Heat Remain At Forefront Of Giannis Antetokounmpo Sweepstakes
As the Bucks continue to weigh possible trade options involving Giannis Antetokounmpo, the chatter about the Heat “remains louder than all the rest,” according to Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
As Amick and Nehm explain, many agents, executives, and other sources around the league believe the star forward will ultimately end up in Miami after the Heat seemingly came closer than any rival suitor to acquiring Antetokounmpo at February’s trade deadline. Those deadline discussions were so advanced, league sources tell The Athletic, that Heat officials believed a deal would get done before Milwaukee ultimately opted to stand pat.
NBA insider Jake Fischer also stated in his latest rumor round-up for Bleacher Report (video link) that he views the Heat as the top team to watch in the Giannis sweepstakes.
Both Fischer and The Athletic’s duo note that Antetokounmpo has long been intrigued by the Heat, with Fischer suggesting that interest dates back at least five or six years, while Amick and Nehm say the two-time MVP is “impressed” by the team culture in Miami.
As Amick and Nehm outline, the Heat’s offer would likely include 2025 All-Star Tyler Herro, young center Kel’el Ware, and Sixth Man of the Year runner-up Jaime Jaquez Jr., along with this year’s No. 13 overall pick and two future first-rounders.
Given that Milwaukee has been on the lookout for a package that features either a “blue-chip” young star or a ton of valuable first-round picks, it remains possible that the Heat could be outbid by another team with interest in Antetokounmpo.
However, some of those clubs may not be prepared to part with the player necessary to get a deal done – the Cavaliers, for instance, appear unwilling to give up Evan Mobley for Antetokounmpo – while others may be reluctant to give up a massive package for a player who only has one year left on his guaranteed contract. The Trail Blazers, for example, are said to have interest in Giannis, but the belief, as Amick and Nehm confirm, is that he prefers to remain in the Eastern Conference, so it’s unclear whether he’d sign an extension with a team like the Blazers. That makes Portland a less likely landing spot, per The Athletic.
Fischer also expressed skepticism about teams like the Thunder, Timberwolves, Warriors, and Rockets being serious threats for Antetokounmpo at this time.
In their story for The Athletic, Amick and Nehm also explore the Celtics and Magic as potential landing spots for Giannis. While there are no concrete indications that either team is in active pursuit of the 10-time All-Star, Antetokounmpo is believed to be “very intrigued” by the idea of ending up in Boston, per Amick and Nehm, and Orlando’s new head coach Sean Sweeney is very familiar with Giannis, having previously spent four seasons as an assistant coach in Milwaukee.
A Celtics offer for Antetokounmpo would likely have to include Jaylen Brown, who might need to be rerouted to a third team. Paolo Banchero, meanwhile, would probably have to be the centerpiece of a Magic offer.
If the Heat do manage to land Antetokounmpo, there will be questions about the club’s depth, as well as Giannis’ fit alongside Bam Adebayo, Amick and Nehm point out. As good as an Antetokounmpo/Adebayo duo would be defensively, neither player really stretches the floor on offense, so playing them alongside one another create spacing issues. However, the Heat don’t seem overly concerned about that potential issue as they attempt to land a star player for the first time since acquiring Jimmy Butler in 2019.
Western Notes: Jazz, Nurkic, Dundon, Thunder
The rebuild is over for the Jazz, who appear poised to take a significant step forward in 2026/27, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic. As Jones details, Utah is excited to “finally take the shackles off” Will Hardy, whom they feel can be one of the NBA’s best head coaches, but who has been handcuffed by the team’s tanking efforts in recent years.
Hardy will be coaching a frontcourt that has the potential to be one of the league’s best, with Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Walker Kessler leading the way. The Jazz also have a rising star in the backcourt in Keyonte George and could have one of the best young duos in the NBA, with this year’s No. 2 overall pick joining last year’s No. 5 selection Ace Bailey.
