• Barons – This one doesn’t sound so bad at first, but if you do a little digging it’s rather amusing. The first definition for baron is, “a member of the lowest grade of nobility.” I guess the franchise formerly known as the Sonics wants to set low expectations? Of course when you hear baron, you might think along the lines of a business tycoon rather than a member of nobility. In fact, capitalist is a synonym of baron, which is a pretty good description of the franchise’s ownership (as Seattle fans will no doubt agree). Maybe since the franchise ain’t that good and is run by a seemingly greedy owner, Barons is an apt choice.
• Bison – Alright, this one is just plural for buffalo. Are you ready to imagine a logo similar to the Buffalo Bills or Colorado Buffaloes? It doesn’t seem to really fit in a sport that favors a deft combination of agility and athleticism over brute force. I think I could live with this name, though.
• Energy – Are you kidding me? Is this an electric company or a basketball franchise? In a day and age when we are talking about conserving energy, choosing this nickname would make the OKC franchise the butt of NBA jokes for years. Then again, maybe if the team were to turn down private jets for buses that run on clean, natural gas, they could start a revolution.
• Marshalls – Now, this one is weird. According to the patents filed, the NBA is spelling this one with two Ls when the normal spelling only has one. The spelling difference is minimal, but the difference in meaning is enormous! The NBA is choosing a cheap family clothing store over a military officer of the highest rank! Or, could they be naming the team after a particular person named Marshall? Hmm, Marshall Faulk? No. Marshall Mathers? In David Stern’s nightmares maybe.
• Thunder – Enough with the weather nicknames! We’ve got the Lightning and Hurricanes in hockey and we’ve got a soccer team named the Earthquakes. These weather nicknames belong in second-rate professional leagues and wrestling. Plus, let’s save the OKC fans the annoyance of hearing synthesized thunder at all their home games.
• Wind – Arghhhhh! What did I just say? Aren’t you listening, NBA? I guess the idea here is “swift as the wind.” I could do without the newspaper headlines, though, “The Wind is Howling!” when they’re on a winning streak and “Blown Over by the Wind” when they beat an opponent. It might not be good for PR when the real wind comes to OKC in the form of a tornado, either.

So, here we are once again, with a bunch of nicknames that look laughable, but whatever the choice is, we’ll get used to it.

The poll on your left has been updated to ask you what nickname you’d choose. Looking forward to your votes!