Breaking down the current salary situation for Thunder after active free agency

Though they may not have snatched up a current All-Star like the Philadelphia 76ers or a four-time NBA Champion like the Dallas Mavericks, make no mistake about it folks, the OKC Thunder have been quite busy during these early stages of NBA Free Agency.

Headlined by the three-year, $87 million deal shelled out to long-rumored target Isaiah Hartenstein, Sam Presti and company have signed three total contracts thus far in free agency, with Isaiah Joe (four-years, $48 million) and Aaron Wiggins (five-years, $47 million) rounding out the other two.

Simplistic breakdown of salary situation for Thunder after recent activity

With these particular signings, heading into next season the Thunder will be adding on estimated financial commitments of $49,344,050 to the equation, which still sees them holding the eighth-lowest active salary at $146,522,019.

While the signings of Joe and Wiggins could be argued as virtual steals considering their contributions to the team and when compared to what other players of their ilk have received on the open market over the last few years, some may have reservations about Hartenstein's projected annual salary of $29 million through 2026-27.

Of course, what must be taken into account is the fact that while he's currently slated to make the seventh-most money ($30.5 million) during the 2024-25 campaign compared to those already signed from this summer's free agency class, he is on a descending deal, with his final year not even fully guaranteed.

His years under contract mesh beautifully with the looming extensions of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, with the former being eligible for one next offseason while the latter two will be up for negotiations during the summer of 2026.

Even though it may seem like an exorbitant amount of money for a glorified role player, the structure of the deal is actually brilliantly crafted by Presti and co.

As noted by Spotrac's Keith Smith, the Thunder still have a cushion before they become tax payers ($15.7 million short, per calculations) and have quite a bit of wiggle room before surpassing the dreaded first tax apron, which is set at $178.1 million.

With roughly $23 million separating them from the first apron, OKC could still theoretically look to add a few more players to better fill out their depth, and will also have the MLE which, for them, holds a worth of $13,025,250.

With several holes present on the roster still in need of filling (back-up point guard, power forward depth, etc.), it's safe to assume that, with their remaining cap space, the Thunder are likely to be looking to make a few more moves before the end of this offseason.