The Thunder have built a roster so deep that even the next wave of additions is already forcing hard choices.
Oklahoma City added Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz in the first round of the 2026 NBA Draft, giving the team even more size and more backcourt help. Mara gives them another big man to battle Thomas Sorber for minutes, while Stirtz brings extra ball-handling insurance. That kind of depth is a luxury, but it also means somebody has to move out of the way.
Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe are already gone via trade this offseason, and Lu Dort looks like the next name the Thunder may eventually have to part with, even after picking up his $17.7 million team option for next season. If that happens, Oklahoma City will have to decide who fills those starting minutes.
Two names stand out: Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell. Both defend well on the ball and can handle the rock, but Wallace has made his preference pretty clear. He wants a starting job, and with his extension approaching, the Thunder have to decide whether to meet that demand or risk losing him down the line.
If Dort is traded, there will be a real argument over whether Wallace or Mitchell should slide into the lineup. Mitchell brings more upside as a playmaker and downhill creator.
Jared McCain, whom the Thunder acquired in a trade last season, is also in the mix. But Wallace’s case starts with defense, and that’s a big one.
He’s one of the league’s most disruptive perimeter defenders, and he could probably give Oklahoma City a lot of what Dort has provided on that end.
That matters because players like Dort and Wallace are at their best when they’re taking the toughest defensive assignments every night. Mitchell may offer more offensive juice, but Wallace looks like the cleaner fit to get the first crack at that role.
And Wallace isn’t just a defender. He showed real offensive promise last season when Oklahoma City was without both Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. In February, he averaged 14.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 4.8 assists while shooting 35.1% from 3-point range.
The money side of this is where things get tricky. The Thunder are already committed to big salaries for Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams, and Chet Holmgren, and Wallace could be in line for a rookie extension worth about $23-$25 million per year over four years.
That might be a price worth paying if Oklahoma City wants to keep him. But if the plan is not to maximize Wallace by giving him a starting role, then the smarter move may be to get value back for him while they still can.
The extension doesn’t have to be settled until next offseason. Still, the Thunder are heading toward a clear decision for 2026-27: make Cason Wallace a starter, or brace for the possibility that he eventually leaves.
In Other News...
Thunder Fans Should Keep An Eye On This Undrafted Big
The Thunders trip through Las Vegas has started slowly, with Oklahoma City dropping its first two Summer League games, but not every part of the week has been a setback. One of the more encouraging developments has been the play of rookie Christoph Tilly, an undrafted big who has looked comfortable in the mix and given the front office something to monitor beyond the final score.
Tilly has put together a steady five-game stretch, averaging 6.2 points and 3.2 rebounds while showing enough feel to suggest there may be more here than a typical camp body. With the Thunders roster depth making NBA minutes a tough climb, the more realistic path may be a spot with the OKC Blue, where a developmental role could keep him in the organization and give him a chance to keep building. [Read more 🡒]
Alex Caruso Just Dropped A Big Hint About OKCs Depth
The Thunders frontcourt picture has already shifted once this offseason, with Aday Mara arriving as the No. 12 pick in the 2026 NBA draft and Isaiah Hartenstein back in the fold after his free-agent return. Add in the retention of key veterans like Kenrich Williams, and Oklahoma City looks built to keep the same kind of lineup flexibility that has become a calling card of the roster.
Alex Caruso sees that depth as more than just a nice luxury. He pointed to the teams versatility across guards, wings and bigs, with a particular emphasis on how many options Oklahoma City now has at center, and he framed it as the kind of strength that can help a contender absorb change while still playing its style. After last seasons run ended in the Western Conference Finals, that balance of continuity and new pieces feels especially important heading into 2026-27. [Read more 🡒]
Wembanyama Just Made Chets Thunder Future Feel A Lot More Complicated
Victor Wembanyamas new max extension in San Antonio does more than lock up one of the leagues most singular talents. It also puts a sharper spotlight on Chet Holmgrens place in Oklahoma City, because the Thunder are already paying Holmgren like a franchise pillar and expecting him to grow into the kind of two-way force that can anchor a contender. The comparison is unavoidable now, especially with Holmgren still working through the rough edges of defending true centers.
For the Thunder, the issue is not just what Holmgren is today, but what he has to become to justify that level of investment alongside the rest of a rising roster. Oklahoma City has built its identity on flexibility, length and lineup versatility, yet Holmgrens struggles in certain matchups have already forced the team into some awkward defensive choices. If Wembanyama keeps separating himself while carrying a similar price tag, the long-term math around Holmgren could get a lot harder to ignore. [Read more 🡒]