Presti Calls Money, Not the Tax Line, Oklahoma City's Real…

By the Thunder Nightly Desk · Friday, September 25

Sam Presti spent the day explaining his approach to Oklahoma City's build, telling ESPN the roster's departures should not translate into a step back and telling other outlets that money, not the league's tax rules, is what actually limits him. Camp opens with a clean record and a full injury report, five players tagged day-to-day into next week.

Thunder Nightly artwork — Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

Presti Names the Real Constraint

Hoops Rumors aggregated a wide-ranging session with Presti on September 25, drawing on Baxter Holmes' reporting for ESPN a day earlier. ESPN quoted Presti saying he does not expect a Thunder downturn despite this summer's departures, while RealGM's write-up of the same remarks called money the Thunder's 'ghost in the machine,' not the league's tax lines. Thunderous Intentions has already tied that framing to Cason Wallace, reporting that a strong contract year could push his next deal into territory the front office would rather avoid.

Payroll Sets the Stakes

Oklahoma City's payroll sits at $216.2 million, above the $200.4 million luxury-tax line, carried by five contracts north of $19 million apiece. That bill funds the group that won 64 games last season and reached full strength, and it is the cost Presti says he tracks more closely than any roster rule. Sam Presti still holds swap rights on the 2027 and 2028 first-round picks and owns Oklahoma City's own firsts outright in 2029 and 2030, the other half of the equation.

Camp Clock Starts Ticking

The preseason begins October 6 at home against New Orleans, then Milwaukee on October 7, before road and home dates against Atlanta and Indiana on October 12 and 13. The regular-season opener follows October 20 at San Antonio, airing on NBC and Peacock. Five players are listed day-to-day — Thomas Sorber, Ajay Mitchell, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and Otega Oweh — each pointing toward a return around October 1, giving camp roughly two weeks to work them back in before the preseason opener.

When does the Thunder's preseason start?

October 6 at home against New Orleans, with three more preseason games before the October 20 regular-season opener at San Antonio.

Is Oklahoma City over the luxury tax?

Yes. The payroll sits at $216.2 million, above the $200.4 million tax line, carried by five contracts north of $19 million apiece.

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.