The Seattle SuperSonics franchise's move to Oklahoma City in 2008 may be marred with controversy, with a raucous fanbase still crying out for the NBA's return to the Pacific Northwest. But the franchise's move down south, and the subsequent rebrand to the Thunder, was, by and large, a successful one, as with Sam Presti at the helm, the team achieved some of its best years in franchise history.

Presti drafted the likes of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka, acting as the architect of the Thunder during their run in the early-2010s as a legitimate title contender. Despite falling short of this ultimate goal, Presti was always quick on his feet — trading for Paul George in 2017 to give Westbrook another co-star, and then trading George and Westbrook for a boatload of assets when their contending dreams went up in smoke in 2019.

But which among Sam Presti's Thunder teams are the greatest in terms of regular season and playoff success? Here are the 10 greatest teams in franchise history through the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.

10. 2016-17

Who could ever forget the season when Russell Westbrook, in the aftermath of Kevin Durant's departure, went scorched earth? No one thought it was possible for anyone to average a triple-double again for an entire season after Oscar Robertson accomplished the feat over 50 years ago. But there Westbrook was, achieving the unthinkable while carrying the Thunder on his back en route to a 47-win season despite losing their best player.

Westbrook averaged 31.6 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 10.4 assists, shouldering a heavy workload on a nightly basis and being more than up to the task of doing so. He also played with suboptimal spacing, as to end the season, the Thunder started three non-shooters alongside Westbrook. But it didn't matter, as he was just a singular force of nature that year.

Alas, the Thunder won just one playoff game, bowing out to the Houston Rockets in quick fashion. This Thunder team simply did not have enough firepower apart from Westbrook.

9. 2019-20

There weren't too many high expectations for the Thunder entering the 2019-20 season. They traded away Paul George for a package of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and a ton of picks, and they also dealt away Russell Westbrook, the face of the franchise, for Chris Paul (who looked like he was on a steep decline) and even more draft assets.

But Paul showed that he had a lot left in the tank, and with players such as Dennis Schroder and Luguentz Dort playing to the best of their abilities, the Thunder remained semi-competitive. In fact, they posted a 44-28 record, earning the fifth seed during the 2020 bubble playoffs. And to top it all off, they almost made the second round, pushing the Rockets to the limit before James Harden rejected the team's upset chances.

This team may have been a transitional one for a team that would embark on a rebuild the following season, but it shouldn't go down as a forgotten one.

8. 2018-19

Paul George was at the height of his powers during this year, and they also jettisoned Carmelo Anthony, the player many thought was the problem after they flamed out in the first round the season prior. But the Thunder barely got better in 2019, winning just one more game than they did in 2018.

This iteration of the Thunder also slipped to the sixth seed, where they faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the playoffs – a matchup many felt they could take advantage of. Alas, what most people remember now is Damian Lillard's “bad” shot from halfcourt over the outstretched arms of George, as Lillard waved goodbye to this disappointing era of Thunder basketball.

7. 2017-18

Sam Presti was cooking during the 2017 offseason. He essentially flipped Serge Ibaka for Paul George to finally give Russell Westbrook an All-Star running mate. And then Presti also dealt Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a few draft assets for Carmelo Anthony, building the team's vaunted OK3.

Alas, Anthony wasn't the player he once was with the Thunder, as he was relegated into more of a spot-up role — a far cry from the featured role he played throughout his career to that point. Moreover, the Thunder didn't have enough depth or shooting, and they lost Andre Roberson in the middle of the season, gutting their already-shallow roster even further.

Even then, the Thunder entered the playoffs as the favored team in a 4-5 matchup against the Utah Jazz. But the Jazz exploited the Thunder's lack of shooting and Carmelo Anthony's lackluster defense, beating OKC in six games — ending the OK3 era on a whimper.

6. 2009-10

Just to put in perspective how stacked the Western Conference was in 2010, the young Thunder squad led by up-and-comers Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden won 50 games — but were the eighth seed, facing the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

They may have lost to Kobe Bryant and company in six games, but they gained leaguewide respect, as many believed that the Thunder would win a championship within the next few years if they continued to improve and avoided major injury problems. This marked the beginning of OKC's ascent, a memorable season that shouldn't fly under the radar when it comes to the topic of great Thunder teams.

