Thunder's injury crisis fuels ex-player reunion talk — SkimNews
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- Oklahoma City Thunder — Eleven players logged at least 900 minutes last season, but Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe are now on other teams, Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace are carrying injuries that may end their seasons, Alex Caruso has a sprained ankle, Chet Holmgren is out with right knee patellar tendinitis and Ajay Mitchell is questionable — leaving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the only available member of last year's core rotation.
- Brian Windhorst — On ESPN's Hoop Collective podcast, the reporter said it would "not be a surprise" if the Thunder acquire a player they've already had, a cryptic tip the source ties to Oklahoma City's culture-first roster building, surplus of tradable picks and an open roster spot for a free agent.
- NBA — Rules bar a team from reacquiring a player it traded until the following season, putting Dort, Joe and Wiggins off limits for now; the narrow exception requires a second trade followed by a waiver and re-signing, as with Mike Conley and the Minnesota Timberwolves last season.
- Ousmane Dieng — The Thunder drafted him one selection ahead of Jalen Williams in the 2022 NBA Draft and he never found a role in a crowded rotation; after expanding his minutes with Milwaukee following last season's trade deadline and seeing his role shrink this season, the source rates him "theoretically gettable" now that OKC's forward depth has thinned.
- Victor Oladipo — At 34, he has not played since the 2022-23 season and worked out for the Sacramento Kings without signing this offseason; the source notes his healthy version fit Oklahoma City's defensive culture and that he would likely accept any role offered.
- Al Horford — His salary sits just below the $6.9 million in second-apron space the Thunder have available, and their trade exceptions are large enough to fit him; the source adds that the Golden State Warriors aren't competitive enough to turn away offers for players in their 40s.
- Josh Giddey — He has made at least 38% of his catch-and-shoot threes since joining the Chicago Bulls, but Oklahoma City has no obvious way to assemble the $25 million in tradable salary needed to match his contract without incurring an untenable first-apron hard cap.
Why it matters: OKC's surplus of picks and roster spots does not equal flexibility: the second apron leaves about $6.9 million of space, enough for a deal like Al Horford's but not Josh Giddey's $25 million contract, which would force an untenable first-apron hard cap. For Presti, the math narrows a marquee reunion to cheap, culture-fitting reserves.
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