How Does Potential Upcoming NBA Expansion Impact OKC Thunder

The NBA could be adding two teams in the near future.

Expansion has long been rumored to be on the horizon, but now appears to be just a few years out, according to Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News. Townsend recently reported that, "NBA Board of Governors (are) likely to vote on expanding by two teams this summer and Las Vegas and Seattle are favored."

Think it's going to be an extra-great year for Seattle. I'm hearing NBA Board of Governors likely to vote on expanding by two teams this summer and Las Vegas and Seattle are favored.
— Brad Townsend (@townbrad) February 9, 2026

Another report from KIRO 7 News in Seattle noted that Washington Governor Bob Ferguson met with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, adding that the "governor’s office confirmed" the meeting was about bringing an NBA team back to Seattle.

The Supersonics were the NBA's representative in Seattle from 1967-2008 before moving to Oklahoma City and becoming the Thunder.

As a result of those two news items, the league could be facing an expansion draft in the coming years if Seattle and Las Vegas receive NBA teams. In an expansion draft, new franchises pick from an available player pool made up players who weren't protected by their teams.

In the NBA's last expansion draft, which took place in 2004, teams could protect eight players, and had to expose at least one player who would not be an unrestricted free agent. This could impact the Thunder, as the team has more than eight players on its roster who would be intriguing to a new organization.

Of course, the team would protect reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as well as All-Star duo Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, but would have to make decisions on a number of other players.

By the time an expansion draft rolls around, a number of players, including Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein, could be too expensive for the Thunder. Regardless, though, the team will have a few players who could potentially be top targets for new teams in an expansion draft.

If Dort and Hartenstein are still on the roster then, as well as Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Alex Caurso, Jaylin Williams, Kenrich Williams, the team would be unable to protect at least one significant piece its rotation.

Additionally, OKC former top-15 picks Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic have yet to debut for the Thunder, but if either player performs well when they finally see the court, they could also be premier picks in an expansion draft.

Finally, the team has multiple first-round draft picks between now and whenever expansion would take place, meaning there could be more young prospects on Oklahoma City's roster that the team may be unable to keep in an expansion draft.

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