How OKC Thunder’s 2026 First-Round NBA Draft Picks Impact Current Roster

The first round of the 2026 NBA Draft is in the rear-view mirror.

Despite predraft speculation that Oklahoma City may try to consolidate its two first-round picks to move into the top 10, the Thunder used both picks in the first round.

After selecting Aday Mara at No. 12 overall and moving up one spot to pick Bennett Stirtz at No. 16, the Thunder are set to have 16 players on the roster, one more than the team can carry into the regular season.

Sam Presti and company have already made roster move this summer, trading Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta, and will have to make another to trim OKC’s roster to 15 players.

The addition of another big man and another guard makes Oklahoma City’s decision more intriguing, as the team already has a handful of players at each of those positions.

Mara will join a frontcourt that includes Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams and Thomas Sorber. Sorber has yet to play an NBA game after suffering an ACL tear following the 2025 NBA Draft.

Hartenstein has a team option for more than $28 million in the 2026-27 season, and OKC is likely looking to save money for extensions to other contracts, like Cason Wallace.

Still, it seems unlikely that the Thunder wouldn’t bring back a key starter before seeing Sorber or Mara in action.

Having two big men entering their rookie year, though, could be an indication that the team is preparing to move on from Hartenstein in the future.

In the 2026-27 campaign, Mara and Sorber will likely both see time on the court as the duo looks to bolster Oklahoma City’s frontcourt depth.

While it is easy to see why some observers could see Mara as an insurance or replacement for Sorber, it appears just as likely that the Thunder would prefer to have multiple options at the center position if Hartenstein is no longer on the team in the coming years.

Even with the 28-year-old on the roster in 2025-26, Oklahoma City still didn’t have many options in the frontcourt. At multiple points throughout the season, Holmgren, Hartenstein and Williams missed time, and the Thunder’s only big men were Kenrich Williams and two-way player Branden Carlson.

Carlson appeared in 42 games with four starts and Kenrich Williams played 56 games with two starts during the 2025-26 campaign, opportunities that could be granted to Sorber and Mara during the 2026-27 campaign. Kenrich Williams also has a team option heading into the 2026-27 season, which the Thunder could decline to cut its roster to 15 players.

Mara and Sorber can lighten the load for Holmgren, Hartenstein and Jaylin Williams during the regular season, which could help keep the Thunder’s big men healthy throughout the year.

Additionally, if Hartenstein’s contract becomes too expensive in the coming seasons and the team had only Sorber to fill the eight-year veteran’s role, OKC would be in a similar situation with few options in the frontcourt.

Adding Mara gives Mark Daigneault’s team even more depth at center after only having three big men to rely on throughout the postseason.

Stirtz, on the other hand, could indicate that the Thunder are prepared to move on from Isaiah Joe. Like Joe, Stirtz is a good perimeter shooter, but projects to provide more ball handling and playmaking skill than Joe.

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