For the past couple of seasons, the Oklahoma City Thunder have worked to replace some guys at their center position. Last summer, they drafted Thomas Sorber, who suffered a season-ending injury, and this summer, they took big man Aday Mara. Two centers in two straight drafts. Guys who can, in an ideal world, help the Thunder shed the salary of Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin Williams, and/or Chet Holmgren, if they wanted to.
But in reality, all three of those players have proven integral to the Thunder’s success. All three big men have played big-time minutes for OKC over the course of the past two seasons, and in 2025, it even won the NBA Championship. Yet the second apron comes for everyone. The new CBA waits for no one.
By drafting Sorber and Mara, the Thunder have prepared their center position. They could get rid of someone if they needed to. The question is, who would they get rid of, and could they afford to do so?
Thunder are loading up on centers, which could let them trade one
Sorber was a one-and-done player at Georgetown, but an injury prevented him from making an impact during his rookie campaign. But he’ll be back in the fold this upcoming season.
Then, there’s Mara, who just won a National Championship at Michigan last season. He’s a massive presence, an elite defender, and a very underrated passer for his size.
Both players have the potential to grow into legitimate NBA rotation pieces, and perhaps even more than that. And if they do, the Thunder could eventually get rid of one of their centers.
OKC has already had to make some tough second-apron decisions. They shipped out Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Lu Dort this summer in a string of salary-shedding moves.
But they aren’t done. It’s almost a certainty that they will have to make more second-apron decisions, shedding salary to stay below the mark for as long as possible.
Based on how much depth they now have at the center rotation, trading a guy like Hartenstein, Williams, or even Holmgren if they feel comfortable doing so.
Getting rid of any of those guys would help the Thunder rid themselves of a ton of money, which would help them in the long run. Well, if their goal is to keep staying below the second apron, that is.
Having Mara and Sorber in developmental roles gives OKC some great depth at the center position moving forward, especially if they can turn themselves into quality players.
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