Still, as Jones points out, the Jazz won’t be able to rest on their laurels going forward. Markkanen and Jackson are already on sizable contracts, with Kessler likely to get a lucrative new deal of his own in restricted free agency this offseason. George will also be eligible for a rookie scale extension in a matter of weeks and appears to be in line for a significant raise after increasing his scoring average to 23.6 points per game in his third season. In other words, the core of Utah’s roster will get expensive soon, so the front office will have to continue making savvy moves to supplement that core with winning role players.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- Former Suns center Jusuf Nurkic raised eyebrows during an appearance on the X&Os Chat with Edin Avdic (YouTube link) when he discussed his relationship with former Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer and referred to him as an “alcohol addict” who would schedule 1-on-1 meetings with his players “just to provoke” them, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays. Nurkic previously spoke about his frosty relationship with Budenholzer back when both men were still in Phoenix, with reporting at the end of the 2024/25 season indicating that the coach told the big man he was a “bad teammate.”
- The criticism that Tom Dundon has faced for the way he has run the Trail Blazers since he took control of the team earlier this spring has come as a surprise to many in the hockey world, according to James Mirtle of The Athletic, who says the owner of the Carolina Hurricanes is popular among his players and isn’t described as “cheap” by those who have worked with him in the NHL. “The fact of the matter is, he doesn’t always do things in traditional ways,” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. “I think in some ways he’s a bit of a disruptor, but he’s extraordinarily creative and effective. And the results in Carolina — they’re both on and off the ice.”
- Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman provides a roster primer for the Thunder as they head into a big offseason, while Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Substack link) considers what sort of moves Oklahoma City could make this summer. Gozlan speculates that four years and $104MM would be the floor for Cason Wallace on a rookie scale extension — that would put him in the range of Dyson Daniels and Christian Braun, both of whom received $25MM per year on their rookie scale extensions in 2025.
Thunder Rumors: Holmgren, Caruso, Hartenstein, Dort, More
Although league insiders don’t expect Thunder head of basketball operations Sam Presti to make any “panic moves” following his team’s elimination in a tight Western Conference finals, rival executives have wondered for months whether the team will have to part with certain rotation players beginning this offseason as the roster gets more crowded and more expensive, per Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
“There can’t be room for everybody,” one Eastern Conference executive said to ESPN.
Much of the speculation in the wake of Saturday’s Game 7 loss has centered on Chet Holmgren, who shrank against Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama, attempting just two shots from the floor in that do-or-die contest. However, Holmgren continues to be backed within the organization as a “franchise pillar,” write Slater and MacMahon.
Veteran guard Alex Caruso is also viewed as a “firm member” of the long-term core in Oklahoma City after a strong showing in the Western finals, according to Slater and MacMahon, who say that there’s also anticipation among league and team sources that big man Isaiah Hartenstein will return to the team for the 2026/27 season too. That could mean OKC picks up its $28.5MM team option on Hartenstein or turns that option down in order to negotiate a new contract.
Luguentz Dort‘s future with the Thunder is less clear. While his $18.2MM team option isn’t exorbitant, the club has no shortage of reliable wing defenders, including Caruso and Cason Wallace, which could make Dort the odd man out in OKC, observes Kurt Helin of NBC Sports.
While Slater and MacMahon acknowledge that Wallace looks ready to take Dort’s place in the starting five, sources familiar with the thinking of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tell ESPN that the two-time MVP highly values playing alongside Dort, a fellow Canadian, and is expected to let management know that.
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- If Oklahoma City looks to move players on guaranteed contracts to create more financial flexibility, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins are potential trade candidates to watch, Slater and MacMahon say. The two wings, who will earn a combined $20MM+ in 2026/27, played regular rotation roles during the season but weren’t used much in the playoffs.
- Rival executives expect Oklahoma City to decline its $7.2MM team option on Kenrich Williams, though there’s a chance the veteran forward, a longtime member of the Thunder, could return to the team on a lower cap hit, Slater and MacMahon report.
- League sources tell ESPN that the Thunder have already had exploratory conversations with teams drafting in the top 10 about what the price would be to move up. While Oklahoma City is armed with the 12th, 17th, and 37th picks this year and has a surplus of future draft assets, the team’s decision on whether to pay the price to move up will likely be made on draft day and will depend on whether a specific target is available.
