Though the players and coaching staff for this OKC Thunder team may be focusing all their attention and efforts on the rest of this year's campaign and their upcoming playoff run, GM Sam Presti is likely already shifting his focus toward the franchise's offseason endeavors.
With several individuals eligible for contract extensions and a potential total of four picks in this draft's first round alone, Oklahoma City's front office is already expected to have their work cut out for them this coming summer.
However, now with the latest NBA salary projections, Presti and company will also have to try and figure out a way to maintain their over-the-cap payroll (roughly $13 million more than the $154.6 million mark) and prevent it from exceeding the $187.9 million luxury tax.
Though they may currently rank as the top club in the league at 60-12 and are heading into the playoffs as the number one seed in the conference standings, they are far from a flawless team.
Because of this, OKC may be interested in adding some reinforcements to their arsenal this coming offseason, though, in order to do so, they'll need to shed both salary and roster spots, and three players, in particular, could be considered expendable as a result.
Ousmane Dieng
Another day, another argument for why Ousmane Dieng's days in Oklahoma City may be limited.
Since being scooped up with the 11 overall pick back in the 2022 NBA Draft, the French-born baller has yet to prove capable of living up to such a high-end selection.
Through 109 total games played with the Thunder, the forward finds himself sporting rather underwhelming averages of 4.3 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 42.4 percent from the field.
Of course, considering the fact that OKC has been in a win-now type of mode throughout the majority of his tenure with the club, one could make the case that Dieng hasn't received the type of attention and hands-on tutelage that youngsters tend to get when joining onto lottery-level squads which, in turn, may factor into his lowly production through this point in his career.
Perhaps this, coupled with the fact that he's still only 21, can slot in anywhere from the three to the five, and has averaged 17.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists when given extended run in the development league could entice a rival team into shelling out future assets for him in a trade.
Dillon Jones
Like Ousmane Dieng, Dillon Jones is a young and highly versatile first-round selected prospect who can fill several roles within a team's rotation.
Unlike Dieng, however, the 23-year-old has proven himself to be a viable rotation player for this top-seeded Thunder team in only his first year.
With his quick footwork, ball-handling skills, and positional switchability, Jones has endeared himself to reigning Coach of the Year, Mark Daigneault, in just his first season and, when given increased opportunities on the hardwood he's provided steady productivity, as he's averaging 5.1 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists when given a minimum of 10 minutes a night.
It should go without saying that no one is looking at the rookie forward as a future star in this league. However, with his multi-faceted style of play, along with the fact that he's attached to a highly affordable rookie-scale deal through 2028, he could have quite a number of ball clubs interested in pursuing his services in an offseason move.
Isaiah Joe
Of all the players mentioned on this list, losing Isaiah Joe would be the biggest blow to the Thunder organization and their fanbase.
Now in year five of his NBA tenure (his third with OKC), the wing is amid a career-best campaign, dropping averages of 9.7 points and 2.6 rebounds a night on 40.1 percent shooting from deep while serving as an offensive X-factor for the ball club.
Frankly, the only reason Joe actually finds himself on this list is because of the potential for a splashy and higher-priced trade being executed this coming summer.
Say the Thunder wanted to revisit the popular ideas of dealing for the likes of Nets sniper Cameron Johnson or Pelicans forward Herbert Jones during the offseason. Neither Dieng's ($6.7 million) nor Jones' ($2.7 million) contracts would be nearly enough to move the needle toward making the finances work in such a transaction.
Because of this, should the Thunder wish to make any noteworthy move such as these, it's highly likely that adding Joe's $12.3 million salary for the 2025-26 season would be necessary to make room for any incoming money.