The Oklahoma City Thunder wasted little time this summer.
Since winning the NBA Finals on June 22, the Thunder has drafted Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer and agreed to a slew of contract extensions.
After agreeing to deals with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell, OKC put a bow on its offseason Thursday when it reportedly agreed to a five-year, $287 million deal with Jalen Williams.
Between Williams, Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren, OKC has agreed to shell out $822 million over the next six seasons, not including the money Gilgeous-Alexander had remaining on his pre-existing contract.
Williams, who was named to the All-NBA Third Team last season, along with being an all-defensive selection, is currently recovering from a wrist injury that he played through in the NBA Playoffs. Despite his injury, Williams scored a series-high 40 points in Game 5, helping OKC take a 3-2 series lead and playing a massive role in helping the Thunder secure its first title.
With Williams officially extended, OKC has the hard part done. It has found and secured three all-star-level players who now have championship experience at the second-youngest average age in NBA history. But, it remains to be seen how OKC will go about surrounding its trio of stars.
Lu Dort and Kenrich Williams, two players who have been around since OKC’s rebuild began in 2021 and have leadership roles, are also extension-eligible this summer. While it’s reasonable to assume that OKC and Williams will come to an affordable agreement to keep him with the team, keeping Dort may be tricky.
Arguably the best defensive player in the NBA, Dort is likely to have a robust free agent market should he make it there, and with the restrictions of the second apron looming over OKC, it is likely to have to cut bait with someone crucial to what it does at some point.
While Isaiah Hartenstein is the most likely candidate to be the first one out the door due to his large contract and team option, it’s unlikely that OKC will be able to match whatever Dort would be offered if he were to make it to the open market if it wants to avoid significant tax and apron penalties.
I would argue that Dort is the fourth-most important player on OKC going forward, and now that the Big 3 are under contract, finding a way to keep Dort should be priority one for Sam Presti and Co.
Unfortunately for OKC, that’s not really the way the NBA works anymore.
Whether it’s Dort or someone else, a heartbreaker is coming for Thunder fans.
Enjoy the fact that OKC has its stars under contract; after all, this is where it all went wrong last time around, and the Thunder learned from its mistake. But everything comes at a cost, and while OKC may be the only team with a homegrown Big 3 at this moment, a price beyond the dollars will have to be paid at some point.
Great article with insight that isn’t typically understood. We do have to find a way to keep Dort.
What about Caruso? Isaiah Joe?