- While the Thunder front office will have some important roster decisions to make this summer, the 2027 offseason is viewed as the real start of a “financial reckoning” for the organization, according to Slater and MacMahon. That’s when Gilgeous-Alexander’s super-max extension will begin, increasing his salary from roughly 25% of the cap to 35%.
Draft Rumors: Clippers, Boozer, Acuff, Flemings, Carr, Burries
There’s an expectation that the Clippers will listen to trade-down offers for the fifth overall pick in the 2026 draft, league sources tell Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports.
Noting that reports have linked the Thunder to Cameron Boozer, who’s projected to be a top-three pick, O’Connor wonders if Oklahoma City might be able to use the 12th and 17th picks and an unspecified player to move up to fifth, and from that point potentially packaging the fifth selection to try to move into the top three with an “overwhelming offer,” perhaps including Chet Holmgren.
Obviously that’s just O’Connor brainstorming/speculating, but the Thunder have a trove of future first-round picks, plus their payroll is about to become very expensive, with roster-building restrictions in place if they’re over the second apron.
Oklahoma City also has a history of avoiding massive payrolls, O’Connor notes, having traded James Harden to Houston in the 2012 offseason when he was eligible for a rookie scale extension. Holmgren’s Game 7 performance vs. San Antonio and past history of struggling offensively in big moments could make the team more willing to part ways with him before his maximum-salary rookie scale extension kicks in next season, O’Connor writes.
Here are a few more rumors and notes related to the upcoming draft:
- Speaking of Boozer, one NBA general manager gave the following assessment of the former Duke star, who won several college Player of the Year awards as a freshman: “I don’t think he’s a franchise player, but I also know exactly what I’m getting with him,” the GM told Jeff Goodman of the Field of 68 (Twitter link). “Both (AJ) Dybantsa and (Darryn) Peterson have a chance to be franchise players in the league. Boozer can be a great second option.”
- The Mavericks are believed to have interest in trading up for Arkansas guard Darius Acuff, according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints. Dallas controls the ninth, 30th and 48th picks in the upcoming draft, while Acuff is widely projected to go in the top seven. Previous reports have said the Kings, who control the seventh pick, are high on Acuff and are considered his floor. Sacramento has also been impressed by Houston guard Kingston Flemings, a projected top-10 pick, in the lead-up to the draft, sources tell Siegel.
- The Bulls and Mavericks have “known interest” in Baylor guard Cameron Carr, arguably the biggest winner at the draft combine, per Siegel. Chicago has four picks in this month’s draft: fourth, 15th, 38th and 56th. For what it’s worth, Jeremy Woo of ESPN had Carr going 15th overall in his latest mock draft.
- While Brayden Burries is considered a lock to be drafted in the lottery, his range seems pretty wide, Siegel writes. One scout from a lottery team sounded impressed by the Arizona guard before the combine, according to Siegel. “He’s simply a sound player,” the scout said of Burries. “Good vision, great instincts, good vibes around him. His teammates love playing with him. Nobody ever says, ‘Well, he can still work on this and that.’ This guy is the complete package when it comes to being cool and collected.”
Thunder Rumors: Giannis, Mobley, Hartenstein, Draft
The Thunder were unable to defend the championship they won last year, and there’s an expectation around the league that their roster will look different in 2026/27, writes Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link).
However, none of the rival executives Stein has spoken to “strongly believe” Oklahoma City will pursue Giannis Antetokounmpo in the wake of the Thunder being eliminated from the postseason. That more or less echoes previous reporting from Sam Amick of The Athletic.
President of basketball operations Sam Presti has frequently taken a long-term approach to team-building over the past several years, Stein notes, and the Thunder came close to winning the Western Conference finals despite missing Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell for much of the series.
The Thunder certainly have the assets to make a blockbuster trade if they want to, but a deal for the Bucks superstar “would genuinely shock” people around the league, according to Stein. That’s partly because Antetokounmpo’s presence could dramatically change the meticulously developed culture Presti has helped foster in Oklahoma City.
