The Thunder parted ways with the longtime starter Lugentz is there and regular season mainstays Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins this offseason, but longtime director of basketball operations Sam Presti believes the team is well-positioned for success in 2026-27, ESPN’s Baxter Holmes writes.
“I think the team was on a different level last year” Presti said Thursday at his annual preseason press conference.I think we could take it to another level. But I think in time, as I said before, this particular group of players, if we stay healthy, if they get time together, they’ll have a chance to be as good, if not better, than any of our teams.”
Presti later said that some of his confidence stems from the core trio Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Oklahoma City has won the most regular season games in the NBA in each of the last two seasons and is on track to win the championship in 2025.
“We’ve got three guys, two of whom aren’t even in their prime yet, who are NBA players, and another guy who’s a back-to-back MVP (Giljus-Alexander) and he’s getting better in his prime as well” Presti said.
Still, Presti said parting ways with Dort, Joe and Wiggins in three separate cost-cutting deals that gave Oklahoma City a seven-round pick without having to take on salary in return was “definitely disappointing.” He praised all three players for their contributions, according to Holmes, and said the team will obviously have to make some roster changes as a result.
“We have to give ourselves time to figure out the best way to field this team because these guys have played a lot” said Presti.They had a big impact on things. We will have to learn a new, healthy way.”
Here’s more from Presti’s hour-and-a-half press conference:
- Priest said The Oklahoman in July that the Dort trade was a financial decision, not a basketball one, and suggested the franchise said the savings from the Dort, Joe and Wiggins deal would be reinvested in the team going forward. He said he reiterated that he was still understanding the situation on Thursday Justin Martinez of Oklahoman. “I would say those are definitely our expectations and expectations” said Presti.But I’d also like to say that I’ve been doing this long enough to know that things can definitely change, so I don’t want to sit here and say it definitively. I’d say it’s probably going to be another round of conversations similar to the ones we had last summer. I will listen a lot. I’ll try to figure out where everyone is. Then we’ll know what we have to work with and attack it from there.“
- Presti added that the Thunder have a “rare and unique opportunity” to continue to challenge for titles. “I would say that we have to balance — and everybody knows this — just cherish the moment and the rare and unique opportunity that we have with this particular team and this particular group of guys” said Pressy. “Because what makes this group of guys so unique isn’t just that they fit together on the floor and play well together on the floor. It’s their connection to each other that is really where you get a little benefit with this particular group.”
- Williams was limited to just 33 regular-season contests last season due to wrist and hamstring ailments and appeared in just five of the team’s 15 playoff games in the spring. Presti said the star wing has put those injuries behind him, according to Martinez. “He worked very hard” said Presti.He looks fantastic. He looks great. He plays great. We look forward to him being himself again.”
- Former lottery pick Cason Wallace is eligible for a rookie scale extension until October 19. Presti didn’t directly address the talk, but he praised the All-Defensive guard on Thursday and suggested the Dort trade provided clarity for the 22-year-old as a Thunder Film Room relay (Link to video on Twitter). “I think the biggest sign of respect we could show Cason is promoting Lou in this deal. … It’s a bit of a gesture for him when we say you can play a great role on this team, we believe in you as a player and we hope it works out” Presti said.
- Nikola Tema and Thomas Sorber both will be limited through training camp, according to Presti, who noted that both players have had extended layoffs due to injuries (Link to Twitter via SI.com’s Rylan Stiles). Topeke missed his freshman season with a torn ACL, then was treated for testicular cancer last season and passed lumbar microdiscectomy in June.
- Presti’s media session also covered Oklahoma City’s plans for the 15th and final spot on the standard roster (Link to Twitter via Martinez), Presti’s thoughtful remarks about the second tax apron (Twitter references via Brandon Rahbar of the Daily Thunder), and Russell Westbrookretirement (comments in Martinez story above), among other topics.