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The Bricktown Brief · By the numbers

By The Numbers: Reading Oklahoma City's Offseason Math

Four figures that frame Oklahoma City before a single 2026-27 game tips off.

$216.2MTotal Payrollwell past the tax threshold
11.1Net Ratingleague's best mark last season
64-18RecordWest's top seed, third year running
31.1SGA Scoringpoints per game last season
By the Thunder Nightly Desk · Saturday, September 26

Oklahoma City carries no wins or losses into 2026-27, but four figures already frame the season: what the roster costs, what it produced last season, and who carried the offense. None of it decides anything once games start.

$216.2M: Total Payroll

The Cost Of This Roster

Oklahoma City's payroll runs $216.2 million, well past the $200.4 million tax threshold and into the league's costliest bracket. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren each carry a $41.5 million cap hit, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits at $40.8 million, Isaiah Hartenstein at $23.1 million, and Alex Caruso at $19.6 million. Those five deals account for most of the total. Sam Presti built a champion, and this is what paying for it looks like on paper.

What Last Season Produced

A net rating of 11.1 led the league last season, built on the top-ranked defense at 106.5 and an offense that finished seventh at 117.6, all played at a pace of 100.4. That combination produced a 64-18 record and the Western Conference's top seed for a third straight year. None of it carries forward — the record resets to 0-0 for 2026-27.

SGA's Share Of The Math

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 31.1 points last season on 38.6 percent shooting from three, the largest offensive share on the roster. Chet Holmgren followed at 17.1 points and 8.9 rebounds. Beyond this group, Oklahoma City also holds swap rights on the 2027 and 2028 first- and second-round picks, plus its own 2029 and 2030 selections — a hedge on the cost above, not a guarantee of who plays in those years.

How far above the tax threshold is Oklahoma City's payroll?

The payroll sits at $216.2 million against a $200.4 million tax threshold, putting the club in the league's most restrictive bracket.

What was Oklahoma City's net rating last season?

Oklahoma City posted a net rating of 11.1 last season, the best mark in the league, built on the top-ranked defense.

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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