Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Sign Jaylin Williams To Three-Year Extension

June 29th, 2025 at 11:37am CST by Luke Adams

11:37 am: Williams’ new contract is official, the Thunder announced today in a press release. The team completed the deal as a veteran extension, which is why it could be formally finalized now instead of having to wait until July.

9:47 am: The Thunder declined their minimum-salary team option on big man Jaylin Williams in order to negotiate a new deal with him, according to Shams Charania of ESPN, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a three-year, $24MM contract.

The third and final season of the deal will be a team option, Charania adds (via Twitter).

A valuable frontcourt reserve in recent years for the newly crowned NBA champions, Williams was limited to 47 appearances in 2024/25 due in large part to a hamstring injury that delayed his regular season debut until December 23. However, he was effective when healthy, averaging 5.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists in 16.7 minutes per night, with a .439/.399/.767 shooting line.

Williams, who is celebrating his 23rd birthday on Sunday, didn’t have a major role during the postseason, but he played rotation minutes off the bench against Denver in the second round and appeared in 17 of the Thunder’s 23 total playoff games.

While the Thunder could have kept Williams on the roster at a bargain price for another season by simply picking up his $2.2MM option for 2025/26, doing so would have put him on track for unrestricted free agency in 2026. By declining the option, Oklahoma City had the ability to make the former No. 34 overall pick a restricted free agent this summer, improving the team’s negotiating position.

The Thunder have taken this route on team-option players like Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins within the past few years, declining their options in order to sign them to multiyear contracts as RFAs.

Oklahoma City’s minor salary-dump trade of Dillon Jones on Saturday will allow the team to stay out of luxury tax territory while giving Williams a pay bump for 2025/26. The tax line is projected to come in at $187.9MM, while the Thunder currently have a projected team salary of $186MM, tweets ESPN’s Bobby Marks.

Wizards Acquire Dillon Jones From Thunder

June 28th, 2025 at 8:38pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder are sending Dillon Jones and a future second-round pick to the Wizards, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).

Oklahoma City confirmed the deal in a press release, announcing that it received shooting guard Colby Jones in return. Jones’ $2.22MM contract for next season is non-guaranteed, and he was waived immediately.

The second-rounder headed to Washington in the deal is for 2029 and originally belonged to Houston, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Dillon Jones, a 23-year-old swingman, was originally selected by Washington with the 26th pick last year, but he was traded to New York and then to Oklahoma City on draft night. He appeared in 54 games as a rookie for OKC, averaging 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 10.2 minutes per night.

Jones will be part of a youth movement for the Wizards, who had two first-round picks in this year’s draft, along with three last year. Jones is the second member of the 2024 draft class that Washington has added in a trade, joining AJ Johnson, who was acquired from Milwaukee in February.

The deal unloads salary and opens a roster spot for the Thunder, who had been set to have 15 players return from this year’s championship team. The move creates an opening for rookie center Thomas Sorber, who was selected with the 15th pick on Wednesday.

Dillon Jones will make a guaranteed $2.75MM in 2025/26, with team options worth $2.88MM and $5.2MM, respectively, for the following two seasons. The Wizards will have to make a decision on that ’26/27 option (worth $2.88MM) by October 31 of this year.

Colby Jones, 23, appeared in 15 games with Washington after being acquired in a three-team deal at the trade deadline. He averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists with the Wizards.

Because Colby’s salary was fully non-guaranteed and Dillon is earning more than the minimum, the Wizards had to use a traded player exception to complete the deal. They used the one generated in February’s trade of Patrick Baldwin, the smallest of the three TPEs they controlled.

The Thunder will create a new TPE worth the difference between the two players’ 2024/25 salaries, approximately $502K. However, that exception is almost certainly too small to ever be used.