Here are a few more rumors related to the Thunder:
- Amick reported that there’s long been “chatter” about the Thunder’s interest in Evan Mobley, and league sources tell the Stein Line that OKC tried to acquire the third pick in the 2021 draft in order to select the former USC big man. However, the Cavaliers “rebuffed” those efforts, according to Stein, who points out that president of basketball operations Koby Altman tried to preemptively shut down potential inquiries on Mobley at his end-of-season press conference last week. Altman called the 2024/25 Defensive Player of the Year a “a huge part of what we do” and “consistently our best player throughout the playoffs,” per Stein.
- Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link) recently suggested the Thunder are likely to decline their $28.5MM team option on Isaiah Hartenstein with an eye on re-signing their starting center to a long-term deal. Stein has heard similarly, writing that early indications point to Harteinstein remaining on the team in ’26/27, even if that option is declined.
- Multiple reports have indicated that the Thunder are expected to be aggressive with their two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 17), perhaps with a goal of moving up to select Cameron Boozer. However, rival clubs have gotten the sense that Wizards, Jazz, Grizzlies and Bulls are determined to stay in the top four, according to Stein, who says a “more realistic trade-up target” for Oklahoma City could be Aday Mara.
Thunder Notes: Holmgren, SGA, Wallace, Topic
Chet Holmgren‘s coaches and teammates expressed support for the embattled big man during the Thunder‘s end-of-season interviews on Sunday, according to The Associated Press. Holmgren’s rough series in the Western Conference finals ended with a two-shot, four-point performance in Game 7, but head coach Mark Daigneault said he remains an important part of the structure in Oklahoma City.
“Every minute Chet Holmgren’s been on the team, we’ve been the one seed in the Western Conference,” Daigneault told reporters. “And it wasn’t the case before Chet was healthy.”
Holmgren is coming off his best statistical season, averaging career highs with 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. He made his first All-Star Game appearance, received his first All-NBA honors, and finished second in the voting for Defensive Player of the Year. However, none of that shielded him from criticism after he got badly outplayed by Spurs star Victor Wembanyama during the seven-game series.
Two-time MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was among the players speaking out Sunday on behalf of Holmgren.
“We need Chet. We need Chet Holmgren,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Before Chet was here, we weren’t who we are today. We didn’t have the success we had today. When he’s the best version of himself, we’re the best version of ourselves and it’s no secret.”
There’s more from Oklahoma City:
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports examines the case for trading Holmgren, noting that he’s had other playoff disappointments during the past two seasons and even during the NCAA Tournament at Gonzaga. O’Connor doesn’t completely advocate for a Holmgren trade, but points out that he has a history of durability issues and is about to get much more expensive when his maximum-salary rookie scale extension kicks in next season.
- General manager Sam Presti has handed out six extensions since the 2022/23 season, and Cason Wallace appears to be next in line, Bobby Marks of ESPN states in his offseason preview. The 22-year-old guard led the league in steals this season and earned All-Defensive honors for the first time. Marks notes that he held opponents to 41.6% from the field as the closest defender, which ranked fifth in the NBA, and in the playoffs he limited Austin Reaves, Devin Booker, Stephon Castle and Jalen Green to a combined 25% on three-point attempts.
- Nikola Topic is looking forward to making an impact after having his first two NBA seasons affected by a partially torn left ACL and then a diagnosis of testicular cancer. He hopes to ultimately benefit from those difficult experiences, relays Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. “I learned a lot about myself,” Topic said. “I didn’t know how tough I was, honestly. It wasn’t the best, but I’m grateful I went through those experiences. I grew from those experiences as well. And it made me a better person today. And I wouldn’t be here if those things didn’t happen. I’m looking forward to getting ready to play.”
Northwest Notes: Gilgeous-Alexander, Game 7, Wolves, Blazers
The Thunder expected to be fighting to win their second straight championship next week. Instead, they face a summer of introspection and figuring out what they need to do to reach the Finals again.
When it comes to making or suggesting personnel changes, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander says that he will not be a part of the discussions, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link).
“I will give zero input,” he said. “I will let Sam Presti, the greatest GM ever, do his job.”
