The Oklahoma City Thunder, for the first time since they began their infamous rebuild, have been truly forced to tear pieces away from the roster for the sake of financial management.
Thankfully, this offseason presented opportunities to move off of players that weren't necessarily integral to the rotation. Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe both fell out of the playoff rotation during last season's run to the Western Conference Finals, and there's enough depth for the Thunder to replace their perimeter shooting. Luguentz Dort had a down year production-wise, and both Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell should be ready to replace him in the starting lineup.
But this is what happens to dominant teams under the new CBA. Once your stars exit their rookie contracts, the challenge is to consistently replenish the back end of the roster with controllable talent. These are the moves that need to be made in order to keep Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams on the roster
While Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander have already proved themselves as stars, this is the first moment where Oklahoma City can't afford to wait any longer for Holmgren. If the roster is going to crystallize around this trio, Holmgren needs to take the leap offensively in 2026-27.
The Thunder are now being forced to crystallize around their star trio— and Holmgren needs to prove he's worth it
Don't get it wrong. Sacrificing Dort, Wiggins, and Joe is a small price to pay to keep the star trio intact. But next offseason— when it comes to players like Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, and Alex Caruso— will be when these decisions start to get infinitely tougher.
If Oklahoma City is going to continue to strip back its talent to hang onto all three of Holmgren, Williams, and Gilgeous-Alexander, all three need to continue to play at a star level. Holmgren accomplished that on the defensive end of the court in 2025-26, finishing second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and presenting a consistently formidable rim-protecting anchor for the Thunder's defense.
But he struggled to remain consistent on offense. Although his scoring average bumped up to 17.2 points per game— and his field goal percentage shot to 55.7%— over the course of the regular season, he looked consistently hesitant and inefficient when it matter most. In the seven-game series against the San Antonio Spurs, he averaged just 10.3 points and shot 27.3% from beyond the arc.
Holmgren has had a frustrating tendency throughout his young career to settle for perimeter shots when things get tough or physical on the interior. But there will never be a time in the playoffs, especially against San Antonio, where things are easy in that area of the court. In order to take the leap offensively, Holmgren needs to grow more confident and more poised in attacking the basket.
He has the height and the strength to accomplish that feat. It's simply a matter of his willingness and mental fortitude.
The Thunder will have roughly $123 million committed to their trio of Holmgren, Williams, and Gilgeous-Alexander in 2026-27. That number will climb closer to $150 million when Gilgeous-Alexander's contract takes the leap in 2027-28, then to $160 million in 2028-29.
If this trio is worth that price, then Oklahoma City will gladly pay it. But Holmgren has yet to full prove that, and the pressure is officially on as he enters his fifth NBA season.
Add us as a preferred source on Google