OKC Thunder Could Have Long-Term Continuity After Offseason Changes

The Thunder had to part with some key role players in the offseason, but they may not have to do so again anytime soon.

Sam Presti, Thunder General Manager, has his end-of-season media access, Monday, June 8, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma City had to make some moves over the offseason, but its future offseasons could feature much less change.

As the Thunder get set to embark on the 2026-27 season, they’ll have to get used to life without some fixtures from the past half-decade of Oklahoma City hoops. Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe will all be in the Eastern Conference next season, which represents a small shift in eras for the Thunder.

While it’s an unfortunate reality of the modern NBA, the Thunder had to send out those three for financial purposes, largely to get under the second apron and avoid those penalties. However, those penalties will be coming in 2027-28, as the Thunder’s big three’s deals only continue to grow. 

With potential decisions on long-term extensions or free agency for Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain and Cason Wallace coming next summer, the Thunder will again be in a spot where they have some tough decisions to make. However, things will be different this time around, as the second apron is simply no longer avoidable.

As mentioned by Sam Presti after some of the offseason trades, the moves this summer that saved hundreds of millions of dollars should result in a willingness to spend big in future offseasons. While the second apron restricts how teams can build by acquiring outside talent, it doesn’t put much, if any, restrictions on retaining talent.

That means the pressure will be entirely on Clay Bennett and the ownership group to pay up when the time comes to hand out deals for some of Oklahoma City’s important young pieces. Given the landscape of the league and some of the ownership oddities that are occurring, the Thunder simply opting to pay everyone and keep this championship core together could put them in a perfect position to compete at the top for years to come.

Down the line, that could impact Oklahoma City’s ability to remain competitive, but with this apron system only guaranteed to be in place for a couple of more years, that’s a risk the team should be willing to take. Continuity was a major reason for Oklahoma City’s success over the past couple of years, and it will be up to ownership to keep that in place moving forward.

Plus, with more draft picks incoming in the near future, there could still be some flexibility to save in some areas, but ensuring the most important players stay in Oklahoma City should still be the top priority, regardless of the cost.