OKC Thunder Starting Lineup Not Cause For Controversy

This offseason has been full of change. After retaining 99% of its roster last offseason, this summer saw the team trade its longest-tenured player, Lu Dort, and bench scorer Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks, while sharpshooter Isaiah Joe was dealt to Detroit. All three of these trades were separate, cost-saving transactions, bringing nothing back to the Bricktown Ballers besides Luxury Tax relief as the team saved $240 million against the tax.

Not only will the team miss these long-time contributors, but the void left behind by Dort opens up a starting spot on the co-title favorites. Many believe the leaders in the clubhouse to fill Dort's shoes are fellow defensive ace Cason Wallace or rising star bucket-getter Ajay Mitchell.

On Monday, the team arrived back in Oklahoma City to take part in Thunder media day as the official launchpad of the 2026-27 campaign. Unsurprisingly, the pair of youngsters were asked about the impending starting decision. Each of them said all the right things. The decision isn't a priority for them.

When asked if the looming lineup change was on Mitchell's mind, the guard blurted out, "Not at all. Like I said, my focus is to help this team win, and I just want us to be the best team we can be. So doesn't really matter, starter, coming off the bench, I don't really care," Mitchell said with a chuckle on Monday.

His competition for the first five was asked the same thing, his answer was similar to the third year guard's.

"It's not on front of my mind, honestly. First we got to get out there as a team and you know, once we start gelling together, and you know, Mark, he changes the lineups here and there. Whenever he puts me out there, I'm going to put my best foot forward," Wallace detailed Monday.

Everyone knows that Thunder bench boss Mark Daigneault is particularly closed off when asked starting lineup questions in his pregame media availabilities. Any time that a staple starter has gone down over the last three seasons, Daigneault has made the media wait until 30 minutes before tip-off to find out the answer via the league's mandated reporting. Still, he was asked how the Thunder will look at the first jump ball of the season, and after reminding the room full of reporters he doesn't reveal the starting five, he still gave an interesting quote on the subject.

"I don't give out the starting lineup -- [Wallace] started a lot of games to this point, really, if you look at it. He's started a lot of games. So I'm not going to get into any rotation stuff but he's started Finals games for us. He's somebody that I trust as much as anybody," Daigneault explained on Monday.

While none of the three parties made this into any sort of controversy a la Carmelo Anthony back in the day, perhaps Daigneault tipped his hand as to which way the scales are tipping on this topic. Wallace has started 114 of his 237 career games. That seems to make him the favorite to be announced as a starting lineup member on Oct. 20 in San Antonio. Especially when coupled with Sam Presti's quote regarding Wallace from a week ago.

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