OKLAHOMA CITY — To maintain long-term flexibility, the Oklahoma City Thunder could activate as many as 3 backup plans this offseason by utilizing a loaded pipeline of young talent to replace expensive veteran rotation pieces. The Thunder are feeling upbeat after another deep postseason run despite a painful game 7 loss in the Western conference finals. General manager Sam Presti is quietly staring down a massive luxury tax crunch. With major extensions about to kick in for the core stars, Oklahoma City is rapidly approaching a hard financial ceiling. The front office currently sits roughly $28.5 million over from the dreaded second apron.
Thunder Could Activate As Many As 3 Backup Plans This Offseason to Navigate $28.5 Million Crunch
The first contingency plan involves finding long-term financial relief in the frontcourt. Big man Thomas Sorber, the 15th overall pick in the 2025 draft, missed his entire rookie season recovering from surgery after tearing his right ACL during an offseason workout. On paper, Sorber has the physical profile to serve as the eventual backup plan for Isaiah Hartenstein. However, it is highly unlikely that management pulls this specific lever this summer.
Hartenstein proved his absolute worth during the Western Conference Finals, providing a massive, physical body to slow down the Spurs’ transcendent big man, Victor Wembanyama. Hartenstein averaged robust interior numbers during the postseason, anchoring the paint as Chet Holmgren’s production dropped off. If any financial move is made with him this summer, Oklahoma City Thunder will likely decline his $28.5 million team option to immediately re-sign him to a longer, more team-friendly deal that lowers his immediate cap hit.
Cason Wallace Ready to Supplant Lu Dort
The second internal pivot point sits on the wing, where Cason Wallace appears fully primed to replace Lu Dort in the starting lineup. Wallace put together a highly impressive postseason run off the bench, showing elite defensive versatility despite making just two starts during the playoffs. Dort retained his starting spot largely as a respected elder statesman of this young roster, but it has become increasingly difficult to argue that Dort isn’t standing directly in Wallace’s way.
The statistical gap between the two guards completely widened during the playoffs:
Cason Wallace: Shot the three-ball at a blistering 48% clip while setting new career highs across every major postseason metric.
Lu Dort: Suffered the worst playoff run of his professional career, averaging a career-low 5.5 points while shooting a putrid 36.6% from the field and an abysmal 30.8% from behind the arc.
Dort carries a sizeable team option worth $17.7 million for the upcoming year. With the roster crunch intensifying, letting Dort go or moving his salary stands out as an incredibly logical lever the front office can pull to stay safely below the second apron.
Jared McCain is the Ultimate Isaiah Joe Insurance
The third and final backup plan is the most likely to be used this summer—in fact, it might already be a foregone conclusion. Sharpshooter Isaiah Joe looms as a prime candidate to be dumped or moved due to his hefty $11 million cap hit for next season. His direct replacement is clearly Jared McCain, who has been an absolute revelation for the organization since arriving in a blockbuster move at the trade deadline.
The postseason usage rates between the two sharpshooters tell the entire story of where the coaching staff is leaning. Joe was relegated to a minor bit-part role during the playoffs, averaging a meager 11 minutes per game across 13 appearances. Meanwhile, McCain quickly earned the coaching staff’s trust, even picking up two crucial playoff starts when Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell missed time with nagging minor injuries. McCain thrived under the bright lights, turning heads with a spectacular 24-point performance in Game 1 against San Antonio and an efficient 18-point night against the Lakers.
The writing is on the wall in America’s Center. Sam Presti has spent years building unparalleled roster depth, and because the Thunder could activate as many as 3 backup plans this offseason, they are perfectly positioned to shed expensive veterans without losing an inch of their championship pedigree.
Credit:© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