As Gilgeous-Alexander won a second consecutive MVP award and led the Thunder to another deep playoff run, critics have griped about his playing style, accusing him of egregiously seeking out contact and flopping. Warriors forward Draymond Green said that the conversations have skewed too negative for his taste, according to Ali Thanawalla of NBC Sports Bay Area.
“We want to pinpoint the thing that we can slow down. Shai’s falling. Shai’s at the free-throw line. Everybody’s complaining about Shai getting too many foul calls. And going into Game 6, Shai had shot five more free throws in the series than Wemby. But the whole complaint is Shai’s getting too many foul calls. I don’t understand it,” Green said. “‘Ah man, he’s foul baiting.’ Shai, what I will say is, you’ve reached a new level of greatness, my man. Congratulations. Your hard work has paid off. You’ve reached a new level of greatness because you have sports media heads coming out and talking about what they don’t like about your greatness. Imagine that.”
We have more from around the Northwest Division:
- The Thunder‘s inability to make, let alone win, their second straight Finals is a testament to how difficult it is to be a repeat champion in the NBA, Joel Lorenzi writes for The Athletic. While fans have grown accustomed in the past to teams like the Heat and Warriors rattling off championships, this season will mark the eighth straight year without a repeat winner. “It always takes a little bit of luck,” Alex Caruso said. “We were lucky last year, our team was healthy the whole time outside of (Jalen Williams’) wrist, but he was able to play still. This year, losing those two guys, it changes the dynamic of the team. Obviously, you’re playing a good opponent. You’re playing a 62-win team.” Warriors head coach Steve Kerr empathized with the difficult task. “The whole league, by the way, is spending all their time trying to figure out how to beat you, building their teams to beat you, building new schemes to beat you. That’s a lot to face year in and year out,” he said. “And at the same time, it’s like, what an honor that is.”
- Another team trying to figure out how to beat both the Thunder and Spurs is the one that lost to San Antonio in the second round: the Timberwolves. After an earlier exit than they would have liked, they’ll have some ability to be aggressive in pursuing trades, but will also have to deal with a handful of roadblocks, Yossi Gozlan writes in his offseason preview for the Third Apron. One of the bigger questions facing the team’s new ownership is whether the Wolves will be willing to operate as a second-apron team again. The answer to that question will determine how aggressive they’ll be in shedding salary or pursuing upgrades. With Anthony Edwards becoming extension-eligible this summer, the team will also need to show him that they’re taking the right steps in making the team a true contender.
- Trail Blazers owner Tom Dundon‘s hockey team, the Carolina Hurricanes, is in the midst of a massive arena renovation that came through coordinated efforts with the state mayor, the public university system, and more parties. While it’s not a perfectly analogous situation to the Blazers’ efforts to renovate the Moda Center, exploring why the former has been so successful might help provide insights for the latter, writes Bill Oram of the Oregonian. The Blazers’ arena project faces community skepticism, especially regarding using a clean energy fund for the $4.3 billion franchise, at a time when the city’s economy is losing jobs at a rate much higher than in other areas of the country.
Thunder Notes: SGA, J-Dub, Mitchell, Wallace, More
After largely struggling in the first six games of the Western Conference finals, back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was excellent for the Thunder in Saturday’s Game 7 loss to San Antonio, finishing with 35 points (on 12-of-21 shooting), nine assists, four rebounds, three steals and one block in a game-high 43 minutes.
“He was brilliant,” head coach Mark Daigneault said, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (subscriber link). “… Obviously that would’ve been one of the stories of the game had we been able to figure out a way to win it.”
The 27-year-old guard credited the Spurs after the game, as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays.
“Yeah, they’re young, they’re talented, well-coached,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “Play the right way, play together, seems like they like each other. They have the makeup, for sure. You don’t beat us without the makeup and they beat us. They have the makeup to go get one.”
Gilgeous-Alexander, who acknowledged the roster might look different next season due to the ever-changing nature of the NBA, said he won’t be involved in any personnel moves.
“I will give zero input. I will let Sam Presti, the greatest GM ever, do his job,” he said (Twitter video link via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype).
