The Oklahoma City Thunder will need to sort out their books this offseason.
As it stands, they're projected to be $28 million over the second apron if they retain all of their contracts from this season, not to mention the three picks they have in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft. While the front office has projected a level of comfort with entering the second apron, the simple truth is that Oklahoma City cannot enter 2026-27 without shedding off at least a couple of their current contracts.
This sets the stage for some difficult decisions. Isaiah Hartenstein, Luguentz Dort, and Kenrich Williams all have team options for next season. Hartenstein is owed roughly $28 million, Dort is owed $18 million, and Williams will be owed roughly $7 million.
Hopefully, Hartenstein is willing to tear up his option and return on a longer-term, more team-friendly extension. Dort's contract is a separate issue, but his return isn't out of the realm of possibility. Those two conundrums have been discussed at length.
Williams, though, presents a different case entirely. Is there a chance he'd be willing to return to the Thunder on the veteran minimum? Or would a team be willing to offer him significantly more than that in free agency?
In all likelihood, Oklahoma City will not be picking his option up. When he hits the market, a team like the Cleveland Cavaliers could be a major threat to lure him away from the organization.
Kenrich Williams could be a perfect match for the Cavaliers, but a return to the Thunder will likely be possible
Williams' calling card has never been the box-score numbers. Across 56 games last season, he averaged just 6.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 47.3% from the field. But the Thunder have come to value him for his physical and consistent play. Even when he's been on the end of the bench, he's always been ready to contribute. This was easily evidenced by his surprising playoff re-appearance in the Western Conference Finals. Williams contributed 32 points across just 56 minutes in that series.
Cavaliers writer Caleb Crowley recently made the case for how Williams' hustle and rebounding skill-set might fit on a team like Cleveland:
"If Kenrich hits free agency, the Cavaliers would be a perfect landing spot for the 31-year-old forward. Cleveland is on a seemingly eternal quest for size and spacing on the wing and in the frontcourt. Williams is not a high-volume sharpshooter, but he is a reliable threat and gives physicality and hustle as a big forward." Caleb Crowley, King James Gospel
The Cavaliers finished 17th in the NBA in total rebound percentage off from their bench last season, and they finished 25th in total bench scoring.
Crowley argues that Williams would be a perfect candidate to take the taxpayer mid-level exception, which currently is slated to sit at just north of $6 million for 2026-27. Assuming Cleveland is able to get below the second apron, that type of signing is perfectly reasonable.
If the Thunder decline Williams' option, they'd likely look to bring him back on a veteran minimum. For Williams, who has eight seasons of experience, this number would sit just north of $3.5 million.
Depending on how the offseason unfolds, there could be roughly a dozen teams with access to the taxpayer mid-level exception, including squads like the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors that could use a player of Williams' skill-set.
Would Williams be willing to move cities at this point in his career, or would he look to take the pay-cut to stay in Oklahoma City? That is entirely up to him, but it's clear that he will likely have more suitors than just the Thunder if he ultimately hits the market this offseason.
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