Jaylin Williams Will Prosper in OKC Thunder's Double-Big Rotation

OKC looks to be big-heavy in 2026-27.

May 30, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jaylin Williams (6) reacts in the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game seven of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

After drafting Michigan center Aday Mara with the 12th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and extending Isaiah Hartenstein's contract three more seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder have made it clear how the rotation will look in 2026-27. OKC will be relying heavily on a deep big rotation, rolling out two at once in most, if not all, of its lineups.

This was often the case when OKC was fully healthy last season as well, but now, in order to give everyone who deserves minutes run, it'll have to happen. Hartenstein, Mara, Chet Holmgren and Thomas Sorber will find time on the floor throughout the season, as well as someone who will greatly benefit from the large lineups, fan-favorite forward Jaylin Williams.

Williams has excelled both as a four alongside Hartenstein and a five next to Holmgren throughout his career. Now, with two more talented bigs joining the fold, he'll have even more pairings to mesh with.

The Arkansas product's ability to roam the perimeter on offense while being a strong rim protector and offensive foul drawer on the defensive end makes him a perfect player in a multi-big system. Some of his best minutes last season came alongside his draft class partner in the frontcourt.

"I've definitely tried to become better at being vertical and blocking shots and doing things like that," Williams said in his end-of-season media availability. "And also me losing a lot of weight also helped me in that aspect of my game."

Holmgren and Williams held a +16.8 NET Rating when on the floor together last season in 302 minutes played. The pairing was devastating on defense, holding a 97.7 defensive rating.

The trend continued in the playoffs, as lineups with both on the court together posted a +16.3 NET, but the defensive rating shot up to 108.1 against tougher competition.

Williams has already proven he can succeed in multi-big systems on both offense and defense, now he will have to prove he can mesh with the new faces in the lineup in 2026-27. Williams and Hartenstein played limited minutes together last season and looked like a strong pairing, despite heavy 3-point shooting variance in a small sample making the splits look ugly.

Despite recent moves making it seem that Williams's spot in the Thunder's rotation is dwindling, the versatile forward has already proven he can mesh in any lineup he's thrown into. The multi-big approach, which OKC is expected to heavily use in 2026-27, will positively affect his game.