While some tend to think the second apron is going to eat the Thunder alive, think again.
Taking Chet and SGA’s extensions into account, OKC is about $17M from the second apron for the 26-27 season and they have team options for Hartenstein, Dort, and Kenrich Williams.
While tough roster decisions will need to be made, Sam Presti has this team in a position where they can move money around easily and replace players with young talent.
Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Aaron Wiggins could take over for Dort.
Jaylin Williams and Thomas Sorber will eventually take over for Hartenstein.
Not to mention, Presti has a handful of draft picks to play around with.
The Thunder have options and plenty of flexibility to remain below the dreaded tax apron even with SGA, Holmgren, and JDub extensions.
BREAKING: NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has agreed to a four-year, $285 million super maximum contract extension with the championship Oklahoma City Thunder through 2030-31, sources tell ESPN. This is now the richest annual salary for a player in league history.
From the 3-29 start in the inaugural season in OKC..
..to the meteoric rise of the KD/Russ/Harden team.
..to the thrill of making the 2012 Finals and the promise of more to come.
..to 3 title-contending seasons taken away by injuries to Russ/KD/Ibaka.
..to being up 3-1 in the WCF.
..to KD’s hardest road.
..to Russ staying in OKC and his MVP season.
..to the Paul George trade and the OK3.
..to the franchise altering SGA trade.
..to trading away Russ.
..to that special CP3 playoff season.
..to hiring Mark Daigneault.
..to the Poku rebuild years.
..to drafting Chet and JDub.
..to the meteoric rise of the second era.
..to a historical 68 win season.
..all culminating in an NBA Championship coming home to Oklahoma City.
Congratulations, Thunder fans.
Put Iman Shumpert everywhere.
He’s awesome in this clip and every NBA executive at ESPN should be watching this and contrasting it to Perk, the Morris brothers, Gil and every other lazy effort they’ve made.