As a result of their busy offseason, the OKC Thunder find themselves with one vacant roster spot up for grabs. Since it was created by way of the mid-July Lu Dort trade, fans and outlets alike have been busy buzzing about who could potentially fill this final slot for the club.
From seasoned veterans like Bismack Biyombo to down-on-their-luck, high-upside youngsters such as Ochai Agbaji, many names have been thrown out as hypothetical options.
However, as fans are well aware, Sam Presti is an executive who generally likes to bide his time before making any decisions of note. This alone should suggest that a final verdict on who could take over the 15 roster spot may take some time.
However, given their bevy of traded player exceptions, particularly the $17 million one created in the Dort deal, the hope should be that the Thunder actually commit to proceeding methodically rather than adding a player in the near future just to fill the depth chart ahead of camp.
Thunder should strongly consider using $17M TPE to fill final roster spot
Despite there being a few interesting talents available on the open market, the reigning top-seeded Oklahoma City doesn't need to settle in its pursuit of fleshing out the roster. After all, even going into the campaign with 14 players is completely acceptable.
In many ways, in fact, it could be a great strategy.
Considering the health woes the Thunder have endured over the last few years, there's no telling what position may be in dire need of added depth once the season gets underway.
With their push for Spencer Jones a few weeks back, it seems rather apparent that finding a backup option to Jalen Williams at the three is currently a high-priority task on Presti's to-do list.
However, in four months' time, maybe Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein succumb to injuries as they did in 2024-25, or perhaps the second-unit backcourt fails to make up for the loss of offensive firepower that the now-departed Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins once provided.
These scenarios could significantly sway the front office's priorities in addressing their roster opening.
Because of this, some could argue that leaving it untouched until a seamless fit presents itself could be the best course of action for this championship favorite, and having their lucrative TPE at the ready should only make the odds of acquiring such a talent even greater.
A trade exception allows teams in possession of one to trade for players within the allotted price range without being forced to send back matching salary.
With the exception made as a result of the Dort trade, the Thunder will have a major $17 million TPE to work with, meaning they, in theory, could comfortably acquire someone like Naji Marshall or Brook Lopez, two names who have been linked to the franchise over the years as interesting trade targets, for example.
There's simply no telling what players could wind up becoming available on the trade market between now and February's deadline.
Should the right one wind up being up for grabs, however, the exception-strapped Thunder could find themselves quickly thanking their lucky stars that they chose to hold off on filling their 15 and final roster spot this summer and, instead, decided to play the long game.
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