And-Ones: 2025 Draft Grades, 2026 Class, France, Gabriel

June 28th, 2025 at 10:04am CST by Earnest Marshall

Five teams earned ‘A’ grades on Sam Vecenie’s post-draft report card for The Athletic, including four teams who had picks in the top six. The fifth team to earn an A was the Hawks, primarily for landing an unprotected 2026 first-round pick from the Pelicans to drop 10 spots in the middle of the first round.

Another 18 teams earned ‘B-‘ to ‘B+’ grades, meaning they mostly met or exceeded the value expected at their respective draft slots. Multiple clubs who only had second-round picks, like the Cavaliers and Warriors, found themselves in this tier. A few teams who ended up landing players who slid from pre-draft projections also ended up in this group, with the Jazz getting Ace Bailey at No. 5, the Heat landing Kasparas Jakucionis at No. 20 and the Thunder getting Thomas Sorber at No. 15.

That left five teams to earn a mark of ‘C’ or lower from Vecenie (Houston and Denver did not make any selections). The Pelicans were marked down for the haul they gave up to move up from No. 23 to No. 13 and select Derik Queen. The Nets were questioned for making three selections – Egor Demin, Nolan Traore and Ben Saraf – with positional overlap, while the Knicks earned a middling grade for selecting a stash player who may not make it to the league.

We have more from around the basketball world:

The 2026 draft looks to be loaded on paper, with a strong blend of returners who would have been drafted this year and high-level incoming talent. In ESPN’s first full 2026 mock draft, Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo have Darryn Peterson of Kansas as the No. 1 overall pick. A.J. Dybantsa (BYU), Cameron Boozer (Duke), Nate Ament (Tennessee) and Mikel Brown Jr. (Louisville) round out their top five. Among returning college players, Jayden Quaintance (No. 6, Kentucky) and Yaxel Lendeborg (No. 14, Michigan) are the highest-ranking.
Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report‘s top three looks identical to ESPN’s, but he has Arizona’s Koa Peat at No. 4 in his first 2026 mock draft. Another significant difference between the two boards is Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou‘s spot — Wasserman has him at No. 6, but ESPN places him at No. 23.
France has named its 18-man preliminary roster for EuroBasket 2025, per the team (Twitter link). Bilal Coulibaly, Moussa Diabate, Ousmane Dieng, Zaccharie Risacher, Alex Sarr and Guerschon Yabusele are the current NBA players on the roster. Former NBAers on the team include Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Frank Ntilikina and Theo Maledon, among others.
Former NBA player Wenyen Gabriel is leaving Panathinaikos to sign with Bayern Munich in Germany, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews. Gabriel played his first EuroLeague season in 2024/25, averaging 6.0 points per game, and will remain in the league by signing with Bayern. The 6’9″ big man played 150 NBA games from 2019-24 across stints with the Lakers, Pelicans, Trail Blazers, Kings and others. He averaged 4.4 PPG and 3.4 RPG for his career.

Thunder To Sign Zack Austin, Chris Youngblood

June 27th, 2025 at 6:38pm CST by Eli Cohen

The 2025 champion Thunder have agreed to an Exhibit 10 deal with Pitt forward Zack Austin, reports Jon Chepkevich of DraftExpress (Twitter link). They will also sign Alabama guard Chris Youngblood to an Exhibit 10 deal, Blake Byler writes for BamaOnLine.

An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed agreement that could be converted to a two-way deal before the season or puts the player in line for a bonus worth up to $85K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.

Austin is a 6’7″ forward who played the last two seasons for Pitt after transferring from High Point University in North Carolina. He was named to the ACC All-Defensive team this season after averaging 1.1 steals and 1.6 blocks per game. He also contributed 9.2 points and 4.7 rebounds per contest while making 38.1% of his three-point attempts and 90.2% of his free throws. Those numbers were significantly up from his career averages of 33.5% from three and 78.2% from the line.

A high-level athlete with a great motor, Austin’s block percentage of 6.1% ranked 7th in the ACC, and was first among players shorter than 6’10”.

