The OKC Thunder turned themselves from a perennial lottery team into a true title contender in 2023-24. Though the vast majority of credit and attention for this transition has gone toward the likes of MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, in actuality, it has taken a full team effort through 82 games played for them to reach such a status.
From the astounding play of core commodities like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren to the highly underrated contributions from role players such as Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, Oklahoma City's deep roster proved to have a major impact on the club's successes this year.
And while camaraderie and confidence among this group is certainly high heading into their upcoming playoff excursion, there's a very present understanding that come next season, many familiar faces on this Thunder roster will be elsewhere.
OKC Thunder players who definitely won't be back next season
No, there's no semblance of a belief that guys like SGA or J-Dub will be found outside of the 405 in 2024-25, but almost everyone else could, in theory, be in the running to come across a change of scenery.
In specific, there are a few specific players fans should view as most likely to be off the roster next year.
4. Kenrich Williams
Kenrich Williams has been a beloved contributor within the Thunder's rotation since making his way over to the franchise back in 2020.
His defensive efforts and overall on-court energy have made him a regular within coach Mark Daigneault's rotation, while his steady long-range game has established him as a highly valuable 3-and-D commodity.
KRich comes up with the steal ➡️ Giddey converts it! pic.twitter.com/ej4MEJLhqx
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 15, 2023
OKC has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to this type of player, the vast majority of whom are under the age of 25 and are still attached to their rookie-scale deals.
Kenny Hustle, meanwhile, will be turning 30 years old early on in next year's campaign and will be making $27 million between now and the 2026-27 campaign.
Though none of these factors really point to Williams being a true burden to hold onto, especially considering his team-friendly contract, assuming the front office is looking to chip away at some of the redundancies within their talent pool it would seem that the sixth-year veteran should be considered the most likely to be moved.
A guy of his experience and caliber of play is something that title contenders covet, meaning his services will almost certainly be heavily sought after if he were to be shopped around.
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