The Oklahoma City Thunder are wholly focused on their upcoming playoff run. With the San Antonio Spurs breathing down their necks and the Western Conference at large itching to get after the reigning champs, they have their work cut out for them.
But beyond that lies a series of financial challenges that will eventually befall any contender in the era of the modern CBA. Oklahoma City has their rookie extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams kicking in this offseason. The pair will earn a combined salary of $82.5 million in 2026-27.
They will at some point need to sacrifice some of their depth in order to keep their core intact. The first series of those painful decisions will come this offseason, with Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Kenrich Williams all possessing player options.
The Hartenstein situation is especially perilous, considering his player option for next season sits at $28 million. Outside of Thomas Sorber, who has not seen a single minute of NBA action, the Thunder do not have any internal options to fill his role.
Sports Illustrated's latest 2026 NBA Mock Draft, drawn up by Alex Golden, has them slated to select Aday Mara out of Michigan with the Los Angeles Clippers' selection at 15th overall. Would grabbing the towering center in the first round solve some of their rotational issues? Sure.
But it would represent a devastating blow to Sorber's chances of cracking the rotation before he's even truly gotten a fair shot.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have an urgent center question to answer this offseason
What Hartenstein does for the Thunder is almost irreplaceable. Not only does he provide an additional offensive hub for the bench unit, his ability to play extensive minutes in the starting lineup alongside Holmgren allows them to play formidably big when necessary.
If he's gone this offseason, Oklahoma City needs a replacement. They drafted Sorber with the 15th overall selection in the 2025 NBA Draft. But an offseason ACL injury has held Sorber out for the entirety of his rookie season,
Given the Thunder's draft-and-develop approach, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Sorber could eventually become that piece. But there's an urgency around any championship-contending team. Does Oklahoma City want to put all of their eggs in that basket?
If they don't, Mara could be a strong selection. He's been a dominant presence on one of the best teams in college basketball this season, averaging 11.8 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.4 assists while knocking down 66.9% of his shots from the field.
At 7'3" and 240 lbs, he wouldn't provide the same bulk that Hartenstein does. But if he's able to add size and strength at the next level, the Thunder could quickly have one of the most formidable seven-footer duos in the NBA.
Mara's addition, however, would almost certainly represent the sidelining of another young talent as a result of Oklahoma City's championship urgency.