Youngblood is a 6’4″ fifth-year senior who is a career 39.3% three-point shooter with Kennesaw State, South Florida, and Alabama. He averaged 10.3 points per game for the Crimson Tide after starting slow due to an ankle injury. His defining performance for Alabama came in the Round of 16 against BYU, where he scored 19 points and made five three-pointers, helping the team advance to the Elite Eight.

The Thunder previously agreed to a deal with Iowa shooting wing Payton Sandfort.

Thunder To Sign Payton Sandfort To Exhibit 10 Deal

June 27th, 2025 at 10:01am CST by Luke Adams

JULY 1: Sandfort is signing an Exhibit 10 contract, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman confirms (via Twitter).

JUNE 27: The defending champion Thunder have agreed to a deal with former Iowa standout Payton Sandfort, reports Jonathan Givony of ESPN (Twitter link).

While Givony doesn’t specify the terms of the agreement, it will likely be a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract. An Exhibit 10 deal would put Sandfort on track to either become an affiliate player for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder’s G League team, or to be converted to a two-way deal before the regular season.

Sandfort, a 6’7″ wing who spent his entire four-year college career with the Hawkeyes, gradually emerged as a featured player for the team, becoming a full-time starter as a junior after being named the Big Ten’s Sixth Man of the Year as a sophomore.

In his senior year in 2024/25, Sandfort started all 33 games he played, averaging 16.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 31.9 minutes per contest, with a .407/.340/.891 shooting line. That three-point percentage was his worst single-season mark — he was at 36.5% in his first three college seasons.

Sandfort is the first undrafted free agent deal reported for the Thunder, who selected Thomas Sorber in the first round of the 2025 draft and Brooks Barnhizer in the second.

Lakers Trade 55th Pick, Cash To Bulls For 45th Pick

June 26th, 2025 at 11:26am CST by Rory Maher

June 30: The trade is now official, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, who tweets that the Bulls received $2.5MM in cash in the deal, along with the draft rights to No. 55 pick Lachlan Olbrich, in exchange for the rights to No. 45 pick Rocco Zikarsky.

The Lakers subsequently traded up again – using the No. 45 pick and cash – to No. 36, but that trade won’t become official until after the July moratorium.

June 26: The Lakers are trading the 55th pick of the 2025 draft and cash to the Bulls for tonight’s 45th selection, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (via Twitter).

As Keith Smith of Spotrac tweets, the Lakers will now be hard-capped at the second tax apron for the 2025/26 season because they are sending out cash in the deal.

Bulls general manager Marc Eversley said during a Wednesday night press conference that Chicago was open to moving the No. 45 pick, either to move out of the second round or to select a draft-and-stash prospect. In this case the Bulls moved back 10 spots and added cash in the process.

Los Angeles is clearly targeting a player it likes and thinks will be available at No. 45 but may not have been at No. 55. In the past, sending out cash to move up in the draft wasn’t a big deal, but changes in the new CBA mean the Lakers will be unable to surpass the second apron — projected at $207.8MM — for next season.

Although they’ll lose a little bit of roster flexibility as a result of the trade, the Lakers were unlikely to exceed the second apron in ’25/26 anyway, notes Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron (Twitter link).

According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link), the Hornets (either No. 33 or No. 34), Raptors (No. 39), Warriors (No. 41) and Thunder (No. 44) are also open to trading their second-round picks. ESPN identified Charlotte this morning as a team to monitor with one of its early second-rounders.

The Timberwolves (No. 31) are also fielding trade inquiries on the first pick of the second round, sources tell Fischer (Twitter link).

Kings Acquire No. 24 From Thunder, Draft Nique Clifford

June 25th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Rory Maher

11:25 pm: The trade is official, per a press release from the Kings.

9:58 pm: The Kings have agreed to acquire the No. 24 pick from the Thunder and used it to draft Colorado State’s Nique Clifford, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

According to Sacramento radio host Carmichael Dave (Twitter link), the Thunder will receive San Antonio’s 2027 first-round pick (top-16 protected) from Sacramento. If that selection falls in its protected range, Oklahoma City will instead receive two second-rounders in 2027.