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- As Tim MacMahon of ESPN writes, the Thunder refused to use injuries an excuse after the loss even though they weren’t at full strength; Jalen Williams (hamstring) and Ajay Mitchell (calf strain) were both sidelined for most of the series. Alex Caruso noted that injuries are part of any playoff run and Oklahoma City was fortunate last year but “unlucky” in 2025/26 in that regard. Still, several members of the Thunder felt as though they still could’ve come out on top. “To be a 64-win team, have the net rating we did, overcome some of the adversities we did in the season, is something we’re incredibly proud of,” Daigneault said. “It’s something we can build on. When you have a team that’s together for a long time, you have to grow from every experience, including the tough ones. And it’s the NBA — there are tough ones. And we can also be really disappointed. We felt like we could have won the series, obviously, right there in the game and in the series. There’s nobody that we don’t think we can beat, respectfully.”
- Daigneault admitted on Sunday that the absences of Williams and Mitchell lowered the Thunder’s ceiling but said he’s looking forward to a having Williams healthy again in 2026/27 after he was plagued by various injuries over the past year-plus, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter video link). “Missing (Williams) impacts your ceiling. Missing Ajay Mitchell impacts your ceiling. But we’ve been able to maintain a really high floor. I’m proud of that,” Daigneault said. “That’s a huge accomplishment for the season, and it will pay dividends moving forward and will pay dividends for us this year. … I’m excited about a healthy Jalen Williams. I’m excited about a healthy team and what that can look like moving forward. So that becomes the priority especially with him. It was a tough year for him, and we need to do everything we can to get him in full form, and he does too.”
- Williams believes he would’ve made a difference in the series had he been healthy, tweets Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman. “I don’t do the hypothetical thing too much because it does not solve anything that’s going on right now,” Williams said. “But to humor your question, obviously I think I could have made an impact. I think we could have won if I played. We went to seven with them without me playing. I don’t think I make us worse. That’s really my answer to that. It’s also hats off to (San Antonio). What do you want them to do about me being hurt? … We’ll just have to wait until we meet again at some point.”
- Gilgeous-Alexander referred to ’25/26 as a failure on Sunday since he and the team were unable to win their second straight championship, writes Anthony Slater of ESPN. “I failed at my goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I didn’t achieve what I wanted to achieve. But I learn the most about myself and make the greatest amount of increases in my career when I fail and don’t get what I want. I look at this no different. I didn’t get where I wanted to go this season. There’s a reason for that. Now I have to look at that reason and try to make sure it never happens again.”
- Cason Wallace, who made a number of huge plays in the fourth quarter to keep the Thunder in Game 7, is extension-eligible beginning this offseason and said he loves being part of the team, but it sounds like he’ll leave any contract negotiations to his agent, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com (Twitter link). “Love the Thunder. But you know I’m more focused on getting better this summer and being able to go out there and compete next season,” said the former lottery pick, who was named to the All-Defensive Second Team in ’25/26.
Hartenstein, Dort, K. Williams Hope To Stay With Thunder
Oklahoma City was unable to defend its championship this spring, having been eliminated by San Antonio on Saturday night in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals. No matter how their season ended, the Thunder were going to have to decide what route they wanted to take with Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams.
The Thunder currently project to have a payroll of about $196.2MM in ’26/27 with 12 players under contract. That doesn’t account for the team options for starting center Hartenstein ($28.5MM), starting forward Dort ($18.2MM), or reserve forward Williams ($7.2MM).
There’s technically nothing preventing Oklahoma City from exercising all three of those options as long as ownership is willing to foot the luxury tax bill. However, picking up all the options would see the Thunder go soaring past the second tax apron (projected to be $221.7MM), and they could be facing a roster crunch. They control a pair of first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 17) in the upcoming draft, and players selected in the first round get four-year contracts, with the first two being guaranteed.
Williams was straightforward in expressing his desire to stay with the Thunder long term, according to Rylan Stiles of SI.com (Twitter link).
“It’s no secret that I want to be here until I’m done playing,” said Williams. “Just the environment, the culture, the people that I work with every day. This is a job where I can come in and be myself and everybody around me is good people and a good environment.”
