Thunder GM Talks Holmgren, Team Options, Draft, More
While Thunder big man Chet Holmgren drew plenty of criticism for his lackluster performance in the Western Conference finals, particularly the Game 7 loss in which he finished with just four points (on 1-of-2 shooting) and four rebounds in 33 minutes, general manager Sam Presti publicly backed the former No. 2 overall pick on Monday, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman.
According to Presti, Holmgren’s “underdog” mentality will serve him well going forward.
“Chet’s one of our guys,” Presti said. “He’s been so impactful. He drives winning on so many different levels for us. We were sweeping our way to the Western Conference Finals primarily because of his efforts in the [Suns and Lakers] series. All that to say, he didn’t have a great series in the last series.
“… This is a guy who’s intrinsically motivated. He doesn’t need people questioning him or things on the internet to drive his improvement. The best example of that is we won the Finals last year, and he was dominant in Game 7 defensively and through a lot of the playoffs.
“I’m not really that concerned about him. The good thing is you get to confront those things again and continue to improve, and I’m confident that he’ll be ready to go.”
Here’s more from Presti’s end-of-season press conference:
- The Thunder project to be well over the second tax apron in 2026/27 if they exercise their team options on Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams. They could also be facing a roster crunch, with two first-round picks (Nos. 12 and 17) and one second-rounder (No. 37) on top of having most of the roster signed to guaranteed contracts for next season. However, Presti reiterated ownership is willing to spend to contend for championships if the front office deems it necessary, as Anthony Slater of ESPN relays. “Is it possible that we just pick up the options for everybody and roll into next season when we have a bigger financial jump for the team?” Presti said. “That’s certainly possible. … The process itself to get to those potential options, it could take a little while. I could see it going a little deeper into the summer than we’re used to.”
- Oklahoma City will explore a number of possibilities with those three selections in this month’s draft, Presti told reporters, including Martinez. “Everybody knows we try to move up every year,” Presti said. “We try to get a price for what it would take for us to move out entirely, and then we also have contingencies to move back in the draft. It’s all about creating value. That’s how we see each one of these picks. Sometimes, the best value is to take the best player on the board and figure it out later. … But we’ll look at all these different options.”
- Presti spoke highly of Thomas Sorber, the team’s 2025 first-round pick who tore his ACL this past September and missed his entire rookie season, Martinez writes. However, Presti doesn’t think Sorber will play in Summer League next month.
- The longtime executive also praised mid-season acquisition Jared McCain, Martinez adds. “I’ve always felt like he’s a guy that contributes to winning,” Presti said. ” … There aren’t many people that I would choose to try to assimilate into our particular team in the middle of the year. … But he had the right mindset to walk into a team like ours and in the right game. I think, going forward, there’s a more balanced player in there and not just a guy that’s going to come off and be able to hit shots like that. He really understands the game. He understands winning. He’ll put his body out there. I’m looking forward to a full summer with him, a full training camp and really seeing how he accents our full team.”
Western Notes: Kings, Warriors, DiVincenzo, Sorber
UConn forward Alex Karaban headlines a group of six prospects set to work out for the Kings on Friday, writes Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Karaban, a senior who was automatically eligible for the draft, goes 31st overall in the latest mock draft from ESPN’s Jeremy Woo and comes in at No. 30 on ESPN’s big board.
The other five draft prospects are Ryan Conwell (Louisville), Otega Oweh (Kentucky), Toibu Lawal (Virginia Tech), Tyler Nickel (Vanderbilt), and Mark Mitchell (Missouri). All are in ESPN’s top 100, with Conwell (No. 36) the only other player aside from Karaban in the top 50.
Sacramento controls the seventh, 34th and 45th picks in next month’s draft, Anderson notes.
Here’s more from around the Western Conference:
- The Warriors hosted six prospects — Trey Campbell (Northern Iowa) Oscar Cluff (Purdue), Carson Cooper (Michigan State), Jaden Henley (Grand Canyon), Elias Ralph (Pacific), and Jalen Warley (Gonzaga) — for a pre-draft workout on Thursday, per an announcement from the team (Twitter link). Boilermakers center Cluff (No. 63) is the top-ranked player in that group, according to ESPN, with Henley (No. 72) also in the top 100.
- Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said Donte DiVincenzo was the “heart and soul of so many things we do” after the veteran guard tore his right Achilles tendon in the first round of the playoffs, as Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic writes. It was a brutal blow for the 29-year-old, who brought a consistent toughness and competitiveness to Minnesota. Now he faces an uncertain future, as he’s likely to miss most — if not all — of next season as he enters the final year of his contract, which will pay him $12.5MM in 2026/27. “He’s trying to get back as soon as possible, and I think he’s going to have a great recovery, the way he’s treating it and the attitude he has about it, getting right, getting better, it’s just great to see,” Jaden McDaniels said. “I mean, we all love Donte. Hopefully he’s going to have a speedy recovery.”
- Thomas Sorber has missed his entire rookie season due to a torn ACL, but the Thunder big man is still getting his NBA education on the sidelines and hopes to play in Summer League in July, per Dan Woike of The Athletic. “I’m still reading the scouting report. I’m still seeing who’s a hot shooter, who to worry about, who not to worry about,” Sorber said. “Just trying to get the game plan in my head so when I am ready next year to play, then I’ll be able to, you know, already have it under my belt.” The 20-year-old center was the 15th overall pick in last year’s draft.
Thunder Notes: Cap Outlook, Draft, Jay. Williams, Sorber
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.
Thunder Granted Disabled Player Exception
The Thunder have been awarded a disabled player exception as a result of Thomas Sorber‘s season-ending knee surgery, according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).
An NBA team becomes eligible for a disabled player exception when one of its players sustains an injury that is considered more likely than not to sideline him through June 15 of that league year. It doesn’t grant the team an extra roster spot, but generates some additional cap flexibility. The exception can be used to acquire a player on an expiring contract via trade or waiver claim, or to sign a free agent to a one-year contract.
The value of the disabled player exception is equivalent to either the non-taxpayer mid-level exception or half of the injured player’s salary, whichever is lesser. In this case, Sorber’s cap hit is a relatively modest $4,655,040, so the DPE is worth $2,327,520.
Teams will have until March 10 to use their disabled player exceptions, and most of them expire without being used. That’s especially true when they’re worth as little as the Thunder’s new one and when a team has more versatile exceptions like the mid-level on hand.
Still, there are certain scenarios in which that small DPE could come in handy, such as signing a player to a rest-of-season contract worth more than the minimum later in the season, or trading for a player with a low cap hit who can’t be acquired using the minimum salary exception.
Sorber, the 15th overall pick in the 2025 draft, tore his ACL during a workout last month. It will be the second year in a row that a Thunder first-round pick has missed his rookie season due to an ACL tear — Nikola Topic did the same thing in 2024/25, though Oklahoma City knew about that injury before drafting him.
Northwest Notes: Bailey, Blazers, Thunder, Nuggets
Jazz rookie Ace Bailey has decided to part ways with manager Omar Cooper and is seeking new representation, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic. League sources tell Jones that Bailey and his camp have interviewed potential reps but haven’t yet made a decision on who they’ll hire.
Cooper made waves during the pre-draft process by discouraging Bailey from visiting with or working out for any teams with picks in the top five. The widespread belief, as Jones writes, was that Cooper was trying to steer his client to the Wizards at No. 6, but Utah ultimately drafted him one spot before that.
Cooper is the father of guard Sharife Cooper, who signed a two-way contract with Washington last week.
Here are a few more items of interest form around the Northwest:
- RAJ Sports, a company run by the Bhatal family that reportedly made a bid to buy the Trail Blazers, has filed a lawsuit against the Cherng family, which joined Tom Dundon‘s prospective Blazers ownership group earlier this month. Jason Quick and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic have the details on the suit, which was first reported by Law360.com. RAJ Sports is claiming that the Cherngs – who own Panda Express – breached an exclusivity agreement and has asked a judge to stop them from buying a stake in the Blazers.
- Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman passes along some highlights from Sam Presti‘s preseason press conference following a Thunder offseason highlighted by continuity. Presti preached patience when it comes to Nikola Topic‘s integration into the rotation, expressed confidence that Chet Holmgren will “only be better,” and said rookie big man Thomas Sorber was “playing great” before suffering a season-ending ACL tear. “It’s a really tough situation, but he’s got the right mindset. He’s got great natural energy,” Presti said of the 15th overall pick. “He’s going to get something out of this year, 100 percent, and I think it’ll position him well going into next season. But it’s certainly disappointing.”