Sacramento has long been rumored as a candidate to move into the first round, as the team only controlled a second-round pick — No. 42 — heading into Wednesday. The Stein Line reported this morning that No. 24 was one pick the Kings were looking at acquiring.

The Thunder are facing a minor roster crunch in 2025/26 and had no need to add two first-round picks to their championship roster. They selected Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber at No. 15.

Clifford is among the most NBA-ready players who will be drafted this week — he spent three years at Colorado and two more at Colorado State before becoming automatically draft-eligible this year at age 23.

While he didn’t post big numbers earlier in his college career, Clifford has come on strong in the past couple seasons. In 2024/25, he nearly averaged a double-double, with 18.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.2 steals in 35.4 minutes per game across 36 starts, with a .496/.377/.777 shooting line.

The 6’5″ swingman had one of the best rebounding seasons for a wing in NCAA history for the Rams, according to Jonathan Givony of ESPN, who adds that Clifford’s “instincts and competitiveness stood out.”

Clifford’s game and versatility is similar to Josh Hart‘s, according to Law Murray of The Athletic, who points out (via twitter) that new Kings GM Scott Perry traded for Hart in New York and is now acquiring Clifford as well.

Thunder Use No. 15 Pick To Draft Thomas Sorber

June 25th, 2025 at 8:53pm CST by Rory Maher

Georgetown big man Thomas Sorber is headed to the defending champions — he has been selected 15th overall by the Thunder.

Sorber, who stands 6’9″ with an impressive 7’6″ wingspan, had a strong freshman year for the Hoyas in 2024/25, serving as the team’s starting center and filling up the stat sheet with 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game in 24 outings (31.3 MPG).

Sorber’s season ended early due to a toe injury, but he still earned a spot on the All-Big East third team and decided to go pro at age 19, forgoing his remaining NCAA eligibility after a single college season.

Despite the injury, Sorber’s stock rose during the pre-draft process. He was linked to Oklahoma City in recent days, a team that often prioritizes strength and length and isn’t afraid to take a swing on players who may need time to get accustomed to the speed of the NBA game.

It’s worth noting that Isaiah Hartenstein‘s contract features a $28.5MM team option for 2026/27, when likely new deals for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will take effect. If he develops the way the Thunder hope, Sorber could be a long-term replacement for Hartenstein.

Fischer’s Latest: Sixers, Bailey, Edgecombe, Fears, Maluach, More

June 25th, 2025 at 4:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Sixers are expected to make one last attempt to trade up to No. 2 for the chance to draft Dylan Harper, but it’s not likely to be successful, writes Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link). Fischer believes the Spurs have decided they want Harper to be part of their future and haven’t given serious consideration to parting with the pick.

Fischer adds that the most likely scenario is for the Sixers to stay at No. 3 unless there’s a sharp improvement in the offers from other teams. He also suggests that Ace Bailey remains in contention to be selected, even though he canceled a workout in Philadelphia and has sent out signals that he would rather be selected by a team that could offer guaranteed playing time and a larger role in the offense. Fischer still considers Bailey to be a strong fit alongside Joel Embiid and Paul George because of his shooting skills, but he acknowledges that V.J. Edgecombe is the “likely top contender” to go to Philadelphia.

If Bailey does get bypassed by the Sixers, Fischer doesn’t expect him to fall farther that the Wizards at No. 6. League sources tell him that Bailey declined a chance to work out for the Jazz, and it’s believed that he didn’t have an official visit with any of the lottery teams. Fischer points out that Washington meets Bailey’s requirements as a team that could offer “a healthy shot profile and on-ball creation opportunities.”

