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Only the Oklahoma City Thunder could trade three rotation players, including a veteran starter, in exchange for draft capital and still be considered the deepest team in the NBA. Amidst the many Thunder storylines to follow in 2026-27, which young player, including rookie Aday Mara, has the best possibility to emerge as an X-factor for the 2025 champion’s next chapter will be an intriguing development in Oklahoma City.
Last season didn’t go as planned. All-NBA forward Jalen Williams battled injuries through the Western Conference Finals. Ajay Mitchell returned for the first three matchups of the Thunder’s best-of-7 series against the San Antonio Spurs, but missed the last four. Both sat for Game 7, where the Spurs crushed the defending champions’ plans to repeat in a series-clinching 111-103 win.
But none of it deterred Thunder GM Sam Presti from splitting his core. Upon All-Star Chet Holmgren and Williams’ max deals kicking in, Presti traded Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Lu Dort without blinking, saving a combined $224 million in payroll and luxury tax. Plus, Holmgren should return in 2026-27 with vengeance to make up for his four-point dud against the Spurs with the Thunder’s season on the line.
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Mitchell and All-Defensive Second Team guard Cason Wallace will step into increased roles to make up for the loss of Dort. Ahead of his first full season with the Thunder, Jared McCain is a perfect replacement for Joe, but losing Wiggins could open up an opportunity for one Thunder prospect to potentially earn meaningful playing time.
Sure, Jaylin Williams will reprise his back-up role behind Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. And Alex Caruso and Kenrich Williams can undoubtedly fill in the blanks at the wing and backcourt positions. However, injuries have impacted the Thunder in one way or another over the years, and if OKC were to get bit by the injury bug once more this upcoming season, here are three prospects Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault could wind up leaning on in 2026-27.
Aday Mara’s promising two-way game ahead of Thunder rookie season
The Thunder’s 12th overall pick in this year’s draft demonstrated his dynamic blend as a 7-foot-3 scoring center with great hands and rim protection. Aday Mara’s passing, coupled with his defense and ability to clean the glass, makes for an ideal backup center of the future. While the projections painting Mara as the Victor Wembanyama stopper are premature, Mara has the potential to make his presence felt immediately.
Out of all the Thunder prospects, he has the best chances of earning valuable minutes this upcoming season. Mara averaged 9.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in five games during summer league. He certainly beat the eye test as a promising center who’s still raw, but could catch on soon as he adapts to the NBA.
Thunder’s young players, such as Aday Mara, showed off nifty passes, showcasing their talents as distributors who can read opposing defenses. The tallest first-round pick since the Grizzlies’ 2024 ninth-overall pick in Zach Edey showed off his accuracy from a unique vantage point on the floor.
It would add a new wrinkle to a high-low offense paired with Ajay Mitchell’s scoring and Alex Caruso and Jared McCain’s 3-point shooting in the second unit.
Could he steal some of Jaylin Williams minutes as the Thunder’s second-unit anchor in the frontcourt? Possibly.
Nikola Topic will look to build off his Thunder debut season
In a crowded Thunder backcourt, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Lu Dort’s respective exits leave more room for Nikola Topic. After recovering from a torn ACL prior to a testicular cancer diagnosis in 2025, Topic experienced yet another setback this summer. He underwent a minimally invasive lower back procedure that ruled him out of summer league after making his NBA debut in 2025-26.
But Topic showed some promise in his rookie season as a facilitating point guard who isn’t afraid to attack the rim. Topic, selected 12th overall in 2024, was the first of four Thunder first-round picks in three years, including 2025’s Thomas Sorber and 2026’s Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz, a sharpshooting guard who was selected 16th overall.
Given the team’s depth and their recent picks, the Thunder will soon learn which young players stand out most, as ESPN’s Ben Golliver noted.
“After the Thunder felt compelled by financial reasons to trade away some of their depth this summer — losing Dort, Wiggins and Joe in the process — they’ll be a bit more reliant on the youngsters to help them get through next season. To be clear, Oklahoma City would still rank among the title favorites even if none of these four recent first-round picks plays a single playoff minute; the Thunder still go 10-deep in quality players without them,” Golliver said.
“But the Thunder would surely like to see meaningful youth development to help in both the short term — to keep those 10 established contributors fresh in the regular season — and the long term — when a further financial crunch will likely strip away even more depth.
Topic averaged 5.2 points and 4.4 assists in 10 outings last season. The Thunder should have a better idea of where Topic stands after training camp.
Will Brooks Barnhizer prove himself in sophomore season with Thunder?
Technically, Brooks Barnhizer’s 14 points, nine rebounds, and two steals in a 127-107 loss to the Nuggets in the second-to-last game of the regular season was his best stat line. But his impact in a road game against the Spurs on February 4 stands out most from Barnhizer’s rookie season with the Thunder. He finished with 14 points, including four threes, and five assists in 20 minutes off the bench.
Without All-Star Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, and Lu Dort, coach Mark Daigneault turned to his second-round pick, and he delivered. Barnhizer made defensive stops on one end of the floor and drained threes on the other, giving the Thunder a glimpse into what he could be at the wing position. Especially on nights when Daigneault goes small.
Barnhizer’s defensive versatility will get him onto the floor when the Thunder are thin, but his outside touch will keep him there for relatively long stints amidst Daigneault’s rotation. Brooks’ confidence grew gradually in 2025-26.
Perhaps a byproduct of posting a stat line of 18.1 points on 58.5% shooting, including 61.9% from deep, 9.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 11 games for the Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate. It’ll be interesting to see how that carries over in his second season.
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