- Bennett Durando of The Denver Post (subscription required) explores what the Nuggets‘ depth chart might look like in 2025/26. While the starters – Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, Cameron Johnson, Aaron Gordon, and Nikola Jokic – seem pretty clear, there could be some spots up for grabs on the second unit, including at point guard, where Bruce Brown projects to be Murray’s backup, and at the forward spots.
- The Oklahoma City Blue and Grand Rapids Gold – the Thunder‘s and Nuggets‘ G League affiliates, respectively – completed a trade sending the returning rights to Justyn Hamilton to the Gold in exchange for the returning rights to Andrew Funk and a 2026 second-round pick, tweets Rylan Stiles of SI.com. The deal could be a precursor to Hamilton signing an Exhibit 10 contract with Denver and/or Funk signing one with Oklahoma City.
Thunder Rookie Thomas Sorber Undergoes Season-Ending Knee Surgery
Thunder first-round pick Thomas Sorber underwent surgery on Tuesday to address a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link via Rylan Stiles of SI.com).
The injury, which was revealed earlier this month, will sideline the big man out of Georgetown for the entire season. Sorber is expected to make a full recovery and be available for the 2026/27 season.
Sorber was the No. 15 pick in the June draft. He averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game during his one-and-done season at Georgetown before a left foot injury that required surgery caused him to miss the latter part of 2024/25.
The big man is the second straight Oklahoma City first-round selection to be sidelined for his rookie year. Last season’s 12th overall pick, Nikola Topic, missed his debut season with an ACL injury of his own.
The Thunder will now have to wait another season to see what Sorber can provide them on the floor, though they have plenty of on-court insurance this season in Isaiah Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.
Sorber signed his rookie scale contract in early July at a four-year total of $22.51MM. His deal is guaranteed for the first two seasons, with team options on years three and four.
Thomas Sorber Diagnosed With Torn ACL, Will Miss Season
Thunder rookie Thomas Sorber has been diagnosed with a torn ACL in his right knee, which he sustained during an offseason workout on Thursday, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Twitter link). The team announced in a press release that Sorber will miss the entire 2025/26 season while he recovers from the injury.
Sorber averaged 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.5 steals and 2.0 blocks per game during his one-and-done season at Georgetown before a left foot injury that required surgery caused him to miss the latter part of 2024/25.
The Thunder selected Sorber 15th overall in the 2025 draft. The big man will become the second straight Oklahoma City first-round pick to miss his rookie year, after last season’s 12th overall pick, Nikola Topic, missed his debut season with an ACL injury of his own.
With the Thunder’s extensions for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams signed, Sorber was expected to play a part in determining the future of the big man rotation and Isaiah Hartenstein‘s long-term status with the team.
The Thunder will now have to wait another season to see what he can provide them on the floor, though they have plenty of on-court insurance this season in Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams.
Thunder Notes: Ring Night, Durant, Hartenstein, Sorber
Thunder fans shouldn’t get distracted by the presence of Kevin Durant at their ring night celebration, writes Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. According to a Friday report, Durant’s first game with the Rockets will kick off the new NBA season on October 21 at Oklahoma City, which is when the home team will be honored for capturing the city’s first-ever championship.
Durant has a long and complicated history with OKC fans. He was their first hero when the team moved from Seattle in 2008 and led them to the NBA Finals in 2012. However, a rift was created when he left for Golden State as a free agent four years later and he usually gets loudly booed during visits to Oklahoma City.
Stiles encourages fans to look past their feud with Durant for at least one night and savor the ring presentations and the raising of the championship banner. Stiles doesn’t expect forgiveness, but he said the crowd should celebrate the accomplishments of MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and his teammates, who were able to accomplish something for the franchise that Durant never did.
There’s more on the Thunder:
- After winning 68 games and bringing home the championship, there are reasons to believe OKC will be even better next season, Stiles suggests in a separate story. Fourteen players return from the title team, with first-round pick Thomas Sorber replacing Dillon Jones on the 15-man roster. The team figures to benefit from internal development with so many young players, plus 2024 lottery pick Nikola Topic will be active after missing all of last season due to injury. In addition, several contenders have taken a step back so the Thunder’s path through the regular season might be easier.
