The Oklahoma City Thunder still look like a team built to chase another title in 2026-27, even after a few major changes to the roster. They pushed the San Antonio Spurs to seven games in the Western Conference Finals despite injuries to Ajay Mitchell and Jalen Williams, and the mix of intensity and defensive cohesion they showed was enough to keep them in the league’s top tier.
But the path back to the summit will depend on a few very specific things going right. Oklahoma City moved off Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe this offseason in separate trades, and now the team is counting on younger pieces to help stabilize the rotation. In the playoffs, though, the Thunder will still live and die with how well their core stars and key complements hold up.
The biggest factor is simple: Jalen Williams has to be healthy when it matters most. Oklahoma City’s postseason loss to San Antonio came with Williams unavailable as a reliable source of scoring and playmaking, and his season never really found a clean rhythm.
He missed the start of the year while rehabbing the wrist injury he suffered during the championship run, then dealt with multiple hamstring injuries, with the last one ending his season. In all, he played just 35 games between the regular season and the playoffs.
The Thunder may need to manage him carefully during the regular season, but if they want another deep run, they need Williams entering the postseason at full strength.
The next swing piece is the growth of Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell. Moving on from Dort made sense because his offensive efficiency had fallen, and Wallace and Mitchell were already waiting in the wings.
Wallace looks like the leading candidate to step into the starting lineup because of what he brings as a perimeter defender, but Oklahoma City needs more from him offensively if he’s going to fit cleanly with the first unit. There’s still room for him to grow as a ball-handler and shooter, and that development would give the Thunder more balance.
Mitchell should be able to make his own impact as a sixth man, including stretches alongside Gilgeous-Alexander and occasional reps as a primary ball-handler. If both players keep climbing, the Thunder backcourt gets a lot more flexible.
Then there’s Chet Holmgren, who needs to be more forceful and more reliable on the interior. Isaiah Hartenstein’s health and Alex Caruso’s role matter too, but Holmgren remains central to how this team functions at its best.
He had solid stretches during the regular season, yet his playoff production against San Antonio dipped to 11.2 points per game over seven games. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs’ physical defense made it difficult for him to get to his spots inside, and that exposed one of the lingering questions in his game.
Holmgren has come a long way as an offensive player, but he still has to establish himself more consistently in the paint. For this offense to really click, especially alongside Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren has to be a dominant interior presence.
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Former Thunder Pick Gets Another NBA Shot After Winning Two Titles
Dillon Jones keeps finding his way back into NBA conversations, even if the path has been anything but straightforward. The former Thunder first-round pick is already a two-time champion, having collected title rings with Oklahoma City and the New York Knicks after being drafted by the Thunder in 2024 and later moving on from the organization.
Jones journey since then has included a trade to the Wizards in 2025, a waiver, and then a return to the league on a two-way deal with New York in 2026. He was part of the Knicks postseason run but was not eligible for the playoffs because of that contract status, and now he is set for another opportunity to prove he belongs as he heads into training camp with Philadelphia. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Face A Costly Cason Wallace Decision At The Worst Time
Cason Wallace has put the Thunder in a tricky spot as the October 19 deadline nears, with the restricted free agent still without a contract extension. Oklahoma City has plenty to weigh here: Wallace is already carrying the rsum of a young player teams value highly, with an NBA championship and All-Defensive recognition helping set the tone for his next payday.
The market may be even richer than the Thunder would prefer. NBA analyst Zach Lowe reported that rival front-office voices viewed Wallace as the best of a small group of 2023 draft players, and leaguewide estimates for his next deal have landed in the $25 million to $33 million range annually. For a team trying to manage its future while keeping its core intact, the clock is forcing an uncomfortable decision. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Rival May Be About To Lose Another Big Name
The Mavericks have gone from title hopeful to a team in transition after losing Luka Doncic to the Lakers, and the falloff has left plenty of rival fan bases watching to see what comes next. For Oklahoma City, the big-picture takeaway is simple enough: a once-threatening Dallas roster now looks far closer to the bottom of the Western Conference than the top, and the franchises direction has become a conversation point around the league.
Kyrie Irving is the latest name to surface in that discussion. ESPNs Tim MacMahon has described Irving as a potential trade target for contenders ahead of the February deadline, which only adds to the sense that Dallas could be staring at another major reset if the season goes the way many expect. Even with Irvings star credentials, the Mavericks are projected to finish 32-50 and near the bottom of the West, leaving little room to ignore how quickly this roster could change again. [Read more 🡒]