5. 2010-11

Building off of their impressive 2009-10 season, the Thunder appeared to be making a huge teamwide leap, winning 55 games and the Northwest division crown in the process. Russell Westbrook also made a leap towards All-Star status during this year, while Serge Ibaka continued his progression as one of the most intimidating rim protectors in the NBA.

Despite Kevin Durant and Westbrook just being in their age-22 seasons, the Thunder made the Western Conference Finals, even pushing the eventual champion Dallas Mavericks to some difficult games. However, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs' veteran poise won out in the end. But it was clear that the young Thunder were here to stay in the league's upper echelon.

4. 2012-13

Sam Presti may have been an incredible roster architect, but he wasn't infallible. During the 2012 offseason, the Thunder dealt James Harden to the Houston Rockets for a package headlined by Kevin Martin — a decision that has come back to haunt the franchise. But in the season immediately after the trade, the Thunder won their most games since their move to Oklahoma City (60), although that is a testament to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook's greatness.

Even without Harden, the 2012-13 Thunder were a smashing success, and they were one of the favorites to take home the championship. They had a hefty net rating, and with Durant at the peak of his powers, the Thunder, on most nights, will have the best player on the floor, which matters a lot in the postseason.

However, Russell Westbrook injured his meniscus after a collision with Patrick Beverley in round one of the playoffs, and the Thunder's hopes of building off of their trip to the Finals in 2012 were dashed almost immediately. OKC ended up losing to the Memphis Grizzlies in six games in the second round — crushing the franchise's very real championship hopes that year.

3. 2013-14

In what remains Kevin Durant's best season, the Thunder weathered Russell Westbrook's absence for 36 games en route to a 59-win season, which was good for second in the Western Conference. Despite being among the best in the league, the Thunder had their fair share of difficulties in advancing deep into the postseason, as they needed seven games to overcome the Grizzlies in the first round, and they needed a bit of a choke job from the Los Angeles Clippers to progress in six games.

In a rematch of the 2012 Western Conference Finals, however, the Thunder were simply unable to stop the San Antonio Spurs' force of will. Tim Duncan and the Spurs were hellbent on avenging their gut-wrenching NBA Finals loss the year prior, and they played like it, defeating the Thunder in six games.

It's quite a shame that the Thunder would have to wait two more years before getting an opportunity to exact revenge on the Spurs, as they missed the playoffs entirely in 2015, thanks in large part to Kevin Durant's injury.

2. 2015-16

In terms of sheer talent alone, there may not be a better Thunder team in its history than their 2015-16 squad. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook have both been hardened by playoff shortcomings, Serge Ibaka has become a full-blown rim-protecting stretch four, and the Thunder had Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Andre Roberson, and Dion Waiters as high level role players that fit the team quite well.

Despite winning “just” 55 games (less than their win totals in 2013 and 2014, and equal to their tally in 2011), the Thunder stumbled upon a winning formula in the playoffs. They knocked off the 67-win Spurs team by being relentless on the glass and in transition, and they went up 3-1 against the 73-win Golden State Warriors by bringing out the worst in Draymond Green and being physical in their switch everything defensive scheme.

It looked like Durant and Westbrook's Thunder were beginning to figure it out, as they were on the precipice of making it back to the NBA Finals by knocking off two of the league's giants that season. Alas, KD and Russ could not seal the deal — essentially ending the two's partnership after the former decided to join the Warriors the following year.

1. 2011-12

All things considered, the 2011-12 Thunder team remains the best in franchise history. For starters, this was the team that made it to the NBA Finals, and were even favored over the Miami Heat before the series began. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden were all in their early 20s, and for them to make it this far was nothing short of a thing of beauty.

Harden, in fact, was blossoming into one of the best young players in the NBA, even winning Sixth Man of the Year honors. It was The Beard who helped OKC turn the tide against the Spurs in the 2012 WCF, and given his upward trajectory, OKC looked like it would have three of the brightest young stars in the NBA under contract for years to come that would help them build off of their defeat at the hands of the Heat in the Finals.

But the lasting image of the 2012 NBA Finals for the Thunder will be Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden side by side on the bench with their arms around each other's shoulders, watching the clock run out — not knowing that it would be the last time they share the court in the NBA as teammates in a non-All-Star game.