The Oklahoma City Thunder are staring down a mind-blowing $500-plus million payroll for the 2027-28 season, and it looks like two recent top-15 draft picks, Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber, might be the ones to take the hit. This isn’t just big money, folks; it is an unsustainable roster-building method that has never happened in the NBA before, especially not in a small market like OKC.
The Green Light on Big Bucks Turns Red
For the foreseeable future, the Thunder are in a brutal financial crunch. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams are already gobbling up most of that payroll with their extensions kicking in. Add in Cason Wallace’s latest deal, and that is a ton of cash tied up in just four players. To avoid the dreaded luxury tax and second apron penalties, OKC needs to make some unconventional moves, and soon. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, with intel backed by a rival executive, dropped the bombshell theory that the Thunder could decline the 2027-28 team options for Topic and Sorber. Topic’s option is worth $7.5 million, while Sorber’s is $5.1 million. That is not chump change for a team counting every single cent. As one rival executive put it, “They will not be paying that much, so it comes down to who and how they cut some of it.” You know Sam (Presti) has studied this to death, looking for the cleanest exit.
Recent Lottery Picks on the Chopping Block
Cutting bait with Topic and Sorber would slash a hefty $60 million from the payroll when you factor in the saved taxes. It is a harsh reality, especially for player-development-friendly OKC, but that is the pressure of the NBA’s pseudo-hard-cap world. Both Topic and Sorber have really struggled to stay healthy, with essentially zero real games under their belts since being drafted as top-15 picks in back-to-back drafts. It is genuinely disappointing to see such little contribution from what were essentially lottery picks. Those types of draft misses haunt a franchise. Personally, it feels like moving on from Topic makes more sense; he is buried deep on that depth chart. Sorber, though, might still have a little runway to prove himself in OKC. An Eastern Conference executive famously summed it up, saying, “We all have our problems. We’d all love to have theirs,” highlighting OKC’s dilemma of having too many talented, expensive players.
The Thunder have until Monday, November 2, to make their decision on Topic’s and Sorber’s team options for the 2027-28 season. Whatever they decide will truly pull back the curtain on just how intense the financial pressure from ownership really is. This is going to be a fascinating call to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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