Hartenstein was a little more guarded in his response, noting the decision is largely the team’s, but he made it clear he loves the franchise, as Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman tweets.
“We just lost yesterday, so at the end of the day, that’s something that will be discussed more at the end,” said Hartenstein, likely referring to the end of June, the deadline for the team option to be exercised. “I love being here. I love the organization, but it’s a lot in their hands. I think that them and my agent will talk. It’s a business at the end of the day. But whatever happens, I’m truly grateful.”
Dort, who has spent all seven of his NBA seasons in OKC, said his priority is to stay with the Thunder, per Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic (Twitter link).
“The conversation hasn’t happened yet. I have a lot of trust in this organization, in (head of basketball operations) Sam (Presti),” Dort said. “Really grateful for all the stuff he did for me to this point. I want to stay here. This organization, this city shaped me as a player. My main goal is to stay here.”
Thunder Not Expected To Pursue Giannis, Interested In Mobley?
The Spurs not only caught up to the Thunder sooner than expected but surpassed them by eliminating the defending champions in Oklahoma City on Saturday night, writes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The big question now facing the Thunder is how the team can solve the unprecedented challenge that Victor Wembanyama presents.
While a major roster overhaul would be shocking considering the Thunder were 71-14 against every other team in the league in 2025/26, they went just 4-8 against San Antonio in what could be the beginning of a long rivalry.
League sources have told Amick throughout the season that Oklahoma City is not expected to pursue Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, though speculation will undoubtedly pick up on that front in the wake of the Thunder being eliminated. Amick has also heard “chatter” for some time about the Thunder being interested in Evan Mobley, whom Cavaliers president of basketball operations (Koby Altman) recently called “part of our future.”
As Dan Woike of The Athletic writes, one key player who really struggled under the bright lights of Game 7 was big man Chet Holmgren, who was named to the All-NBA Third Team and finished runner-up to Wembanyama in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Holmgren finished with just four points (on 1-of-2 shooting), four rebounds, two steals, two blocks and two turnovers in 33 minutes.
“They’re a unique team in terms of personnel, what their personnel does,” Holmgren said softly after the game. “I don’t think there’s another team that has the same kind of play style.”
Holmgren’s struggles against Wembanyama and the Spurs aren’t a new development, as he was largely ineffective during the 12 combined times the two teams faced off in 2025/26. The 24-year-old center/forward averaged 10.7 points, 7.1 and 1.1 blocks in 29.9 minutes per game with a shooting line of .510/.273/.769 during the Western Conference finals, a far cry from the numbers he posted during the first two rounds of the playoffs (18.6 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 1.8 BPG, 1.4 SPG on .600/.387/.885 shooting).
“That’s not all on him,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “I actually thought he played his minutes pretty well. You know, I thought that run at the end of the second quarter that got us back going and cut into the (lead), I mean, he was a huge part of that in ways that may not be in the box score visibly.”
While Daigneault certainly wasn’t wrong in that assessment of that stretch, Woike points out that Holmgren was unable to sustain that level of play throughout the game. Jenni Carlson of The Oklahoman (subscriber link), graded Holmgren’s Game 7 performance as an “F,” while her colleague Joe Mussatto gave Cason Wallace an A+.
“There’s no running from improvement,” Holmgren said, per Woike. “I always look at it as no matter what — good, bad, win, loss, whatever it might be — you have to continue to improve. So, that’s the mindset.”
The Thunder will have to answer some difficult roster questions this summer, with five-year, maximum-salary extensions for Holmgren and Jalen Williams set to begin in 2026/27 and decisions due next month on sizable team options for Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams.
Still, Alex Caruso was defiant in his belief that the Spurs aren’t a problem that can’t be solved, Woike adds.
“There’s nothing that needs to be solved,” Caruso said. “We could have won (Game 7), and we would have been asking them maybe the same thing. I don’t think there’s this huge narrative of, like, this is a bugaboo. … We should have played better and won the game and been in the NBA Finals.
“They’re a good team, they’re young. We’re a good team, we’re young. Both will probably be around for a while, so we gotta get better and try to win next time.”