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The Bricktown Brief · Cap watch

Cap Watch: Oklahoma City Sits Above the Lower Apron

A $216.2M payroll already clears the tax threshold and the lower apron, well shy of the upper limit.

$216.2MPayrollabove the lower apron already
$200.4MTax Thresholdcleared before the opener
$209.0MLower Apronalready behind this roster
$221.7MUpper Apronnot yet reached
By the Thunder Nightly Desk · Thursday, September 24

Oklahoma City opens the offseason with a $216.2M payroll across 15 contracts, above the $200.4M tax threshold and the $209.0M lower apron, with $221.7M separating this roster from the upper limit. Next season's numbers already step up for the core five, and the picks ledger holds swaps in 2027 and 2028 before Oklahoma City's own selections return in 2029 and 2030.

$216.2M: Payroll

Payroll Above Two Lines

The payroll totals $216.2M across 15 contracts, well past the $165.0M salary cap and the $200.4M tax threshold, and already over the $209.0M lower apron. Only the $221.7M upper apron remains untouched, the harder limit still ahead of this roster.

The Core Five Contracts

Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams each carry a $41.5M cap hit. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is next at $40.8M, then Isaiah Hartenstein at $23.1M and Alex Caruso at $19.6M complete the top five. By 2027-28 those figures grow: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reaches $61.0M, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams climb to $44.8M each, Isaiah Hartenstein to $25.0M and Alex Caruso to $21.0M. The rest of the 2026-27 book is lighter: Jaylin Williams at $7.8M, Cason Wallace at $7.4M, Aday Mara at $5.8M, Nikola Topic at $5.4M, Kenrich Williams at $5.0M, Thomas Sorber at $4.9M, Bennett Stirtz at $4.7M, Jared McCain at $4.4M, Ajay Mitchell at $2.9M and Christoph Tilly at $1.4M round out the group. Team options follow for Jaylin Williams at $7.8M and Ajay Mitchell at $2.9M in 2027-28, the two decisions that could still trim the bill.

Draft Capital Intact

The pick ledger carries swaps in both rounds for 2027 and 2028, then Oklahoma City's own first- and second-rounders return in 2029 and 2030. That combination of an apron-restricted payroll and a clean future pick book is the real trade Sam Presti made this summer: less flexibility now, more control later, with the Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell options as the only near-term release valves on the bill.

Is Oklahoma City over the salary cap for 2026-27?

Yes. The payroll sits at $216.2M, well above the $165.0M cap and past both the $200.4M tax threshold and the $209.0M lower apron.

How many first-round picks does Oklahoma City control?

Oklahoma City holds swap rights in 2027 and 2028, then keeps its own first-round picks outright in 2029 and 2030.

By the Thunder Nightly Desk, written from the club's data and the reports on file, with every name and number checked against them. How the desks work.

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