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to contract extensions this past offseason. That trio ensures they will remain in the title conversation for the foreseeable future.

If the 2020s Thunder want to enter all-time team talks, they must replicate the success of last season. They have the talent to do so, obviously. They proved it in their recent playoff run that involved two Game 7 wins and a championship. It’s now about mentally preparing for another marathon after a short rest break.

“When you have the crown, people want it. That’s the reality of it,” Caruso said. “Going to the hunted against other teams but staying the hunter in our mindset is the biggest thing.”

Alex Caruso on his experience being a defending NBA champion: “Some of the things I will convey to the team just about how it’s different being the hunted vs. being the hunter. I think our mindset is still hunter… This team is a little different than that LA team. I think we… pic.twitter.com/d4wCrtdnsb

— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) October 8, 2025