Thunder Mindful Of Future Salary Obligations When Considering Any Deal
The Oklahoma City Thunder will consider the ramifications of their future payroll obligations on any potential trade, sources tell ESPN. For the 26-27 season, the Thunder will presumably have both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren on rookie scale max contracts as they come off their first NBA contracts. Oklahoma City projects to have approximately $191 million in payroll for seven players that season if they also pick up their team options on Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort.
The Thunder will then have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander entering Year 1 of his supermax extension beginning at $72 million in 27-28. For any franchise, the payroll of three max contract players will be difficult to navigate but especially for a small market team such as the Thunder.
Additionally, the Thunder posture as though they don't plan to make a move, which could be because rival teams see an opportunity to pluck some of their surplus picks from them.
"With all their draft picks [15 firsts and 17 seconds between now and 2031], they can do anything, but they benefit if they can convince everyone they plan to do nothing [at the deadline]," one general manager told ESPN. "Every team that wants to deal with them will want them to overpay. Plus, teams who want to make a trade will want to engage them because it would raise the price for everyone else."