Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) reacts after a play against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Paycom Center Thunder offseason trades
Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti has made a few difficult decisions this offseason, trading away veterans Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe, of whom Ajay Mitchell will surely miss ahead of his third season with the only team he’s ever played for. The NBA’s second apron is coming after all 30 teams in one form or another. After the Thunder signed Spencer Jones to a $12 million offer sheet, Presti made sure the Denver Nuggets felt the pressure as well.
The Nuggets were not only forced to match the Thunder’s $12 million offer but also put over the second apron, becoming the only team to do so, while all 29 other teams are expected to enter the 2026-27 season under it. Avoiding the restrictions that come with paying hefty taxes, matching salary, and losing the opportunity to sign potential buyout candidates mid-season, Presti made sure Oklahoma City could maintain its roster flexibility.
Presti has spent the better part of the last decade stacking assets, which eventually opened a championship window for the Thunder in his blockbuster trade with the LA Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and first-round picks, one of which became the core star, Jalen Williams. He also multiplied his collection of future second-round picks this summer, receiving a pair in each of his three trades that sent Joe to the Detroit Pistons and Dort and Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks.
For Mitchell, the three guards will surely be missed, as he discussed their impact on his first three seasons in the NBA.
“Three good friends who helped me a lot. It is what it is, of course, a shame to see them leave, but that is simply the business of the NBA,” Mitchell said. “It also creates more responsibility for me. And that gives me a lot of confidence.
Ajay Mitchell opens up about the offseason departures of Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, and Lu Dort:
“Three good friends who helped me a lot. It is, of course, a shame to see them leave, but that is simply the business of the NBA. It also creates more responsibility for me. And that… pic.twitter.com/V88xGCA3WQ
— SleeperThunder (@SleeperThunder) July 29, 2026
The Thunder’s 2024 second-round pick emerged as one of the more reliable players off Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault’s bench last season. Averaging 13.6 points on 48.5% shooting, including 34.7% from beyond the 3-point arc, 3.6 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 2025-26, Mitchell cracked Daigneault’s starting lineup in 16 of his 57 regular-season appearances. He also made it to opposing teams’ game plans, which only exemplifies his steady growth with the Thunder.
The Thunder’s deep roster allows them to shed three rotation players with reinforcements such as Cason Wallace, Jared McCain, and Ajay Mitchell. The increased roles they’re expected to take in 2026-27 make Oklahoma City championship contenders for the third consecutive season. Especially with the expected returns of their All-Star in Williams and Sixth Man in Mitchell, who many pointed to as a tremendous loss amidst the 2025 champions’ best-of-7 Western Conference Finals series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Coming off an All-NBA and All-Defensive Team-caliber season, which led to the Thunder’s first championship in franchise history, Williams left a tremendous void in the wake of his absence that kept him in and out of the lineup throughout the season. After going under the knife twice to repair torn ligaments in his right wrist last summer, which delayed his 2025-26 debut, Williams suffered both right and left hamstring injuries during the regular season.
After missing the first 19 games due to recovery from offseason surgeries, Williams played in only five games throughout the Thunder’s postseason run, which ended in a Game 7 loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. A tough pill for Presti and the front office to swallow amidst the Thunder’s first title defense ever.
Still, Oklahoma City should be ready to bounce back with another epic start to the regular season, with Williams and Mitchell a significant part of that success this upcoming season.
Sam Presti’s ‘sad’ take on Thunder’s offseason moves
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort (5) celebrates in the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center.
Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort (5) celebrates in the third quarter against the San Antonio Spurs during game one of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center.
Thunder GM Sam Presti vowed to do his best to retain as many players as he possibly could this summer. Entering the offseason with team options on Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, and Kenrich Williams, he kept all three. He inked Hartenstein to a three-year, $75 million extension, and picked up the final seasons of Dort and Williams’ respective options.
However, facing over $300 million in taxes ahead of the 2026-27 season, Presti trimmed Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe off the books for second-round picks before the Hawks called a second time, after trading for Wiggins, asking about Lu Dort. Lu was the longest-tenured Thunder player at the time, ending a legendary run as one of the franchise’s best development stories.
Presti didn’t want to part ways with any of these players, but couldn’t find a way to keep them all without sacrificing the flexibility to improve the Thunder, if need be, next season.
