The Thunder’s success is creating a problem most teams would happily take: a roster that could get wildly expensive in a hurry.
Brian Windhorst of ESPN reports that Oklahoma City is staring at a projected payroll of about $250MM next season, along with an estimated $200MM luxury tax bill. That figure doesn’t even include the added cost of three possible first-round picks in the 2027 draft. The Thunder have incoming selections from the Clippers, Nuggets - top-five protected - and Spurs, which is lottery protected, and each one adds another layer to the financial squeeze.
That pressure is also tied to some immediate roster calls. Oklahoma City has a $7.8MM team option on Jaylin Williams for next summer, while the club must decide by November 2 whether to guarantee the salaries of Nikola Topic at $7.5MM and Thomas Sorber at $5.1MM.
Windhorst notes the Thunder don’t have the roster space to keep all three players while also using all three draft picks, and keeping Topic and Sorber would push the tax bill up by more than $60MM. He adds that the total cost - salary plus tax penalties - could climb to $500MM after the draft.
“They will not be paying that much, so it comes down to who and how they cut some of it,” an executive from another team tells Windhorst. “ (General manager) Sam (Presti) I’m sure has studied it at length and will develop two or three paths out and will look for the cleanest option over the next year.”
The on-court story around the Thunder still had its own twist Thursday night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak of scoring at least 20 points ended at 141 straight games, and Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman reported that Gilgeous-Alexander chose not to chase it down at the end. He had 17 points when Denver called timeout with 1:24 left, but once he noticed the Nuggets had pulled their starters, he headed back to the bench.
“I was going to go out there,” he said. “But then I saw that (Denver) had subbed, so I was like, ‘I should probably sub too.’ I feel like you should always treat the game with respect.”
Tim MacMahon of ESPN also examined how Presti helped shape Gilgeous-Alexander into a two-time MVP. After the guard was acquired in the trade with the Clippers, Presti stressed patience while Gilgeous-Alexander dealt with plantar fasciitis.
Gilgeous-Alexander said, “I just believed wholeheartedly and had trust in just like the human being Sam was,” and added, “In this business, that’s another thing that you just can’t control - who runs your organization. I’ve been lucky to be placed with a guy like Sam.
It’s been amazing. It feels like a partnership.
I don’t work for him. He doesn’t work for me.
We’re in this thing together.”
On top of that, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic discussed Topic, his teammate on the Serbian national team, in an interview on the Oklahoman website.
In Other News...
Nancy Lieberman Made A Kevin Durant Moment Thunder Fans Will Love
Nancy Lieberman has long held a special place in Thunder history, and one of the most memorable favors she ever did for the franchise came through her friendship with Muhammad Ali. When she learned Ali wanted to meet Kevin Durant, Lieberman used her connection to make it happen, working around restrictions at the Oklahoma City Thunder to arrange the introduction. It was the kind of behind-the-scenes gesture that never shows up in a box score, but still says plenty about the relationships that helped shape Durants early years in Oklahoma City.
For Thunder fans, the story carries a little extra weight because it links one of the organizations biggest stars with one of sports most iconic figures. Durant wound up visiting Ali at his home in Phoenix, and the moment stuck with him in a big way. Lieberman has said the two already knew one another through her longstanding friendship with Ali, which made the meeting possible in the first place. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Two-Way Move Just Put One Young Player On The Bubble
The Thunder have added another young wing to the mix, agreeing to a two-way contract with free agent Micah Peavy. It is the kind of low-risk, developmental move Oklahoma City has made plenty of times, and Peavy arrives with a circuitous basketball path that includes stops with the Pelicans and Grizzlies, plus college experience at Texas Tech, TCU and Georgetown.
To make room, the Thunder will have to clear one of their current two-way spots, which puts another young player in a precarious spot as camp depth starts to tighten. Peavys own path has been just as bumpy, since Memphis moved on from him after he dealt with an ankle sprain during camp and the preseason, leaving Oklahoma City to decide whether his upside is worth the shuffle at the back end of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Jalen Williams Just Gave Thunder Fans A Huge Reason For Confidence
Jalen Williams gave Oklahoma City exactly the kind of two-way lift the Thunder have been banking on as the season unfolds, helping steady a 96-84 win over Denver in a regular-season matchup that felt important well beyond the final margin. He led the Thunder with 21 points, added five rebounds and three assists, and was involved on both ends as Oklahoma City kept control against a Nuggets team that never found much rhythm.
The broader takeaway for the Thunder is that Williams is looking increasingly comfortable as a centerpiece in games that matter. His scoring was there, his playmaking was there, and his defensive activity helped fuel a night in which Oklahoma City made Denver work for everything. For a team trying to stack wins and sharpen its identity, that kind of all-around performance is the sort of development fans will want to keep watching closely. [Read more 🡒]