Thunder chopped nearly $300 million from payroll, and the hard part may be next

The Thunder spent the offseason doing something considerably more complicated than defending a championship, as they did last year.

They had to keep the bill from becoming completely insane.

Had Oklahoma City simply brought back its 2025-26 roster, its combined salaries and luxury-tax penalties would’ve exceeded $500 million, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron.

Instead, after a summer of difficult decisions, that number is projected at about $234 million. That’s quite a haircut.

Oklahoma City traded Luguentz Dort and Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta and Isaiah Joe to Detroit, while also restructuring its financial picture with new deals for Isaiah Hartenstein and Kenrich Williams.

Those moves allowed the Thunder to stay below the second apron and dramatically reduce their luxury-tax payment.

Problem solved? Not exactly.

The Thunder’s young core is becoming very expensive, very quickly. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s new super-max extension kicks in for 2027-28, and Gozlan projects Oklahoma City to be nearly $19 million above the second apron next summer.

The total bill could again climb beyond $400 million.

That doesn’t even include a new contract for Cason Wallace, who is entering the final season of his rookie deal and figures to be another player Oklahoma City would prefer to keep.

It’s the strange downside to drafting and developing exceptionally well. Eventually, everybody gets paid.

The Thunder have already demonstrated they’re willing to make uncomfortable decisions before the financial pressure forces their hand. They may have to do it again.

Oklahoma City escaped the potential half-billion-dollar bill this summer. Another whopper is already coming into view.