Oklahoma City may enter next season with one roster spot still open, and if it does, the Thunder could use it on a pure shooter.
That idea makes a lot of sense after an offseason that forced Sam Presti to make painful cuts to get under the second apron and clear room for incoming first-round picks. In the process, Oklahoma City moved on from Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins - three players who had all seen their postseason roles shrink, but who also ranked among the team’s best options from beyond the arc.
The Thunder still have plenty of shooting on the roster, but they could use more volume. Even Jared McCain, the team’s sharpest outside threat heading into next season, leans more toward shots inside the arc than Joe did. That leaves a pretty clear lane for Oklahoma City if it wants to target someone whose job is simple: come in and fire away.
The harder part is finding the right fit. The Thunder are not in a position to go into the second apron next season, so any free agent or trade target would have to come in at effectively no more than Spencer Jones’ $6 million-a-year offer sheet. Jones would have checked a lot of boxes for Oklahoma City, but the Denver Nuggets were not about to let a player with his skill set walk away at that price.
Because outside shooters are generally easier to find than 3-and-D wings like Jones, the Thunder should at least be ready to chase another sharpshooter. That said, the team also has to be comfortable with the reality that such a player might be little more than a regular-season innings eater, especially with Joe’s postseason role having faded in recent years.
So the smarter play may be to wait and see what develops with the four young players trying to crack the rotation before rushing to fill that last spot. Still, if Oklahoma City decides a little more perimeter firepower is worth adding, even if it mainly matters during the regular season, it could end up being a useful move.
In Other News...
Cason Wallace Suddenly Carries A Bigger Thunder Question Than Expected
Cason Wallace entered the summer with a familiar kind of Thunder pressure, the sort that comes with a young player suddenly looking like part of the next layer of the rotation. With Oklahoma City reshuffling its perimeter group, Wallace is in the mix to absorb a bigger role as the season nears, and he has handled the added attention the same way the team has handled most of its business: calmly, with the focus kept on what comes next rather than what has changed.
There is another layer to the conversation, though, and it is the kind that tends to follow promising players in Oklahoma City once they start looking indispensable. Wallace is eligible for an extension this summer, and the talks are ongoing even if both he and Mark Daigneault say it is not becoming a distraction. For now, the Thunder are trying to keep the conversation centered on development and performance, but the calendar gives the situation a little more urgency than the usual offseason backdrop. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Training Camp Just Put Real Pressure On One Roster Battle
With Media Day and training camp opening, the Thunder are moving into the kind of fall that tends to reveal more than it resolves. Oklahoma City is set to begin its 2026-27 preparations with a full camp roster, giving the staff a chance to look closely at the young players and invitees who will spend the next few weeks trying to carve out a place in the mix before the season opener against the Spurs.
There is still real business to sort through, even for a team that has spent recent seasons building with a clear plan. The final roster spot is one part of it, but the deeper question is how the Thunder fill the minutes and responsibilities left behind by offseason departures while also deciding which of the newer faces can actually stick once camp competition starts to harden. [Read more 🡒]
Otega Oweh Suddenly Faces A Real Thunder Problem This Preseason
Sam Presti spent part of the preseason talking about the NBAs new 3-2-1 draft lottery format and why it could make the league more competitive while cutting down on tanking, but the same broader shift could create a more ordinary problem for Oklahoma Citys own young players. The Thunder have long leaned on big rotations to help develop talent, and that approach has usually given prospects room to grow while the games still matter.
This preseason, though, tighter margins could make those minutes harder to find for second-round pick Otega Oweh. If the Thunder are playing more competitive games and shrinking the floor for developmental reps, his path could get complicated quickly, especially with the team weighing how best to handle his roster status and long-term growth. [Read more 🡒]