The Thunder's New Look Roster Is In For A Tough Test In Game One

San Antonio will be a tough matchup for players who were looking to ease into the season.

May 20, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared McCain (3) shoots during the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game two of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The newest OKC roster will have no time to ease into things this season. 

The 2026-27 NBA season is approaching fast, as it is now just two months away. Oklahoma City will enter this year with a different roster than in years past, with key departures and new additions through the NBA Draft. Most of the core for OKC is still the same, but with players transitioning to new roles and young players just now entering the league, they might need some time to get acclimated. Unfortunately, they won’t have any time. 

The NBA just released its opening night schedule along with other key games for the year. Since the Thunder are one of the best teams in the league, they have the honor of playing in the primetime slot on the opening night of the NBA. The bad news is, they’ll be traveling to San Antonio to play the Spurs to add to the two teams' rivalry. 

This will no doubt be another great matchup between the two teams, but it throws Oklahoma City into a rough spot to start the season. After losing key players like Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Lu Dort, the Thunder are tasked with filling those roles with younger upcoming players. Some players, like Cason Wallace, should do just fine with their projected bigger role, as they battled the Spurs for seven games back in the conference finals. However, rookies such as Bennett Stirtz, Aday Mara and even Thomas Sorber could have a tough time adjusting to the NBA against one of the best teams in the league, if they even get to see the court. 

The good news is even though it’ll be a hard test, there probably isn’t a better one that the Thunder could have. After having their season ended by the Spurs last year, you can expect OKC to give opening night its all and to see its true colors fly. It’ll be a great benchmark to see exactly where the Thunder are at to begin the season, and what exactly they need to work on moving forward for the 81 games after. 

One game during the regular season isn’t going to define how the entire year is going to go for OKC, but an opening test against the defending Western Conference Champions will be a true test to see how fast younger players need to grow, and if this new lineup is capable of taking the Thunder all the way.