The Thunder may already have their answer at the rim.
When Oklahoma City used the 15 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft on Georgetown big Thomas Sorber, the buzz centered on defense. Sorber, a 6-foot-10, 263-pound center with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and a 9-foot-1 standing reach, looked like the kind of front-line anchor who could make life miserable for opposing bigs. That includes Victor Wembanyama, the player many thought the Thunder were trying to counter when they took Aday Mara with the 12 overall pick in this past June’s draft.
Sorber’s college tape backed up the hype. In 24 games at Georgetown, he averaged 2.0 blocks per game, allowed just .7 points-per-possession, and finished with the top on-off defensive rating impact in Division One at plus-26.5. Even with his left foot injury cutting short his one-and-done season, he still showed enough to look like a truly elite defensive prospect at the pivot.
That promise, though, has yet to carry over to the NBA stage. Sorber was unable to make his 2025-26 debut after suffering a torn ACL before the season. Now the expectation is that his first active season will be the one where Oklahoma City finds out just how much of that college dominance survives at the next level.
And if it does, the Thunder may have a real weapon for the biggest matchups on the calendar - Wembanyama included - as the regular season turns into playoff basketball.
What makes the situation even more interesting is that Sorber could end up ahead of Mara in the pecking order. Mara made no secret of the fact that he believed it might take him a while to adjust to NBA speed and style, and his Summer League stint didn’t exactly quiet those concerns. In three games, he put up 8.7 points and 7.7 rebounds, and was labeled the tournament’s “most disappointing rookie.”
With training camp just a couple of weeks away, some are already projecting that Mara may not be a regular part of the Thunder rotation until at least 2027. That would be a notable twist for a player taken so high in June, but it also opens the door for Sorber to claim minutes sooner than expected.
The two big men are set to enter 2026-27 playing the same position and offering similar complementary value alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. Mara, as the lone lottery pick, was naturally viewed as the more likely year-one option. But that’s not locked in.
Recent rumblings point to a different outcome, and one where Sorber could carve out consistent playing time in Oklahoma City’s rotation before his incoming rookie running mate does.
In Other News...
Thunder Title Push Now Rests On How Their Core Responds
The Thunder enter the 2026-27 season still carrying the sting of a Western Conference Finals loss to San Antonio, but their blueprint for another title run remains intact. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is coming off a second straight regular-season MVP, and Oklahoma City has plenty of reason to believe its core can keep driving the franchise forward after a postseason that ended before the finish line it wanted.
Jalen Williams has been working through a productive offseason as he looks to get back to full strength, and Chet Holmgren is spending the summer trying to turn a difficult playoff stretch into a reset under Mark Daigneault. For a team that has already established itself among the Wests elite, the next leap depends less on adding noise and more on how those familiar names answer after a spring that left room for a lot of unfinished business. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Just Added Another Big Man With One Roster Question Looming
The Thunder have added another layer to their frontcourt depth by signing center Christoph Tilly to an Exhibit-10 contract, a camp deal that gives Oklahoma City some extra size for preseason while keeping the long-term picture flexible. Tilly arrives as an undrafted free agent and, barring a surprise turn, should spend most of his time with the OKC Blue while serving as a depth option as the Thunder work through the early stages of camp.
What makes the move more interesting is that Oklahoma City still has an open standard roster spot, which leaves the front office with a decision to make before the Oct. 20 season opener. An Exhibit-10 can be a useful bridge, especially for a player trying to carve out a place in the organization, and the Thunder have the ability to turn one of these training-camp arrangements into a standard deal if the right fit emerges. [Read more 🡒]
Chet Holmgren May Have Found New Fuel Thunder Fans Will Love
Chet Holmgren has spent the offseason leaning into the part of his game he knows still needs work, with an emphasis on getting stronger and more physical after a season that showed both his promise and the gap he is still trying to close. For Thunder fans, that matters because Holmgren has already stacked up the kind of production and recognition that make him a core piece in Oklahoma City, even if the conference finals exposed how much more rugged the road can get when the matchups turn elite.
The latest little spark came from a playful jab from teammate Jared McCain, and Holmgren did not let it sit there. He answered in the kind of way teammates tend to remember, then kept the focus on the larger mission by continuing to train through the summer with an eye on becoming harder to deal with inside. If that work translates, the Thunder may get the version of Holmgren they have been waiting for, and the league may have to adjust all over again. [Read more 🡒]