An hour after the San Antonio Spurs ended Oklahoma City’s season in a dramatic Game 7, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said he would give “zero input” on offseason moves and would “let Sam Presti, the greatest GM ever, do his job.”
Sam Presti, hired at 31 to run the Seattle SuperSonics, just completed his 19th season with the franchise, including all 18 years since the team relocated to Oklahoma City. Through the draft and trades, Presti has built two highly regarded young cores, earning a level of front-office autonomy and trust from ownership, coaches and players.
The Thunder finished as the NBA’s top seed for a third straight season, winning 57, 68 and 64 games; the 2022-23 season produced a championship. Oklahoma City’s conference finals loss Saturday came with Jalen Williams injured. Williams and Chet Holmgren, both members of the 2022 lottery class, signed extensions last summer that begin in 2026-27, with each seeing salary increases to $41.5 million from $6.5 million and $13.7 million, respectively.
Two starters enter the offseason with contractual uncertainty: center Isaiah Hartenstein, acquired in the summer of 2024, has a team option for $28.5 million next season, and Luguentz Dort has a team option for $18.2 million.
The Thunder’s team salary this season was $186.7 million, 15th in the NBA and below the tax line for a sixth consecutive season. Next season, before accounting for the draft, free agency and team options, Oklahoma City’s payroll is projected at $250.5 million, which the team says is well past the projected second apron and would trigger a tax bill of more than $200 million.
League insiders do not expect panic moves after a seven-game series loss, but many executives have raised questions about whether the shifting financial picture could force roster changes. “There can’t be room for everybody,” one East executive said.
Gilgeous-Alexander won his second MVP this season while earning $38.3 million, the 34th-highest salary among NBA players. He is due $40.3 million in 2026-27, 39th-most among players before this summer’s free agency, and his four-year extension begins in 2027-28; his upcoming salaries are slightly below the $41.5 million figures for Williams and Holmgren.
