Baxter Holmes Apr 24, 2026, 07:00 AM ET Close Baxter Holmes ( @Baxter ) is a senior writer for ESPN Digital and Print, focusing on the NBA. He has covered the Lakers, the Celtics and previously worked for The Boston Globe and Los Angeles Times. RASHARD LEWIS NEVER played a game for the Oklahoma City Thunder . But in one obscure way, the two-time All-Star, who spent the first nine of his 16 NBA seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics -- the precursor to the OKC franchise -- is directly connected to the defending champions. Lewis is well aware of the connection. Random fans have presented it to him more and more in recent years as the Thunder have ascended, winning an NBA title in 2025 while barreling toward a potential repeat this season. They point out the ridiculous, unlikely nature of it all -- how a 2007 sign-and-trade that sent Lewis from Seattle to the Orlando Magic marked the first of five moves, all of them connected, that helped form the foundation of the Thunder's current championship core.…