The NBA’s 2026-27 regular season schedule is out, and with it comes the kind of detail Thunder fans can start circling right away: Oklahoma City has five baseball series on the calendar.
That’s part of the league’s recent scheduling trend, where teams meet twice in a row, often in the same building, to cut down on travel. For the Thunder, those stretches are spread across the season and include a mix of familiar opponents and marquee matchups.
The first one comes early, with the Cleveland Cavaliers on Nov. 2-4.
Oklahoma City visits Cleveland on Monday, Nov. 2 at 6 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock, then the Cavaliers come to Oklahoma City on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 7 p.m.
CT.
The rest of the Thunder’s baseball series are lined up against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 10-11, the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 30-Dec. 2, the Phoenix Suns on Mar. 23-24 and the Golden State Warriors on Apr. 8-9.
The Thunder enter 2026-27 as a co-title favorite and, even after their cost-cutting moves this summer, still look like one of the league’s top teams. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams remain one of the NBA’s best trios, and Oklahoma City will try to add another championship to the ring it already has.
They’ll also be one of the league’s biggest TV draws. The Thunder have 30 national TV games, fifth-most in the NBA, behind only the New York Knicks, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers, who each have 34.
In Other News...
Thunder Front Office Faces Its Next Big Test While Still Setting The Standard
The Thunder keep drawing praise for the way theyve handled the roster they built around their young core, balancing ambitious moves with the kind of financial discipline that has become part of the organizations identity. Retaining key players has been a point of emphasis, and re-signing center Isaiah Hartenstein stood out as another sign that Oklahoma City is determined to keep its foundation intact even while operating under tight constraints.
Now comes the next layer of the challenge. With contract extension decisions approaching for players such as Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell, the front office will have to keep threading the needle between present value and future flexibility. Oklahoma City has set a standard for sharp roster management, but the real test is whether it can continue making those calls without disrupting the long-term plan that has made the Thunder so hard to outmaneuver. [Read more 🡒]
Jared McCain Could Be The Key To OKC's Dangerous New Look
With Oklahoma Citys core still built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams heading toward the 2026-27 season, the Thunder are staring at a familiar kind of problem for a team with real ambition: how to keep the top end intact while reshaping the edges around it. The departures of Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe have already thinned out some of the old rotation patterns, which means Mark Daigneault has room to sort through new backcourt combinations and decide whether Ajay Mitchell or Cason Wallace fits best alongside Gilgeous-Alexander.
That is where Jared McCain starts to look especially interesting. If his shooting keeps coming along, he can help Oklahoma City widen the floor, but the more valuable step may be what he becomes as a passer and connective piece. The Thunder do not need another one-note guard so much as a player who can make the game easier for the people around him, and if McCain grows into that role, he could give this roster a different kind of danger without forcing anyone out of place. [Read more 🡒]
Nikola Topic Is Caught In A Thunder Roster Crunch
Nikola Topic has become one of those young Thunder players whose long-term upside is easier to spot than his current place in the rotation. The organization has built a reputation for stockpiling and developing talent, but that also means there is rarely a clear path for every promising prospect, especially when health issues and a crowded roster limit the chances to get on the floor.
A recent analysis even put Topic in a category with other young players who may already need a change of scenery to get the next stage of their careers moving. There is no sign Oklahoma City is shopping him right now, and the Thunder have plenty of reasons to keep evaluating before making any move, but the situation is familiar enough to wonder whether his fit eventually becomes a trade question rather than a development one. [Read more 🡒]