OKC Thunder will likely bench worthy starter in 2024-25

This reigning top-seeded, 57-win OKC Thunder team managed to get even better this past offseason thanks to the wheeling and dealing ways of front office savant, Sam Presti.

Already classified as one of the deepest clubs in the association, as they regularly ran out 10-deep rotations in 2023-24, this summer saw their depth strengthen and expand even further thanks to the key additions of Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso.

Of course, with this surplus of talent, harsh decisions must be made by head coach Mark Daigneault when it relates to lineup structures and minute distributions heading into 2024-25, and, in these types of situations, not everyone aboard comes away satisfied.

The only individuals who are slated to be unaffected by this roster revamping are the star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, for each has established themselves as primary contributors during Oklahoma City's ascension up the title-contender totem pole.

Outside of them, the remaining 11-12 players on this Thunder roster will have to make sacrifices when it comes to their specific roles on the team, and one noteworthy aspect of this concerns newcomer Alex Caruso and beloved veteran, Luguentz Dort.

Thunder likely to relegate Luguentz Dort or Alex Caruso to bench

Throughout each of their respective careers, both Dort and Caruso have proven themselves to be highly impactful starters in the NBA.

For the former, such a role has helped establish himself as one of the league's premier defenders while posting 13.6 points and 4.0 rebounds on 35.0 percent shooting from deep since his sophomore season.

As for the latter, only recently was he starting to be utilized as a constant contributor in a first-five lineup, and, as a result, has gone on to drop 7.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and just shy of a block on 39.5 percent shooting from deep since 2022-23 while seeing two All-Defensive team nods and consecutive top-11 finishes in the Defensive Player of the Year race.

Coming into this year's highly anticipated Thunder campaign, the vast majority of coach Daigneault's starting rotation already seems to be solidified, as Gilgeous-Alexander will be manning the one, Jalen Williams will almost certainly be sliding back to the three, Chet Holmgren will be slotted in at the four, and splashy free agent pickup-up Isaiah Hartenstein will likely be stationed down low at the five.

That leaves only the primary shooting guard spot as a position still unclaimed with two players in tow who are more than worthy of claiming it for themselves.

With training camp right around the corner and October 24's season opener just over a month away, this coaching staff has limited time to decide what to do with their rotation construction.

No matter where they land on the quagmire that is their starting two-guard slot, one of their two highly capable options in Dort and Caruso will find themselves relegated to the second unit.

While this may be seen as a "good problem" to have for a title-hungry team, a problem it still is.