The OKC Thunder find themselves in quite a complex situation.
Though often it is viewed as a luxury to have as deep of a rotation as Oklahoma City boasts, as coach Mark Daigneault tends to find in-game action for 10 or more players on a nightly basis, considering the inevitable increase to their payroll and the slew of draft picks coming over the next several years keeping this current roster completely intact for the long-haul should be viewed as a pipe dream.
Regardless of how this season pans out, to make room for any hypothetical roster-bolstering talent upgrades attained via free agency, trade, or with any of their upcoming nine-to-15 first-round picks through 2031 Sam Presti will have to decide who among his current collection of ballers are most replaceable.
Frankly, outside of the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, everyone in OKC could be categorized as expendable.
That said, there are a few players, in particular, who may be near or at the bottom of the team's totem pole and are likely to use the club's final 28 games on the schedule as an opportunity to prove their worth and improve their odds of staying.
Kenrich Williams
One of the longest-tenured members of this Thunder team, Kenrich Williams, may be gearing up to play through his final few months in the Sooner State, and it's not necessarily because of anything he could have prevented.
Though Oklahoma City may be in a win-now era of play, clearly they're a roster built to contend for the long haul with their average age of just 24.4. At 30 years old, Williams is tied with core rotation guard Alex Caruso for the oldest player on the team by roughly four years.
On top of this, he's currently the eighth-highest earner on the team at $6.6 million in salary this season and will be owed $7.1 million if kept around for 2025-26.
Added all to the fact that he sees a mere 14.8 minutes per night (ranks 12 on the team) and it's logical to believe that, baring a strong final 28 regular season games, the aging Kenrich Williams could be on the outside looking in on a playoff role (as he was last season) and be seen as an easily movable player this coming summer.
Ousmane Dieng
Before going down with his recent calf strain, Ousmane Dieng had just found himself putting forth arguably his best showing at the NBA level in his three-year career.
During Oklahoma City's 125-96 beatdown over the Milwaukee Bucks on February 3, the 21-year-old went on to drop 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1 steal while shooting 69.2 percent from the floor and 60.0 percent from distance.
Displaying his impressive ability to put the ball on the floor and create scoring looking for himself, it's games like these that remind fans and the franchise why he was such a highly-touted prospect heading into the 2022 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, he's yet to find a way to piece such games together consistently throughout his tenure with the Thunder, which has many believing he could be on his way out come the conclusion of the campaign.
Once he makes his way back from injury, Dieng will have the next couple of months to earn the trust from the organization that he's capable of doing so.
Branden Carlson
Perhaps the player whose potential long-term status with the franchise will be impacted most by his second-half production is big man Branden Carlson.
After playing through multiple 10-day contracts this season, the Thunder officially signed the rookie center on February 6 to a two-way deal through the end of 2024-25.
Though far from a reliable everyday participant at this point in his career Carlson has showcased an impressive combination of floor spacing and rim protection when given opportunities on the hardwood. He's even averaged 8.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 50.0 percent from the floor and 46.7 percent from distance when receiving double-digit minutes.
Now, granted, no one should expect the first-year pro to work his way anywhere close to key cog or starter status in Oklahoma City even if he stays put beyond 2024-25.
However, considering the injuries that have ravaged their frontcourt this year coupled with the team's future cap situation with guys like SGA, J-Dub, and Chet all expected to receive max extensions, perhaps keeping a low-cost 7-footer who can space the floor may be a strategic move worth considering, especially if he continues to flash potential during these final months of play.