“It’s sad. That’s the best way I can put it. You get these guys, they develop into awesome players, and then you have to let them go. But it’s the reality of where the league is now. You can’t keep everyone. We’re not immune. We’re going through what others have gone through too,” the executive said.
“What you hope is that you take care of those players, send them to a place where they can continue to flourish and that you have players ready to step in and step up.”
Out with the old and in with the new, as the NBA’s second apron restrictions will force teams to part ways with veterans in favor of cost-saving young players still on their rookie deals, for an organization that has set a standard in its ability to develop players, the Thunder will be hard-pressed to hold onto them, as Dort is one of the better examples of that.
The undrafted guard evolved into one of the NBA’s better on-ball defenders throughout his years with the Thunder. Helping them win a championship as one half of an impressive backcourt alongside MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. However, Presti did what was best in the long run, as Cason Wallace, who earned his first All-Defensive Second Team nod last season, will be up for Dort’s starting spot.
Wallace is also up for a contract extension, of which the Thunder could work out before the start of the 2026-27 season. Signing Hartenstein, who proved his value, including against Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs, was critical. At the same time, Presti’s three max contract extensions for Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren sealed a title-contending core for the foreseeable future; the Thunder's supporting cast of Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell, and possibly rookie Aday Mara matters, too.
Jared McCain, who made 39.1% of his 3-point attempts for the Thunder after his trade from the 76ers, will take on Joe’s role as the team’s most reliable 3-point shooter, and Wiggins’ minutes will be split between the likes of Mitchell and veteran Alex Caruso.
Fortunately for the Thunder, Presti was well-prepared to make changes over the summer, while keeping a title-contending roster intact for a potential second championship in three seasons.
The long-term Thunder benefits of Lu Dort’s trade to Hawks
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the first quarter during game seven of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center.
San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) controls the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) in the first quarter during game seven of the western conference finals for the 2026 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center.
Ahead of the Thunder’s offseason, Cason Wallace proved he’s ready to take on a starter’s role. Most just weren’t sure if the Thunder would choose depth over staying underneath the second apron before Thunder GM Sam Presti made it abundantly clear. He chose roster flexibility over becoming one of the NBA’s restricted teams in 2026-27, and who could blame him?
After losing its core players and key depth pieces, Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, the Thunder nearly rallied all the way to the NBA Finals before coming up short in Game 7 against All-Star Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs. And one of its silver linings from the season-ending loss was Cason Wallace.
He finished with 17 points, including five threes, seven rebounds, four assists, two steals, and one block in a 111-103 Game 7 loss to the Spurs, reinstating his value to the Thunder, while other key members, including All-Star Chet Holmgren (four points, five rebounds) and Lu Dort (three points, 1-for-4), struggled.
The Thunder’s Dort trade with the Hawks opens a path for them to re-sign Wallace and Ajay Mitchell before the start of the regular season, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
“It gives them the financial resources to go out and extend Cason Wallace this offseason, and extend Ajay Mitchell next offseason,” Marks said during a recent ESPN segment of ‘NBA Today.’ “And most important, their core three players haven’t been touched in this in Shai, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren still on this roster. Yes, you lose a starter, but in the long run, I do think it can benefit Oklahoma City just based on how they’re allocating their finances.”
Wallace posted averages of 8.6 points on 43.2% shooting, including 35.1% from deep, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.9 steals per game in 2025-26. He also started 58 of 77 regular-season games for the Thunder. However, Wallace’s shooting splits leaped to 47.9/48.4/87.5 throughout the postseason, while averaging 2.1 steals.
While the Spurs, who arrived as one of the top teams in the NBA sooner than some expected, will return as defending champions of the Western Conference, the Thunder are positioned to be right there with them amidst a brewing rivalry. While Ajay Mitchell was ruled out due to a calf strain, he’ll be playing for a new Thunder contract this upcoming season.
At the same time, Wallace has proven his worth as one of the association’s best on-ball defenders. He’s also only 22. The Thunder’s future, led by its star-studded trio in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, and Williams, remains well under 30. They’re more than able to keep up with the young Spurs, as they proved last season without two of their key players.
Still, after the Spurs experienced their first heartbreak in losing to the Knicks, 4-1, in the 2026 NBA Finals, they’ll be back with a vengeance, which should be matched by the Thunder, and make for an intriguing new chapter to the NBA’s new rivalry amidst a competitive Western Conference.