Next NBA dynasty: Thunder or Heat?

The only thing Ric Bucher and Chris Broussard like to do more than report on the NBA is argue about the NBA. So we decided to combine those two skills for Insider's weekly One-on-One series, in which they'll debate the hottest topics in the association.

Question: Which franchise has the best chance to be the next dynasty?

BUCHER: A case can be made for both the Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs as dynasties over the past 10 years or so, and if the Boston Celtics win another title this year they might join the conversation as a mini-dynasty. But seeing how long in the tooth all three teams are, it would appear their days of dominance are waning. So which franchise is primed to succeed them and be a consistent powerhouse over the next 5-10 years? I see only a handful of teams right now that have reason to believe they can achieve that elite status, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are at the top of my list.

BROUSSARD: With LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade all signed on for the next five years in Miami (if they don't terminate their contracts after the 2013-14 season), I'll go with the Miami Heat. They're all still young -- LeBron (26), Wade (29), Bosh (26) -- and will only get better as they play together more and develop greater chemistry.

To see why Chris Broussard believes the Heat are the next dynasty in the making, while Ric Bucher believes the Thunder are next in line, you must be an ESPN Insider.

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Chris Broussard | email

NBA analyst

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• Senior Writer for ESPN The Magazine
• Formerly at the New York Times, 1998-2004
• Covering the NBA since 1995

Ric Bucher

NBA Reporter, ESPN The Magazine Senior Writer

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• Senior writer for ESPN The Magazine
• Co-authored "Yao: A Life in Two Worlds"
• Full-time beat writer/NBA analyst since 1992