Could OKC Thunder Big Man Become a League Leader Next Season?

One of Oklahoma City's top reserves has a chance to showcase elite skill from beyond the arc.

May 20, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) celebrates a basket during the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game two of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has one of the deepest teams in the league, and one of its key reserves might be able to become a league leader next season.

The 2026-27 season is still months away as the offseason is still in its opening stages. While the NBA Draft, free agency and much more will dominate headlines over the next few weeks, it’s not too early to look at next season.

The Thunder will surely make some changes over the next few weeks, but the frontcourt appears to be rather set for next season. Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Thomas Sorber should be Oklahoma City’s typical rotation down low.

Going into next season, Williams may be the most intriguing of the bunch. After having the best year of his career last season, Williams could be set to make another leap in his fifth season.

While Williams’ game has evolved throughout his time in the league, his ability to consistently knock down shots from beyond the arc has been a blessing for the Thunder. Often used as a big body who can hold up physically against some of the best bigs in the league, Williams always seems to provide an extra boost with his outside shot.

Last season, Williams nailed 38.3% of his outside looks, taking 3.9 per game. Shooting the most 3-point shots of his career, Williams also made by far the most in his career, hitting 98 in 65 games of action.

While he has quite a bit of ground to make up, Williams could even be in the mix to lead the league in threes among big men next season. In 2026, Naz Reid led the way with 162 total threes.

Although that was only 41st overall, he was still at the top of the list of big men. Sure, a 64-make difference isn’t something that’ll be easy for Williams to make up, but the path could be there.

Hitting 2.8 threes per 36 minutes last season, the same volume and efficiency next year would lead to Williams needing to play roughly 2,083 minutes to get to Reid’s 162, which works out to 25 minutes a night if Williams never missed a game.

Assuming the likely outcome that Williams will both miss games and average fewer than 25 minutes a night, his path may be to increase his 3-point volume. Considering Reid’s total would require just under two 3-pointers a night across a full 82 games, it might be possible for Williams to get there.

As a legitimate shooting threat, and perhaps with some easier and more frequent looks if the Thunder’s stars are healthy, Williams could soon hold the title of the NBA’s premier shooting big.