- A $28.5MM team option on center Isaiah Hartenstein will be the Thunder’s major decision for next summer, Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman states in a mailbag column. While it’s possible that Hartenstein could agree to a new deal with a smaller average annual value, Martinez notes that re-signing him may mean parting with Luguentz Dort ($17.7MM) and Kenrich Williams ($7.2MM), who will also be on team options. Martinez views Hartenstein as the most likely of the three to be let go because his salary is so large.
- The Thunder can afford to be patient with Sorber if he’s not fully ready in time for training camp, Martinez adds in the same piece. The 19-year-old big man underwent surgery in February for a turf toe injury and missed all of Summer League, even though he was able to work out individually during practices. There has been no official word on Sorber’s status, and he said at a post-draft press conference that he was “just taking it day-by-day.”
Thunder Sign Thomas Sorber, Brooks Barnhinzer
The Thunder have signed first-round pick Thomas Sorber to his rookie scale contract, the team announced today in a press release.
Sorber, who stands 6’9″ with an impressive 7’6″ wingspan, was selected 15th overall last Wednesday by Oklahoma City a strong freshman year for Georgetown in 2024/25. He served as the team’s starting center and filled 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) before his season ended early due to a toe injury.
As this year’s No. 15 pick, Sorber is expected to earn $4.66MM in the first year of his contract and a four-year total of $22.51MM. His deal will be guaranteed for the first two seasons, with team options on years three and four.
The Thunder also issued a separate press release confirming that they’ve signed Northwestern’s Brooks Barnhizer to a two-way contract. That had been the anticipated move, since Oklahoma City doesn’t have room on its standard 15-man roster for the No. 44 overall pick.
Barnhizer became automatically draft-eligible this spring after spending his full four-year college career playing for the Wildcats. He put up his best numbers as a senior in 2024/25, averaging 17.1 points, 8.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.3 steals, and 1.1 blocks in 36.9 minutes per contest across 17 starts. However, he didn’t play after January 29 as a result of a foot injury.
Northwest Notes: Yang, Randle, Presti, Bailey
Yang Hansen had to watch the draft from the stands rather than the arena floor like other top prospects, but the Trail Blazers have no doubt that he’s worthy of being a first-round pick, writes Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian (subscriber link). American fans may not be familiar with Yang, but he’s a star in his native China, where he has drawn comparisons to Yao Ming and Nikola Jokic. Portland made him the focus of its draft plans and was able to land him while trading down five spots.
“I think that ‘Baby Joker’ or being compared to Yao, is a big honor,” Yang said. “I just try to learn from everyone, every good player and improve myself every day.”
Fentress points out that Yang has a valuable Blazers connection in teammate Duop Reath, who played for the Qingdao Eagles of the Chinese Basketball Association in 2022/23, one year before Yang joined the team. Reath is one of several players Yang will compete with for minutes in Portland’s deep front court rotation, but coach Chauncey Billups expects him to be able to earn playing time.
“Learn our game, learn our system, offensively and defensively, learning the language,” Billups said. “There’s so much development that needs to happen. But I will feel very comfortable putting him in the game right now. He’s that good. To me, it’s not like a project-type situation. This guy’s ready to go. But he’s in a crowded room.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Timberwolves are trying to work out a long-term deal with Julius Randle as he nears today’s deadline to pick up his $30.9MM player option, according to Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Hine notes that Randle flourished in his first season with Minnesota and there aren’t many teams that can generate enough cap space to make an aggressive offer.
- Winning a title didn’t change Thunder general manager Sam Presti’s approach to the draft, per Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. Presti continued to emphasize character as he took Georgetown center Thomas Sorber at No. 15 and Northwestern guard Brooks Barnhizer at No. 44. “The one thing we’ve never really strayed from, and I don’t think we will, is the focus on drafting people and not players,” Presti said. “I think the characteristics of winning players, they multiply at a greater level than just talented players. They scale up better.”
- Any fears that Ace Bailey might be reluctant to report to Utah ended Saturday when he arrived in Salt Lake City wearing a Jazz t-shirt, according to Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune. Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune provides Bailey with a guide to the area and says he’ll be a favorite among Jazz fans if he lives up to his potential. The team scheduled a press conference on Sunday to formally introduce its rookies.