The Oklahoma City Thunder have built something rare: a contender with real depth. That’s been one of their biggest strengths in recent years, and it mattered again during the title run and once more in 2026. But the bill is coming due.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams all headed for maximum contract extensions, Oklahoma City is already staring at a roster that will only get more expensive. The front office has had to make tough choices before, moving on from Isaiah Joe, Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins over the offseason. More decisions are coming, and not every extension will carry the same weight.
The Thunder’s most important upcoming contract situation belongs to Ajay Mitchell.
Mitchell, a second-round pick in 2024, still has two years left on his deal. He used that value-packed contract to turn himself into one of the biggest success stories on the roster in 2025-26.
The 24-year-old averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 34.7% from 3-point range. Then he raised his game again in the postseason, putting up 22.5 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 56.3% from the field and 25% from deep in a four-game sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers.
That kind of leap is why Mitchell sits at the top of the list. He has the look of a borderline All-Star level player, and the Thunder should treat him like a priority.
Cason Wallace is next in line. The top-10 pick from the 2023 NBA Draft has one year remaining on his rookie contract and is eligible for an extension, though he hasn’t agreed to one yet.
After earning All-Defense honors in 2025-26, he’s positioned for a strong payday. Wallace averaged 8.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 43.2% from the field and 35.1% from beyond the arc in his third NBA season.
He’s a vital piece for Oklahoma City, even if his offensive production hasn’t matched Mitchell’s consistency.
Then there’s Jaden McCain, who was selected in the 2024 NBA Draft and still has two more years on his rookie contract. After a midsesaon trade from Philadelphia, McCain played 30 regular season games for the Thunder and averaged 10.4 points and 2.1 rebounds while shooting 46.2% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range. In the playoffs, he took on a bigger role when injuries hit Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, and he responded with 12.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game across 11 games against the Lakers and Spurs, hitting 41.8% from the field and 38.5% from deep.
McCain’s sample size is still small, which is why he lands third here. But he showed enough to prove he can help a team with championship goals.
In Other News...
Thunder's New Youth Push Put Brooks Barnhizer On The Brink
The Thunder kept leaning into youth this offseason, holding onto all three of their 2026 NBA Draft picks in Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz and Otega Oweh while also adding another young name in undrafted free agent Josh Dix. Even with some offseason departures, Oklahoma City has continued to stockpile developmental options, a familiar approach for a team that has made roster flexibility and long-term upside part of its identity.
For Brooks Barnhizer, though, that same depth has made the margins tighter. The two-way player now finds himself in a crowded fight for one of the Thunders developmental spots, with Oweh and Dix both arriving as legitimate challengers. In a summer defined by opportunity for young players, Barnhizer is suddenly in the kind of position where every roster decision matters a little more than it did a few months ago. [Read more 🡒]
Cason Wallace Is Giving Thunder Fans A Reason To Dream Bigger
The Thunders rise has already pushed expectations to a different level, and Cason Wallace looks like one of the reasons those expectations keep climbing. Oklahoma City is headed into the 2026-27 season with title ambitions that no longer feel far-fetched, and Wallace is positioned to benefit from the changing shape of the roster. With more room opening up around him, his role should expand, and the path is there for him to matter more on the offensive end than he has so far.
What makes that especially intriguing is how much smoother his game has looked this summer. Wallace has shown real progress handling the ball and getting to his pull-up shot in recent open gym runs, a sign that he is not just filling a lane but trying to widen it. If the rotation keeps shifting the way it appears likely to, he may be asked to do even more than fans once expected, and that is the kind of development that can quietly change the ceiling for a contender. [Read more 🡒]
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Makes A Notable Choice Before Thunder Camp
With Thunder camp approaching, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is choosing to keep his focus closer to home. The Oklahoma City star had been in line to be part of Team Canadas late-August FIBA World Cup qualifying window, but his plans now point toward recovery and getting himself ready for another NBA season rather than adding more mileage this summer.
Canada still will have a familiar Thunder connection in the mix, though, with former OKC guard Lu Dort set to play in the qualifiers in Montreal on Aug. 27 and Aug. 31. For Thunder fans, its another reminder of how much that core has spread around the league, even as Gilgeous-Alexanders absence leaves Canada without one of its biggest names for this stretch. [Read more 🡒]