The injury board moved on October 19: Chet Holmgren, Cason Wallace and Jaylin Williams were cleared, while Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber were ruled out, each listed to return October 22. The season opens tonight at the Spurs on NBC and Peacock, two nights before the Nuggets visit Paycom Center.
The board, settled late
Holmgren's quadriceps issue was first reported October 10 and sat without an update until Monday's clearance. Wallace had been cleared October 13, reappeared October 15 with an undisclosed problem, and is now cleared again, a day after Hoops Rumors reported his five-year, $139MM extension and the club announced it on OKCThunder.com. Topic, on the list since October 16 with a back issue, and Sorber, with a right knee, both moved to out. Otega Oweh remains out for the season after his Achilles injury. In the last three preseason games Alex Caruso and Jared McCain each played 10 to 11 more minutes a night than their season pace, the clearest sign of how the rotation bends when bodies are missing.
San Antonio by the ratings
The Spurs went 62-20 last season at 118.7 offense and 110.4 defense. Oklahoma City went 64-18 at 117.6 and 106.5, so the gap between the two is almost entirely on the defensive end. Victor Wembanyama averaged 25.0 points and 11.5 rebounds last season, and The Athletic now lists him as the MVP favorite for the first time. San Antonio is without Jayden Quaintance, a right knee, and Tobias Harris, a left calf. The Thunder arrive on four days of rest to the Spurs' three. The Athletic's odds piece calls the two clubs co-favorites for the 2027 title, which makes tonight the first real measurement of that claim.
The bill and the picks
Payroll stands at $214.8M, above the first apron, against a $200.4M luxury tax line. Jalen Williams and Holmgren each earn $41.5M, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander $40.8M, Isaiah Hartenstein $23.1M and Caruso $19.6M. Mark Nilon of Thunderous Intentions wrote that the Wallace deal sets the franchise up for a world of hurt next summer, a view this desk reads as a question about who stays, not whether the deal was right. The asset side is quieter: Oklahoma City controls its own 2029 and 2030 selections in both rounds, with swap rights attached in 2027 and 2028. The open question is simpler than any of that: whether Topic and Sorber actually make Wednesday.
Who is out for the Thunder against the Spurs tonight?
Nikola Topic, with a back issue, and Thomas Sorber, with a right knee, are out, both listed to return October 22. Otega Oweh is out for the season.
Is Chet Holmgren playing in the season opener?
He was cleared October 19 after a quadriceps issue first reported October 10. Nothing on the current report keeps him out tonight.
