The Oklahoma City Thunder announced on Friday that Thomas Sorber sustained a torn ACL. The 19-year-old will miss the entire 2025-26 season. He suffered a knee injury in an offseason workout that’ll cost him his first year.

Just brutal luck for Sorber. The Thunder added him with the No. 15 pick of the 2025 NBA draft out of Georgetown. He was viewed as their potential long-term backup center. Isaiah Hartenstein could be entering his final season in OKC with a $28.5 million team option for the 2026-27 season.

While Sorber likely wasn’t going to play rotation minutes, a lost season is always the worst-case scenario. He joins Chet Holmgren and Nikola Topic as Thunder redshirt players who miss their first year with an injury. The Thunder will have to wait and see how he performs in the NBA.

With Sorber out, here are four Thunder players who could benefit from his absence:

Jaylin Williams

Just because Sorber is out, it doesn’t mean there needs to be a fourth player who absorbs his center minutes. Instead, Williams could just receive the additional minutes that the 19-year-old would’ve played. A recent contract extension shows how confident the Thunder are in him.

Williams has been an underrated developmental story. The 23-year-old has shown he can shoot the ball from the outside and can be a secondary playmaker when needed. He helped the Thunder win an NBA championship by being a rotation player against Nikola Jokic.

The Thunder already had Williams ahead of the depth chart. It’s ridiculously rich to have him as their third-string center. He can add more to his plate and is the most sure-fire replacement that could take on the additional minutes left vacant.

Branden Carlson

The Thunder went out of their way to keep Carlson with a qualifying offer. He was the only two-way player from last season who was brought back. Easy to see why, as he had several standout moments last season. Now, he’ll get a chance to be the fourth-string center if everything goes right.

While the fourth-string center doesn’t sound like the most luxurious job, the Thunder have shown they squeeze every drop of juice out of their roster. If any of Holmgren, Hartenstein or Williams is forced to miss time, he could see a bump in role.

The pathway is there for Carlson to be converted to a standard deal. The 26-year-old was a surprisingly solid stretch big last season who had his moments. After all, the Thunder’s blowout win over the Cleveland Cavaliers was highlighted by his contributions.

Ousmane Dieng

It’s not over quite yet for Dieng. Entering his fourth season, the 22-year-old hasn’t shown enough to warrant a contract extension. That could mean his Thunder tenure is near an end. But Sorber’s injury could give him a glimmer of hope as frontcourt minutes open up.

While Sorber wouldn’t have logged consistent minutes, Dieng could take his role. He has shown flashes over the years, but needs a more sustainable run. Health will be key. He’s dealt with small injuries now and then that have derailed any momentum he’s built.

Dieng won’t necessarily be a backup center, but could be a backup forward they go to in their smaller lineups. If he can stretch the floor and create off the dribble, that should give him a career boost. Whether he ends his season on the Thunder or elsewhere.

Kenrich Williams

Considering how stacked the Thunder are, Williams always flies under the radar. He’s seen his playing time gradually decline over the season, but the 30-year-old is always a positive on the court. He could see a boost in playing time with Sorber out.

Williams won’t be a one-for-one replacement. He’s a much different player than Sorber and plays a different position. But the 30-year-old has shown he can size up when needed to play small-ball center. He can defend all of the frontcourt positions and shoot the ball.

The Thunder know what they’ll get out of Williams at this point. He’s been in OKC for six seasons. He’s safe depth that they could always use when needed. If he can remain healthy, there will be a role for him.