4 Harsh Moves the Thunder Must Make After Their Crushing Game 7 Loss to the Spurs
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2026 playoffs as the NBA’s most dominant regular-season team. They won 64 games, finished atop the Western Conference, and posted the league’s best net rating. Yet none of that mattered when their season ended one step short of the NBA Finals.
Losing to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs has changed everything.
For years, the Thunder could lean on patience. Not anymore. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is firmly in his prime, while Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are approaching massive contract extensions. The roster is becoming increasingly expensive, and Oklahoma City can no longer afford to make decisions based solely on continuity.
Their Game 7 defeat exposed uncomfortable truths. Gilgeous-Alexander delivered with 35 points and nine assists, but Holmgren managed just four points and disappeared offensively after the first quarter. Williams missed the game with a hamstring injury, and the Thunder lacked the star power needed to match San Antonio when the pressure peaked.
If the Thunder want to win championships, difficult decisions are unavoidable.
1. Trade Lu Dort While His Value Remains High
Lu Dort has been one of the emotional leaders of Oklahoma City’s rise, but sentiment cannot dictate roster construction.
The defensive specialist holds a $17.7 million team option for the 2026-27 season, and while his perimeter defense remains elite, his offensive limitations continue to create problems in high-level playoff basketball.
Dort averaged 8.3 points while shooting just 38.5% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range. Those numbers are acceptable for a defensive role player, but they become far less appealing at nearly $18 million per season.
More importantly, Oklahoma City already has defensive alternatives. Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, and several young guards provide versatility and depth on the perimeter. While none replicate Dort’s exact physical style, the Thunder have enough defensive talent to absorb his departure.
Rather than allowing his contract to become a long-term cap burden, Oklahoma City should explore the trade market while contenders still view him as one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders.
2. Decline Isaiah Hartenstein’s $28.5 Million Team Option
Isaiah Hartenstein gave the Thunder exactly what they needed during the regular season.
He provided rebounding, toughness, passing, and interior size, averaging 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting over 62% from the field.
However, playoff basketball is about value relative to cost.
At $28.5 million, Hartenstein would become one of the most expensive non-star centers in the league. With Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, and Williams already commanding major money, the Thunder simply cannot allocate that much salary to a player who isn’t a primary playoff difference-maker.
The Spurs series highlighted the issue. Hartenstein was helpful, but he wasn’t the solution against Wembanyama. When games tightened, Oklahoma City’s biggest weaknesses revolved around star production, not center depth.
Declining the option would create significant financial flexibility and allow the front office to pursue larger upgrades without sacrificing long-term roster balance.
3. Explore a Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade — Even If It Means Including Chet Holmgren
This is the move Thunder fans would hate.
Chet Holmgren remains one of the most promising young big men in basketball. His combination of rim protection, floor spacing, and mobility makes him an ideal modern center. At just 24 years old, he still has enormous room for growth.
But Giannis Antetokounmpo is Giannis Antetokounmpo.
If Milwaukee reaches a point where it considers rebuilding, Oklahoma City possesses the assets to make a serious offer. The Thunder own one of the league’s deepest collections of draft picks and young talent, yet any realistic Giannis package likely starts with Holmgren.
That’s a painful conversation, but championship windows demand difficult choices.
Pairing Giannis with Gilgeous-Alexander would instantly create one of the NBA’s most dominant duos while providing the Thunder with a proven superstar capable of matching Wembanyama’s impact in future playoff battles.
Holmgren may eventually become a superstar. Giannis already is one.
4. Consolidate Young Assets Into Another Proven Star
The Thunder have accumulated one of the deepest young rosters in the league, but depth alone doesn’t win championships.
At some point, Oklahoma City must convert quantity into elite quality.
Players such as Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Jared McCain, Ajay Mitchell, and future first-round picks all hold value around the league. Rather than continuing to develop every prospect internally, the Thunder should package multiple assets in pursuit of another established difference-maker.
The Spurs now have Wembanyama. The Nuggets still have Nikola Jokic. The Mavericks have Luka Doncic. The Western Conference is built around superstars.
The Thunder cannot afford to enter another postseason relying solely on depth and potential. They need more elite talent at the top of the roster.
After a heartbreaking Game 7 collapse, standing still may be the biggest mistake Oklahoma City can make. The Thunder remain contenders, but if they want to reclaim the West and challenge for a championship, this offseason may require some of the toughest decisions in franchise history.
Final Thoughts
The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t need to overreact to one playoff disappointment. They need to make difficult decisions.
There is a major difference between panicking and evolving. Panic is tearing apart a contender because of a single loss. Evolution is recognizing where the roster falls short and making tough adjustments before financial realities force even harder choices.
Every move on this list comes with a cost.
Trading Lu Dort would mean parting ways with one of the emotional leaders who helped build Oklahoma City’s defensive identity. Declining Isaiah Hartenstein’s option would mean moving on from a player who played a key role in a 64-win season. Exploring a blockbuster Giannis Antetokounmpo trade could require sacrificing Chet Holmgren, one of the league’s most unique young talents. Packaging prospects and draft assets would mean giving up pieces the organization has spent years developing.
But the Thunder are no longer a rebuilding team focused on potential.
They already proved the rebuild was a success. They captured the 2025 NBA championship, followed it with another dominant regular season, and came within one game of returning to the NBA Finals. Expectations have changed. The goal is no longer growth—it’s sustained championship contention.
Oklahoma City still possesses one of the deepest and most talented rosters in basketball. The question isn’t whether they’re good enough to compete. The question is whether they’re built to overcome the Western Conference’s next great challenge: Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs.
That’s why the Thunder must be aggressive this summer. Move Dort before his contract becomes a long-term burden. Create flexibility by declining Hartenstein’s option. Explore every superstar opportunity, including Giannis. Consolidate young assets into proven playoff talent.
Those decisions won’t be popular, and they won’t be easy. But championship organizations don’t stay ahead by standing still.
If Oklahoma City is serious about returning to the NBA Finals and reclaiming the West, this offseason may require the toughest choices of the entire Sam Presti era.
