Even after trading Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins, there's a strong case to be made that the Oklahoma City Thunder are the deepest team in the NBA. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams are flanked by a seemingly endless stream of starting-caliber players in a variety of roles that highlight their best abilities.
The Thunder's depth is exactly why they're likely to set the pace for the NBA once again during the regular season. Unfortunately, in a 5-on-5 sport, it's Holmgren and Williams' red flags that will decide if Oklahoma City can defeat the best of the best in the playoffs.
Holmgren and Williams are two of the better players in the NBA, but they're each entering the 2026-27 season in something of a state of uncertainty. Holmgren, for instance, has failed to assert himself on the offensive end of the floor during pivotal moments—including the entire 2026 Western Conference Finals.
Williams, meanwhile, played just 49 regular season games and five postseason outings during an injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign.
There's certainly reason to believe both issues will be resolved over the summer, when both players will have a chance to heal up and address their respective concerns. If Williams again struggles to stay healthy and Holmgren continues to be passive on offense, however, then the Thunder's path to a second title in three years won't be resolved by depth.
Clashes between elite teams come down to which five-player lineup can outperform the other when the chips are down. Oklahoma City thus needs its best players to step up in the face of adversity.
Can Jalen Williams stay healthy? Will Chet Holmgren assert himself?
Williams is a pivotal piece of the Thunder's puzzle. He's an elite defender who can pick up players at multiple positions, a top-tier playmaker from the wings, an efficient shooter, and a productive shot creator who operates as the No. 2 scoring option behind Gilgeous-Alexander when healthy.
The Thunder may have other players who can do what Williams does in a cumulative sense, but it's his ability to leave his fingerprints on every phase of the game as just one player that makes him special.
If Williams is unable to stay healthy again in 2026-27, then the Thunder will be down a unique and pivotal contributor. They already struggled to overcome the San Antonio Spurs without him in 2025-26 and can't magically create a do-it-all wing with a 7'2.25" wingspan overnight.
Even if the cumulative effort pays off over the course of the regular season, replacing Williams when it's time to put your best five against their best five will be a brutal task to achieve.
Thunder's depth is a great strength—but it's still a 5-on-5 sport
Holmgren's issue is a bit more complex. He's coming off of a season during which he posted a career-best 17.1 points per game. Holmgren's 14.0 field goal attempts per 36 minutes were identical to his 2024-25 average and 0.2 less than his 2023-24 figure, however, which means efficiency was the only true separating factor in regard to his increase in volume.
There's clearly something positive to say about Holmgren's improved efficiency, but he disappeared on offense during the Conference Finals—and that can't just be brushed under the rug.
Oklahoma City won both games during which he attempted at least nine shots, yet he failed to reach that mark in any of the other five. Worst of all, Holmgren attempted just two field goals and four free throws during Game 7—in 33 minutes no less.
To make matters worse, Holmgren went from clearing 30 minutes in every game during the second round to doing so in just three of the Thunder's seven games during the Conference Finals.
Perhaps it was a Victor Wembanyama issue, but Holmgren may face him again in 2027. Even if he doesn't, the Thunder need one of the most dynamic scoring threats in the NBA—7'1" players who can score at all three levels are still unicorns—to step up when defenses hone in on Gilgeous-Alexander. If he can't, then his $47,838,690 average annual salary will become an offseason factor.
The Thunder may benefit from having elite depth, but if Williams can't stay healthy and Holmgren can't assert himself as a scorer against Wembanyama and the rest of the NBA, depth won't save them.
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