The 3 Most Likely Thunder Players to Be Traded After the Loss to the Spurs

There will be no dynasty in Oklahoma City, at least not yet.

On Saturday, the Thunder were eliminated from the playoffs in Game 7 of the Western Conference finals against the San Antonio Spurs.

While we know back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be back, that might be the only certainty on the table, as gigantic contracts kick in for a Thunder team that has a ton of draft capital and could flip some of their most expensive players in hopes of resetting their salary cap situation.

Here are my three picks for the players I’m looking at that could possibly move this offseason for the dethroned kings of the NBA.

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Jalen Williams

J-Dub is the second-in-command when it comes to scoring for the Thunder, but is he someone Oklahoma City wants to pay $40 million for the next few years before it jumps to over $50 million?

Although he didn’t finish the series or play much in the postseason due to a hamstring injury, his stock might never be higher in terms of other teams around the league seeing him as a legitimate possible superstar player entering his prime at 25.

OKC loves the Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams duo, but they’ll have to make tough decisions moving forward if they want to remain competitive and maintain any depth.

Isaiah Hartenstein

Speaking of depth, Hartenstein was pivotal against Wembanyama and for most of the season as their secondary big man, and has a team option for $28 million next season. While the Thunder could just walk away from Hartenstein, there’s also the possibility of a sign-and-trade that could bring someone back for OKC. They could also simply pick up the option and trade him to a center-needy team.

Chet Holmgren

The nuclear option. Although Williams is the secondary scorer on the team, Holmgren has always been seen as the true No. 2 on the Thunder, looking ahead. He is soon going to be making the max, and after disappearing against the Spurs, there’s going to be fans demanding that he be traded this offseason for the likes of Kawhi Leonard or Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Holmgren’s value has never been murkier. He just turned 24 and has years before even reaching his prime, especially as he fills out his frame, but will the Thunder invest in that future or try to cash in on Gilgeous-Alexander’s peak by aligning him with a veteran superstar like a Leonard or Antetokounmpo?

What was supposed to be a summer of admiring their new empire and thinking about completing the first three-peat in a quarter-century has now turned into one of the great unknowns in Oklahoma City.

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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 10:57 AM.