Victor Wembanyama is already pushing teams to think differently, and the Oklahoma City Thunder might have offered the clearest example yet.
In Oklahoma City’s 116-104 win over San Antonio to open the season, the Thunder held Wembanyama to 12 points on 1-of-13 shooting. But the bigger takeaway for the Cavaliers may be what the Thunder did before that game ever tipped off: they kept adding size, even after they already had a frontcourt loaded with Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Thomas Sorber and Jaylin Williams.
Then Oklahoma City used the 12th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft on 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara.
There’s no confirmation Mara was drafted specifically for Wembanyama, but the timing is hard to ignore. The Thunder made that move after their seven-game loss to San Antonio in the Western Conference Finals, and they now look like a team with multiple answers if they see the Spurs again.
Mara finished with seven points in 12 minutes in the opener, and he wasn’t the lone reason Wembanyama struggled. Still, Oklahoma City’s collection of big bodies gave it options, and that’s the part Cleveland should be paying attention to.
The Cavaliers already have two very good big men in Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen. That’s not the issue.
Mobley brings mobility, rim protection and the ability to defend across positions. Allen gives Cleveland strength inside, rebounding and efficient finishing around the rim.
Together, they form a frontcourt that can stand up to almost anybody. The problem is what happens when one of them needs a breather, gets into foul trouble or runs into a matchup that asks for a different kind of answer. At that point, Cleveland’s depth starts to matter a lot more.
Thomas Bryant gives the Cavaliers experience and some offense, but versatility on defense is not his calling card. Khalifa Diop adds size and development potential, though he remains largely unproven in NBA action.
That’s where Oklahoma City’s approach becomes relevant. The Thunder haven’t stopped investing in frontcourt depth, even with championship-level talent already on hand.
The point isn’t simply collecting centers for the sake of it. It’s having enough defenders to survive against a player like Wembanyama.
That could matter in a Finals series. Cleveland can’t expect Mobley and Allen to handle every difficult possession on their own if San Antonio is waiting on the other side.
And the Cavaliers can’t afford to wait until then to think about it. They still have immediate issues to manage, with the defending champion New York Knicks looming and Philadelphia bringing another dangerous roster in the Eastern Conference. Those are the games in front of them, but the lesson from Oklahoma City is about preparation.
Cleveland doesn’t need to blow up the Mobley-Allen pairing or make some dramatic roster overhaul. It does need to ask whether another defense-first center would make the rotation stronger. The ideal add would protect the rim, take on ugly assignments and keep the team from leaning so hard on its starters.
That kind of move wouldn’t be about chasing a star. It would be about making sure the Cavaliers have another specialist when the matchup demands one.
If Cleveland is serious about winning a title now, it can’t dismiss a weakness just because it might not show up until June. Oklahoma City’s opening-night result doesn’t prove the league has changed overnight. But the Thunder’s roster choices suggest where things may be headed.
Wembanyama may already be forcing contenders to build differently. If the Cavaliers want to be ready when the postseason gets there, they need to adjust before everyone else does.
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