After a busy offseason, many expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to continue their climb to the top of the ladder.

ESPN released its annual offseason poll, which gathers information from 18 NBA coaches, scouts and executives on some of the biggest storylines heading into the 2024-25 regular season.

Looking at the results of who they think will win the championship next season, the Thunder are a hot pick for brainiacs around the league. OKC received 14 out of 18 votes on who will win the Western Conference. It also received seven votes on who will win the 2025 NBA Finals. Only the Boston Celtics have more with eight.

It’s been quite the ascension for the Thunder these last two years. That expects to reach new heights next season. They were the youngest first seed in league history last season and battled it out in a tough second-round loss to the Dallas Mavericks.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has blossomed into one of the league’s best players. The 26-year-old has had back-to-back top-five MVP finishes. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are expected to continue to make strides. Mark Daigneault is one of the best coaches in the league.

Everything is set up for the Thunder to have another lengthy title window. They should be in these prestigious conversations for the foreseeable future.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: ESPN: Several NBA personnel expects OKC Thunder to win 2025 NBA Finals