Alex Caruso didn’t need to say much to make the point at the American Century Championship. The Thunder guard sees a roster built on size, flexibility and depth, and he thinks that combination gives Oklahoma City a real edge heading into the 2026-27 season.
Speaking after coming off the 18th hole in Stateline, NV, Caruso pointed straight to the team’s options across the board, especially in the middle.
“Yeah, just versatility, you know? Having depth at that position (center) is big; at every position, I think we've got two really good guards, wings, and bigs. And you never know what will happen during the season, so just having guys who can play…It's always good,” Caruso told me.
That outlook fits the way the Thunder have been built. Oklahoma City drafted Aday Mara out of Michigan with the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA draft and later brought back Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency, moves that helped turn the roster into a long, tall group with plenty of physical tools. Caruso believes that kind of construction matters.
The Thunder also kept Kenrich Williams, adding another piece to the continuity they’re carrying into the new season. The only departure was Branden Carlson, who signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Caruso’s view on continuity isn’t new. At the 2025 American Century Championship, after Oklahoma City’s seven-game NBA Finals win, he talked about what it means to return with the same core.
“It's the challenge of winning, having the target on your back. Obviously, great to have the same team back.
That's what makes it a little easier to start off the season, knowing everybody and kind of how you want to play. So by no means will it be easy, right?
You'll have the target on your back. Everyone's coming for you, but it's part of the challenge,” Caruso said.
That target is gone now, after the Thunder fell to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. But Caruso still likes where this group stands. With Hartenstein back, Williams back, and a roster that can throw different looks at opponents, Oklahoma City enters the season with the kind of depth teams usually wish they had.
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For the Thunder, the issue is not just what Holmgren is today, but what he has to become to justify that level of investment alongside the rest of a rising roster. Oklahoma City has built its identity on flexibility, length and lineup versatility, yet Holmgrens struggles in certain matchups have already forced the team into some awkward defensive choices. If Wembanyama keeps separating himself while carrying a similar price tag, the long-term math around Holmgren could get a lot harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]