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oct 03 2026A year ago, the Thunder were champions and the West seemed theirs for years to come. Today they have company. They posted the league's best record at 64-18, yet still missed the Finals: the Spurs eliminated them in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals on their home court. Oklahoma City faces 2026-27 with fewer defensive pieces than before, a star with back-to-back MVPs, and for the first time, a Spanish player on the roster.
Where They're Coming From: Best Record and a Game 7
The regular season was dominant. The Thunder won 64 games and outscored opponents by 11.1 points per game on average, the eighth-best point differential in NBA history. The foundation was historic defense: according to NBA.com, they allowed 8.3 points per 100 possessions fewer than the league average, a margin that in the last 30 years only the 2003-04 Spurs have surpassed.
In the playoffs they swept the first two rounds. Then came the Spurs, the only team that had figured them out during the season, with four wins in five matchups. The Western Conference Finals went to Game 7 and San Antonio won it in Oklahoma City. In their four losses in the series, the Thunder's offense scored just 95.8 points per 100 possessions, a figure unbecoming of a Finals contender.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander carried the team all year. He won back-to-back MVP with 83 of the first 100 votes, after averaging 31.1 points on 55.3% shooting with 6.6 assists. He scored at least 20 points in every game he played, something only Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor had done before, and was also named Player of the Year.
The Offseason: Fewer Defenders, More Draft Picks
The salary cap forced them to part with three important rotation players. Luguentz Dort, the specialist who defended the opposing team's best perimeter player, and Aaron Wiggins were traded to Atlanta. Isaiah Joe went to Detroit, also in exchange for draft picks. Isaiah Hartenstein, meanwhile, signed a three-year extension through 2028-29.
Through the draft came Bennett Stirtz, Otega Oweh, and the name that matters most in Spain: Aday Mara.
Aday Mara, the Spanish Player on the West's Champion
The 21-year-old center from Zaragoza, standing 2.21 meters tall, was selected 12th overall in the draft after an outstanding year at Michigan. He was an NCAA champion and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, averaging 12.1 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks per game on 66.8% shooting. In the Final Four he had his best college game: 26 points and 9 rebounds against Arizona. His rookie contract will be worth around $27 million over four years, according to Spotrac.
In the summer he made his debut with the Spanish national team in his hometown against Portugal, and in Summer League he showed promise in the post. His challenge now is finding minutes in a frontcourt where Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein are ahead of him. Oklahoma City is an organization that doesn't rush its young players, so a first year of learning is expected, with minutes he'll have to earn.
The Rotation
The trio that leads is the same: Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. Holmgren was selected to the All-NBA team and finished second in Defensive Player of the Year voting, averaging 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks. Williams, meanwhile, played only 33 games due to wrist and hamstring injuries, and his return to full strength is the season's biggest addition.
The departures of Dort, Wiggins, and Joe leave 59 minutes per night open on the perimeter. NBA.com points to Ajay Mitchell as the big beneficiary: he doubled his numbers last season to 13.6 points, and the Thunder were 50-7 with him on the court versus 14-11 without him. Jared McCain, Cason Wallace, and Alex Caruso round out the perimeter rotation. In the frontcourt, Hartenstein and Kenrich Williams join Holmgren.
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The Season's Big Questions
The first is Jalen Williams' health. Two seasons ago he was an All-Star, a member of the All-NBA Third Team and All-Defensive Second Team, averaging 21.6 points. Without him, the Thunder's offense relied too heavily on Gilgeous-Alexander and stalled when it mattered most.
The second is Holmgren. He was a force throughout the season, but in the Western Conference Finals he disappeared: 10.7 points, 27% from three, and only 7.3 shots per game. NBA.com assumes he needs a strong start to regain confidence.
The third is defense without Dort. The numbers say the Thunder actually defended better with him on the bench, and there's plenty of defensive specialists on the roster. Still, losing the player responsible for the opposing star forces that duty to be shared.
Finally, the bench, which remains among the league's best. Mark Daigneault is in his seventh season: he won Coach of the Year in 2024 and hasn't finished lower than sixth in that voting since 2023.
The Schedule: Key Dates
The season starts with a rematch. On October 20, the Thunder visit the Spurs (3:30 a.m. Wednesday, October 21, CET). On November 23 comes a repeat of the 2025 Finals against a Pacers team that gets back Tyrese Haliburton. Before Christmas they reunite with those who left: Dort and Wiggins with the Hawks on December 20, and Joe in Detroit on December 23.
February brings two matchups with the champion: the Knicks visit Oklahoma City on the 7th, and on the 25th, after the All-Star break, the Thunder play at Madison Square Garden. The finish is demanding, with seven road games in the final three weeks.
Piratas' Prediction
The Thunder still have the best regular season player, the league's best defense, and a mountain of draft picks to strengthen when needed. They've lost depth on the perimeter, but they get back a Jalen Williams who's worth a top-tier signing. Our prediction: between 58 and 62 wins and a battle with the Spurs for the West's top seed that, if history repeats, will be decided in May.
