The OKC Thunder's Smaller Rotation Could Cause Issues Down The Line

With multiple key players now gone, OKC will have to navigate a smaller rotation.

May 26, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Alex Caruso (9) reacts after a basket during the first quarter against the San Antonio Spurs in game five of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Thunder will be running a little thin when big games come around. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been known to have one of the deepest benches in the league, as anyone could come in and get the job done. This helped secure OKC’s first championship in 2024-25 and has kept them afloat ever since. However, things could be a little different this year. 

The Thunder had to let go of three key role players who played big parts in the rotation, as Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins were sent to the Atlanta Hawks, and Isaiah Joe was sent to the Detroit Pistons. While Wiggins and Joe didn’t play a huge part in the conference finals, the two wings were huge for OKC during the regular season to help carry the load of a long season. 

On the other hand, Dort was an essential part of the team. Dort started every game for OKC in the playoffs and was a big help on both sides of the ball. He’ll most likely be replaced by Cason Wallace, but Wallace already had a solid role on the team. 

Additionally, the Thunder only replaced two of their roster spots, with the team going into next season with only 14 players. These two players who were added to fill the role were both rookies who could end up making a big impact, but not from the beginning. These rookies will get playing time during the regular season, but will most likely not be good enough to play in big playoff games. 

In Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, the Thunder ran an eight-man rotation, already kind of small. Additionally, this rotation would now be cut down to seven players if the game were played today. 

The Thunder’s now seven core players shouldn’t have a problem in big games, as they each have the ability to produce at the highest level, but can they do so if they are fatigued? OKC could go out and get another player out of free agency to fill its last roster spot, but the Thunder are currently going to have to adjust to a smaller rotation. 

This won’t affect the Thunder on a day-to-day basis, as they can still dominate games with their roster, but when it comes down to it, it’ll be more difficult for OKC as a team to compete. Only time will tell if this fatigue will catch up to them, but it’s something the squad must be ready for.