NBA Expansion Looms: What It Means for the Thunder’s Roster Decisions
NBA expansion has been a topic of quiet buzz for years, but now it’s gaining real traction. According to recent reports, the league’s Board of Governors is expected to vote this summer on adding two new franchises-likely in Las Vegas and Seattle. If that vote passes, we could see an expansion draft as early as the 2027 offseason.
That’s where things get interesting-and complicated-for teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Expansion Draft: Simple Rules, Tough Choices
Here’s how it works: each existing team can protect up to eight players. Everyone else?
Fair game. The two new teams will alternate picks from the unprotected pool, but each current team can lose only one player.
Unrestricted free agents are off-limits, and any attempt to select a restricted free agent immediately makes that player unrestricted. It’s a high-stakes game of roster chess.
For the Thunder, who’ve built one of the deepest and most balanced young cores in the league, trimming their roster down to just eight protected players won’t be easy. In fact, it might be one of the toughest decisions in the league.
The No-Brainers: SGA, J-Dub, Chet
Let’s start with the obvious. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren aren’t going anywhere.
These three are the foundation of everything Oklahoma City is building. Losing one of them for nothing isn’t just unthinkable-it’s franchise-altering.
That’s three spots locked in without a second thought.
Rising Stars Who’ve Earned Their Place
Next up: Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace. Both are young, both are thriving, and both have become essential pieces of the Thunder’s rotation.
Mitchell, in particular, has been a revelation off the bench. He’s in the thick of the Sixth Man of the Year conversation, and his numbers without SGA on the floor-20.1 points and 6.1 assists per 75 possessions-show just how impactful he’s been as a lead guard when called upon.
Wallace, meanwhile, is already playing defense at an elite level. He’s a legitimate candidate for All-Defensive First Team, and his offensive game is steadily catching up. At just 22, he’s the kind of two-way guard every contender dreams of developing.
That brings us to five.
Veterans Who Fit the Plan
Isaiah Hartenstein deserves a spot, too. Assuming the Thunder decline his team option and bring him back on a long-term deal, he’s the kind of big every modern team wants: a rugged interior defender who can rebound, protect the rim, and facilitate offense through the high post. At 27, he bridges the gap between the Thunder’s youth movement and their win-now aspirations.
Now we’re at six.
Aaron Wiggins likely grabs the seventh spot. He’s the kind of glue guy every team needs-low-usage, high-efficiency, and quietly productive on both ends.
He spaces the floor, can create a little off the bounce, and defends his position well. Plus, his contract is an absolute steal: $10.1 million this season, just $25.9 million over the next three.
Seven down. One to go.
The Final Spot: Future Bet or Proven Contributor?
This is where it gets tricky. The eighth and final slot could go in a number of directions, but the Thunder may lean toward protecting Thomas Sorber.
Yes, Sorber hasn’t played a minute yet due to injury. But the Georgetown big man projects as a rare archetype: a rim protector with soft touch and advanced passing instincts. He’s still on a rookie deal for three more years, and that upside is hard to ignore.
Choosing Sorber means leaving some serious contributors exposed. That’s not an easy call-but it’s the kind of forward-thinking move the Thunder have made before.
Who’s at Risk?
If Sorber gets the nod, Oklahoma City could be forced to leave players like Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, Jared McCain, Nikola Topić, Jaylin Williams, or Kenrich Williams unprotected.
That’s not a list any GM wants to see on the chopping block.
Dort is still one of the league’s premier wing stoppers. Caruso brings championship experience and defensive versatility.
Joe and McCain are sharpshooters who stretch the floor. Topić is a promising young guard.
Jaylin and Kenrich Williams provide depth, toughness, and basketball IQ.
Losing any of them would hurt. No question.
Built to Withstand the Storm
But here’s the thing: the Thunder are uniquely positioned to absorb that kind of loss.
Let’s say Dort gets picked-Wallace and Caruso still anchor the perimeter defense. If Joe or McCain is taken, Mitchell and Topić are ready to step in.
If Caruso is the one who walks, Dort and Wallace remain. It’s not ideal, but it’s survivable.
That’s a credit to how Oklahoma City has built this roster. Through smart drafting, savvy trades, and a relentless focus on development, they’ve created a team with real depth and flexibility. And with a war chest of future first-round picks still in the bank, they’re set up to reload if needed.
The expansion draft is going to force some difficult decisions. But the Thunder? They’re one of the rare teams that can handle it without blinking.