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The Bricktown Brief · Morning

Preseason Clock Starts Ticking Toward October 6

No roster moves landed overnight; the preseason opener against New Orleans is the next real checkpoint.

$216.2MPayrollabove the first apron
2026-10-06Preseason Openervs Pelicans
24.2Roster Ageaverage, across 21 players
2026-10-20Season Openerat Spurs, on NBC/Peacock
By the Thunder Nightly Desk · Thursday, October 1

Oklahoma City has no transactions or injury updates in the last day, leaving the roster exactly as it stood heading into the weekend. The preseason schedule opens October 6 against the Pelicans, with three more exhibition games before the October 20 opener at San Antonio.

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Illustration by Hoops Nightly.

A Quiet 36 Hours

Nothing new broke for Oklahoma City in the last day and a half. The roster holds at 21 players, averaging 24.2 years old, with camp work continuing ahead of four preseason games over the next two weeks: October 6 against New Orleans, October 7 against Milwaukee, October 12 at Atlanta, and October 13 against Indiana.

Cap Sheet Above The Apron

Oklahoma City carries a payroll of $216.2 million, above the first apron of $209.0 million and above the $200.4 million tax threshold. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams both carry $41.5 million salaries, with SGA at $40.8 million and Isaiah Hartenstein at $23.1 million behind them. The club holds pick swaps in the first and second rounds of both the 2027 and 2028 drafts, plus its own firsts and seconds in 2029 and 2030.

Depth Chart Still Unsettled

Christoph Tilly signed an Exhibit 10 deal in September, and whether that turns into a regular roster spot remains open. Thunderous Intentions wrote that Jaylin Williams should root for slow development from Aday Mara and Thomas Sorber, a sign of how crowded the frontcourt picture looks behind Holmgren and Hartenstein. The open question is which of the newer names — Tilly, Mara, Sorber, or September's trio of McCray, Holifield, and Smith — actually makes the regular-season roster.

When does Oklahoma City's preseason start?

The preseason opens October 6 against the Pelicans, followed by games on October 7, 12, and 13 before the October 20 regular-season opener at San Antonio.

Is Oklahoma City's payroll over the luxury tax?

Yes. The payroll runs $216.2 million, above both the first apron of $209.0 million and the $200.4 million tax threshold.

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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