After winning their first NBA championship, the Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2025-26 season set to run it back with much of the same roster as last year.
Sam Presti & Co. left the team primarily intact, opting to re-sign Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Ajay Mitchell, Jaylen Williams and Jaylin Williams. The only departure came after trading second-year forward Dillon Jones to the Washington Wizards.
The Thunder selected Thomas Sorber (15th) and Brooks Barnhizer (44th) in the 2025 NBA draft. However, Sorber is expected to miss the entire season after sustaining a torn ACL in his right knee during a workout in Oklahoma City on Sept. 4.
While the NBA hasn’t seen a team repeat as champions since the Golden State Warriors during the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, the Thunder enter the upcoming campaign favored to win, boasting the best odds in the league (plus-275).
With the team opening training camp on Sept. 30, Rookie Wire examined the Thunder’s depth chart and offered an early projection of the starters and backups entering the season.
PGShai Gilgeous-Alexander: $38,333,050Ajay Mitchell: $3,000,000Nikola Topić: $5,182,920SGLuguentz Dort: $18,222,222Cason Wallace: $5,820,240Isaiah Joe: $12,362,338SFJalen Williams: $6,580,997Alex Caruso: $18,102,000Aaron Wiggins: $10,102,803PFChet Holmgren: $13,731,368Kenrich Williams: $7,163,000Ousmane Dieng: $6,670,882CIsaiah Hartenstein: $28,500,000Jaylin Williams: $8,450,704Thomas Sorber: $4,655,040Two-Way ContractsBrooks BarnhizerBranden Carlson
Thunder salary information via Spotrac