Western Conference · Northwest Division

Oklahoma City Thunder

Oklahoma City · Paycom Center · Founded in 1967 · 2 titles (latest in 2025)

Contender Ring or bust Go to another franchise

61.5projected wins
25.8years, core age
4years of window
216.2 Mpayroll, over the first apron
+11.3net rating in 2025-26 (1st)

What would you do with the Oklahoma City Thunder? Propose a trade, an extension or the team's direction, and test it in its Trade Machine. Have your say →

The franchise

Front office and bench

Ownership: Professional Basketball Club LLC (chairman: Clay Bennett)
Executive Vice President and General Manager: Sam Presti since 2007

Head coach

Mark Daigneault since 2020

Homegrown (G League), 2025 champion and known for aggressive defense and deep rotations; he'll be a USA Basketball assistant in 2027-28.

Assistants

Dave BlissLead assistant coach
Chip EngellandAssistant coach (shooting)
Mike WilksAssistant coach
Kameron WoodsAssistant coach

The direction

What the franchise says and what its moves show

The franchise remains in title-contender mode around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, but it has cut costs to stay below the second tax apron. Presti swapped veteran rotation players (Dort, Joe, Wiggins) for second-round picks and young draft talent, with an eye on Gilgeous-Alexander's supermax, which kicks in in 2027.

Building around

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Jalen Williams Chet Holmgren Isaiah Hartenstein Cason Wallace

What they have said

The summer's salary savings will be reinvested in future rosters, once Gilgeous-Alexander's supermax contract begins in 2027.
General manager Sam Presti · Hoops Rumors · August 2026

What the data points to

Deadline buyer Very likely
- Projects to 61.5 wins: built to compete now.
- Can offer 3 first-round picks (2029, 2030, 2031).
Extension coming Very likely
- Cason Wallace is finishing his rookie deal and producing: he needs to be locked up before he reaches the market.

Moves

Summer 2026

Draft: Aday Mara (No. 12) and Bennett Stirtz (No. 16, acquired from Memphis for No. 17 Ebuka Okorie and two second-round picks); Otega Oweh (No. 41) on a two-way contract.
Luguentz Dort traded to Atlanta in a three-team deal with Dallas, for second-round picks.
Aaron Wiggins traded to Atlanta and Isaiah Joe to Detroit, both for second-round picks.
Isaiah Hartenstein re-signs: three years, $75M.
Kenrich Williams re-signs: one year, $5M.
The max extensions for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren (signed in 2025) kick in.
Branden Carlson leaves for Portland; a possible extension for Cason Wallace is pending.

Latest

Oct 17 Waived Waived F Buddy Boeheim, C Christoph Tilly and Gs. Nate Johnson, Dariq Whitehead and Lamar Wilderson.
Oct 17 Waived Waived Fs Buddy Boeheim, Nate Johnson and Christoph Tilly. Waived Gs Dariq Whitehead and Lamar Wilkerson.
Oct 6 Waived Waived G Robert McCray V.
Feb 4 Draft picks Acquired G Jaren McCain from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2026 first-round pick and three second round picks.

The roster

14 NBA contracts · 2026-27 salaries

Player	Age	Salary	Through
Starters
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander G	28	40.8 M	2030-31
Cason Wallace G Expiring · will re-sign	22	7.4 M	2026-27
Jalen Williams G	25	41.5 M	2030-31
Chet Holmgren C	24	41.5 M	2030-31
Isaiah Hartenstein C	28	23.1 M	2028-29
Rotation
Ajay Mitchell G	24	2.9 M	2027-28
Jaylin Williams F	24	7.8 M	2027-28
Alex Caruso G	32	19.6 M	2028-29
Jared McCain G	22	4.4 M	2027-28
Kenrich Williams G Expiring	31	5.0 M	2026-27
The rest
Aday Mara C	21	5.8 M	2029-30
Bennett Stirtz G	23	4.7 M	2029-30
Nikola Topic G	21	5.4 M	2027-28
Thomas Sorber C	20	4.9 M	2028-29
Brooks Barnhizer F	24	–	–
Josh Dix G	22	–	–
Otega Oweh G Injured	23	–	–

The analysis, with data

Strengths and weaknesses

Strengths

Defense 1st with today’s roster
Defensive rating 1st · 108.4 points allowed per 100 possessions
Net rating 1st · +11.3 per 100 possessions
Ball security 1st · 12.1 turnovers per 100 possessions
Playmaking 3rd with today’s roster
Rim protection 4th with today’s roster

Weaknesses

Offensive rebounding 28th · 22.3 % of its misses rebounded
Three-point shooting 27th with today’s roster
Ball movement 25th · 59.8 % of its baskets are assisted

Today's roster, facet by facet (league rank)

Defense 1st
Rim protection 4th
Three-point shooting 27th
Playmaking 3rd
Scoring 17th
Rebounding 10th
Offensive impact 6th

How it played as a team in 2025-26

Offensive ratingpoints per 100 possessions	119.7	8th
Defensive ratingpoints allowed per 100 possessions	108.4	1st
Net ratingper 100 possessions	+11.3	1st
Pacepossessions per game	98.4	17th
Three-point volumeof its shots are threes	42.6 %	13th
Three-point accuracyfrom three	36.5 %	9th
Offensive reboundingof its misses rebounded	22.3 %	28th
Defensive reboundingof opponent misses rebounded	74.4 %	11th
Ball securityturnovers per 100 possessions	12.1	1st
Ball movementof its baskets are assisted	59.8 %	25th

Roster holes

Weak in three-point shootingWith today’s rotation it ranks 27th in the league in three-point shooting.
Only 1 forwards in the rotationShort on bodies on the wing.

Contracts and extensions

Expiring this season

Cason Wallace 22 years old · paid 7.4 M Restricted free agent Re-signing him would cost about 16.2 M a year
Kenrich Williams 31 years old · paid 5.0 M Salary coming off the books

Bargains (produce far above their salary, for several years)

None.

Pricey but short (paid more than they produce, but ending soon)

None.

Money and picks

Payroll 216.2 M Cap 165.0 M Tax 200.4 M 1st apron 209.0 M 2nd apron 221.7 M

Payroll: 216.2 M · over the first apron
Distance to each line: tax: 15.7 M over · 1st apron: 7.1 M over · 2nd apron: 5.5 M below
Next summer: 237.7 M committed · no cap space
First-rounders it can trade: 2029, 2030, 2031 · holds 5 other teams’ firsts and 2 swaps

Radar and possible trades

Players who fit and that it can afford

Miles Bridges PHX22.8 M · expiring contract, produces above his salary
Tre Jones CHI8.0 M · signed through 2027-28, produces above his salary
Kevin Porter Jr. MIL5.4 M · expiring contract, produces above his salary

A trade that works under the CBA

No trade works right now: either nobody can absorb those salaries, or it has nothing to offer without tearing itself apart.

Trade pieces

Assets: Chet Holmgren (worth 12.9 M more than his salary), Ajay Mitchell (worth 11.7 M more than his salary), Jaylin Williams (worth 4.4 M more than his salary), Cason Wallace (worth 8.8 M more than his salary)
Contracts that weigh: Alex Caruso (overpaid by 12.8 M)
To match salaries: No expiring contract with a useful salary

Your turn

What would you do with the Oklahoma City Thunder?

Send us your take: a trade, an extension or the team's direction. The best ones make it onto the podcast.

Your trade, in the Trade Machine

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