The Oklahoma City Thunder climbed the mountain and reached the Championship summit for the first time in franchise history. With the OKC Thunder hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy with a roster so young that many of them were lucky no one was checking IDs before the Champagne showers back in June,

Some clear winners have emerged during the 2025 NBA offseason. The Houston Rockets traded for Kevin Durant. The Denver Nuggets got deeper by adding Cam Johnson, Jonas Valanciunas and Tim Hardaway Jr. Even the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers bolstered their rosters with solid acquisitions.

During his time suiting up for the Sonics, Long wore only jersey No. 35 and put up 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.