It's not the best time in recent memory to be a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Sure, the team has certainly maintained a competitive stature since losing three starters just a few games into the season. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is as incredible as ever, and the team's depth pieces have rallied in the absence of its stars to keep the squad entertaining on a night-to-night basis.
But it's clear that the ceiling for this team isn't anywhere near where it was just a few weeks ago. Jalen Williams is likely out for the season, and although Cason Wallace might return near the end of the regular season, it's hard to see Oklahoma City competing with the red-hot San Antonio Spurs in a playoff setting without the benefit of 82 games to feel out what the new balance of this rotation might look like.
Things aren't over, though, for the Thunder. This is still a team with aspirations toward a dynasty—or another championship—while it has its three stars under contract. And if there will be silver lining to take away from this campaign, it will be that the depth pieces, some of which may have not even seen the court under normal circumstances, prove themselves as potential building blocks moving forward.
And for Thomas Sorber, who is bound to return to action at some point as he continues to recover from the ACL injury that took away his rookie season, that means an opportunity to prove himself as a viable rotational big man moving forward.
Thomas Sorber will get the chance to prove himself at some point in 2026-27 for the Thunder
For a different team, later in its championship window and without its stars under contract long-term, a season as disastrous as this one may have presented an opportunity to tear things down and reset. That's not an option for the Thunder.
But there will be some changes coming this offseason. Wallace's extension, which came in at an average annual salary of $27 million, will kick in next season. Gilgeous-Alexander's contract will take a leap to $60 million before ultimately rising as high as $75 million (with a player option) in 2030-31. Both Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain will be eligible for extensions as well this offseason, both of which would take effect in 2027-28.
The Thunder will need to shed salary somewhere if they want to keep all of these pieces intact. And Isaiah Hartenstein—who signed a three-year, $75 million extension with the organization this past offseason—is likely first in line.
Now, Hartenstein is still a highly valuable member of the Thunder rotation. His ability to consistently rebound and play his part on the defensive end of the court allows Chet Holmgren to play the free-floating role that suits his skill set so well, and he's not a player that Oklahoma City would likely even want to consider getting rid of in a vacuum.
But their choices over the past few months—picking up Sorber's option and declining Nikola Topic's while also adding Aday Mara in the draft—shows that they're prepared for that eventuality.
And with the injuries the Thunder have seen this season, they simply need rotational minutes in the frontcourt. Mara has started the past few games next to Hartenstein, and that combination has done relatively well. But the rotation has sorely lacked additional rebounding with Jaylin Williams being day-to-day with back spasms. Even when Holmgren returns to the fold, there's going to be opportunities for a player like Sorber to see some minutes. Topic, for example, was recalled from the G-League and saw nine minutes last night against the Los Angeles Clippers—something that read more as a necessary move than one born purely from flexibility.
And if Sorber can prove himself as a rotational option with whatever time on the court he gets, snagging rebounds and showing some of the defensive upside he had coming out of the draft, he'll be able to make a potential Hartenstein move slightly less painful in the meantime.
If the Thunder were on a more urgent timeline, perhaps we'd be anticipating a larger trade this year, which could very well involve Sorber's salary or, at the very least, eliminate the need for his minutes over the remainder of the season. But the goal of this Oklahoma City team has consistently been longevity and flexibility, and those priorities will allow Sorber a shot to prove himself when he returns.
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