OKC Thunder May Not Need to Fill Final Roster Spot With On-Court Contributor

The Thunder have no shortage of talent on the roster, and they might not need to add another potential contributor with their final spot.

Mar 21, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) talks with guard Alex Caruso (9) against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Oklahoma City Thunder still have an open roster spot, but there might be an easy solution for how to fill it.

With the 2026-27 season inching closer, it appears that Oklahoma City will enter the new campaign with only 14 players on the standard roster. It’s not unusual for Sam Presti to opt for some extra flexibility and keep a spot open to begin a new season, but there are still plenty of questions about how Oklahoma City might fill that final slot.

A couple of months ago, it appeared that the Thunder had already solved that problem, inking Spencer Jones to a two-year offer sheet. While it took until the final hours, the Denver Nuggets opted to match to keep their young wing in town, leaving the Thunder’s open roster spot vacant again.

Considering the type of player Jones is, it makes sense that Oklahoma City would try to pursue him. However, the downside is that there aren’t many Jones-like players available who would make sense for the Thunder, thus leading to some empty space on the roster with training camp just around the corner.

While the Thunder have an open roster spot, they may not have extra minutes to go around. With 10 key returning players, plus four young guys looking to make a name for themselves in their first full season, there might already be plenty of talent for the Thunder to work with.

As for how Oklahoma City eventually fills its 15th spot, that could come down to how the quartet of young players performs early in the season. If a couple of Nikola Topic, Bennett Stirtz, Thomas Sorber and Aday Mara could break out and show they could be potentially helpful in postseason situations, the Thunder would have much less pressure to fill the final spot with a contributor.

Instead, the Thunder could look to fill that final void with a player who could bring a positive locker room presence to the team. Although this Thunder squad has already won a title, it is still relatively young, and another veteran voice in the huddles could be valuable.

After all, any established contender will see interest from some veteran looking to add a ring to his resume. Whether that addition comes in the buyout market or even a midseason trade is impossible to say, but the idea of Oklahoma City using its final roster spot for off-court reasons will be quite intriguing if some of its first- and second-year players pan out.