The Oklahoma City Thunder have added size this offseason, but don’t mistake that for a change in identity. The small-ball group that has given opponents trouble is still the lineup to watch when OKC needs to tilt the floor.
That setup has long been part of what makes the Thunder so difficult to game-plan for. Their usual starting five looks more conventional, with two guards, a wing and size at the four and five spots. But the unit that often makes the biggest impact is the one built around four guards and Jaylin Williams anchoring the paint.
Williams is the key that makes it work. Even when he’s giving up height, he can handle players bigger than him, and that lets Oklahoma City stretch the floor and throw opposing defenses out of rhythm. It may not look like a traditional mismatch at first glance, but it creates one all the same.
For a while, that smaller look felt like a necessity because the Thunder simply didn’t have much frontcourt depth. That changed this offseason with the addition of Aday Mara, who will be joined by Thomas Sorber as he makes his debut after missing his rookie year with an injury.
Those arrivals give OKC the option of rolling out a more standard second unit. In theory, Williams could slide to the three while Mara and Sorber take over two of the guard spots. But that doesn’t mean the Thunder are ready to move away from the small-ball lineup they’ve leaned on before.
The bigger concern with a more traditional look is experience. Mara and Sorber are both still adjusting to the speed and style of the NBA, and that could make the second group less productive if they’re asked to carry too much too soon. Oklahoma City will find a role for both, but fans shouldn’t expect that look to take up a huge chunk of floor time.
This offseason has brought plenty of change to the Thunder roster, but not enough to knock them off their base. New pieces can open the door to different combinations, sure.
Still, when the pressure rises, Oklahoma City is likely to return to the lineup it knows best. The small-ball group isn’t going anywhere.
In Other News...
Chet Holmgren And Jared McCain Are Already Key To OKC's Next Step
Chet Holmgren and Jared McCain spent part of the offseason in Los Angeles working side by side, a reminder of how much the Thunders future already runs through a pair of young players still sharpening different parts of their games. Holmgren, in a group of NBA players taking part in workouts, focused on pull-up jumpers, while McCain put his attention on isolation skills, two areas that speak directly to how Oklahoma City wants its next wave to grow.
The Thunder are being viewed as co-favorites with the San Antonio Spurs for the 2026-27 season, and that status has a lot to do with the expectation that Holmgren and McCain will carry major roles by then. For Oklahoma City, the offseason work matters because it is less about where these two are today than how quickly they can become central pieces when the next step arrives. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylin Williams Is Becoming Too Important For OKC To Overlook
Jaylin Williams has turned a breakout season into something more meaningful for Oklahoma City, carving out a place in the Thunder rotation that now looks hard to ignore. His improved three-point shooting has changed how defenses have to treat him, and the work he put in to slim down has helped him become quicker while still giving OKC the size and toughness it wants in the frontcourt.
The next step is about proving this level is real and sustainable heading into the 2026-27 NBA season. Williams will need to keep producing, stay a legitimate outside threat and continue showing he can handle multiple frontcourt spots, because the Thunder are increasingly counting on that kind of versatility from one of their key role players. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Face An Opening Night Choice That Could Shape Their Identity
Oklahoma Citys offseason shuffle has left one of its most important questions pointed squarely at opening night: who gets the last starting spot around a core that already includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein. With Luguentz Dort moved out and new faces added through the draft, the Thunder are not just filling a vacancy, they are choosing a tone for the next phase of the roster.
The answer will say plenty about what kind of team they want to be right away. One option brings the kind of defensive edge that has long been part of Oklahoma Citys identity, while the other offers a more scoring-driven look and the promise of growth. However the decision goes, it will tell a lot about how the Thunder plan to balance continuity, upside and fit from the first tip of the season. [Read more 🡒]