Fischer shares more inside information as the draft draws closer:

The Nets are likely to pounce on point guard Jeremiah Fears if he’s still on the board at No. 8, Fischer states, noting that rumors of his preference for Brooklyn date back to the Draft Combine. Fears made visits to Utah and New Orleans, and Fischer believes his range appears to start with the fifth pick. Fischer also raises the possibility that the Nets could package some of the five first-rounders they have tonight to move up if they believe another team might select Fears.
Fischer calls Khaman Maluach “the most consequential domino of the first round” apart from Bailey. He’s considered the top available big man, and Fischer notes that he helped himself with strong performances during the interview process. League sources tell Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports that the Pelicans are expected to try to trade up to land Bailey. If they’re unsuccessful, then Maluach could be their pick at No. 7 if he’s still on the board. O’Connor hears that some lottery teams have Maluach ranked in their top two or three and he’s considered “one of the most popular trade-up targets.”
Fischer believes the Pelicans mark the start of Derik Queen‘s range if someone else takes Maluach, but he adds that the Spurs may try to trade up from No. 14 for the Duke center, while the Raptors at No. 9 also have him highly rated.
Cedric Coward has been improving his status throughout the pre-draft process, and Fischer doesn’t expect him to fall past the teens. Sources tell Fischer that Coward has interest from the Trail Blazers at No. 11 and he has worked out multiple times for the Thunder, who hold the 15th pick. Fischer hears that the Nets are hoping to land Coward at No. 19, but they may need to trade up to have a chance.
NCAA Tournament star Walter Clayton Jr. has “multiple suitors” in the early 20s, according to Fischer. He cites league insiders who believe Clayton and Jase Richardson could be targets for the Kings if they’re able to trade for a pick in that range.
There’s an expectation that this will be an active trading night, possibly starting with the Sixers at No. 3 and the Hornets at No. 4. “There’s gonna be at least four or five (trades),” a Western Conference team strategist told Fischer.

Northwest Notes: Boozer, Bradley, OKC, Timberwolves

June 25th, 2025 at 10:40am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

The Jazz‘s reconfigured front office is leaning on former Utah forward Carlos Boozer and former longtime NBA guard Avery Bradley to help prep for Wednesday and Thursday’s NBA draft, observes Tony Jones of The Athletic.

“This place has really transformed,” Boozer told Jones. “But, I want to do my part to build this team back up to being a contender, because that’s where this franchise belongs. I love this fan base and this town. It reminds me of my hometown in Alaska. So, this has been a huge honor, and it’s brought back so many memories.”

As Jones notes, both Boozer and Bradley know something about being under-the-radar draft gems.

“I think having the perspective of being a player is helpful,” Bradley said. “Seeing players that could model and resemble some of the players that we’ve played with and have been in locker rooms with helps. What Carlos and I have wanted to do is help Austin (Ainge) and Justin (Zanik) and Danny (Ainge) in the process.”

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

After claiming their first title together on Sunday, the Thunder’s new big three of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA wing Jalen Williams, and big man Chet Holmgren could form the core of a new dynasty, posits Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. “These guys represent all that’s good at a young age,” longtime Oklahoma City president Sam Presti said. “They prioritize winning, they prioritize sacrifice, and it just kind of unfolded very quickly…. Age is a number. Sacrifice and maturity is a characteristic, and these guys have it in spades.”
With the Timberwolves’ sale officially approved by the league, now-former majority owners Glen and Becky Taylor have penned a thank-you message to Minnesota fans, via a Timberwolves press release. Taylor leaves the Timberwolves in a good place, with the club anchored by All-NBA superstar guard Anthony Edwards and fresh off two straight Western Conference Finals appearances. “Though we are stepping away as owners, our love for this organization and this community remains as strong as ever,” the Taylors write. “We will always be fans, cheering from our seats, celebrating your triumphs, and believing in what comes next.”
Incoming new Timberwolves owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez spoke to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic about their vision for the franchise moving forward. “Let’s make it very clear,” Rodriguez said. “Marc and I are not making basketball decisions… What we’ve learned is some of the best governors throughout sports, they spend most of their time in the front end hiring the right people. … We give them guidelines, we give them budgets, and then Tim (Connelly) can cook. And then we stay out of his way. That’s also really important.”