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."
