The second tax apron is unlikely to break up the Thunder anytime soon, according to Keith Smith of Spotrac, who evaluates the defending champions’ salary cap situation going forward.
As Smith writes, while the Thunder will have three maximum-salary players on their roster starting next season, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will be on the smallest of the max deals (starting at25% of the cap instead of 30% or 35%), while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s new super-max extension won’t go into effect until 2027/28.
Oklahoma City has also done a good job maintaining flexibility around its stars, Smith notes. Several role players are on contracts with declining structures, while Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort are likely to have their 2026/27 team options turned down in favor of more team-friendly deals.
If the Thunder had to part ways with Hartenstein or Dort for financial reasons, it would be a tough loss, but the front office has consistently brought in young players like Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic, and Thomas Sorber, who could take on larger roles down the road if needed, Smith observes. Oklahoma City is also in position to continuing adding premium talent to its roster going forward — the club could have as many as four first-round picks in the 2026 draft.
Here’s more on the Thunder:
- Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman takes a closer look at the Thunder’s potential 2026 first-round picks, considering which ones will change hands and which will be the most valuable. We covered similar ground in our latest Front Office article, noting that the Jazz front office will probably do all they can to try to hang onto their top-eight protected pick, but the Thunder could still have two valuable first-rounders from the Clippers and Sixers. Oklahoma City will also likely end up with Houston’s first-rounder.
- Thunder big man Jaylin Williams, who is in the first season of a three-year, $24MM extension, is struggling to score efficiently this fall, shooting just 34.5% from the floor and 30.7% on three-pointers. However, head coach Mark Daigneault raved after Sunday’s win over Portland about all the other ways in which Williams contributes. “He’s just a total team guy,” Daigneault said, per Martinez. “He does all of the things that are investments in the team. He’s a great ball mover. He’s a great screen setter. He’s a great communicator. He’s a great block-out rebounder who takes charges. He does all of the dirty work that teams need, and he embraces that. I think that’s one of the reasons he has such respect in the locker room. It’s because of his commitment to those things. Guys don’t take that for granted when it comes to him.”
- In another story for The Oklahoman, Martinez explores how Sorber, this year’s No. 15 overall pick, is building chemistry with his Thunder teammates despite being ruled out for the season due to knee surgery. “He fits the energy of the team,” Isaiah Joe told Martinez. “He always has a positive attitude. It’s just all love. He talks to everybody. He greets everybody. He’s got a great spirit. And he’s really hungry to not only be around us in the locker room but out there on the floor with us. It shows great signs.”
- In case you missed it, Jalen Williams is no longer eligible to make an All-NBA team or win any other postseason awards in 2025/26, locking in his rookie scale extension at 25% of the 2026/27 salary cap.