OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 18: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 is interviewed with teammates Chet Holmgren #7 and Isaiah Hartenstein #55 of the Oklahoma City Thunder after beating the Denver Nuggets 125-93 in Game Seven of the Western Conference Second Round NBA Playoffs at Paycom Center on May 18, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Joshua Gateley/Getty Images)
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Training camp around the NBA can mean a lot of different things depending on where a team stands, both in its competitive cycle and in its roster construction. There have been plenty of training camps in Oklahoma City over the past half-decade that have been crucial in deciding who makes the cut on the final 15-man roster. There have even been somewhat recent years where good players, legitimate NBA talents who had earned the love of the fan base, ended up being let go because of roster crunch situations and the influx of talent as the team searched for its core.
But training camp this year in Oklahoma City is very different, both compared to recent Thunder camps and to most teams around the league. That’s because the Thunder is essentially returning the same team that just won a championship. You basically swap out Dylan Jones for Thomas Sorber, who recently tore his ACL and won’t play anyway, and factor in Nikola Topić returning from injury and finally getting to compete. Other than that, it’s the exact same team. All of the guys who actually played minutes last season in meaningful, high-leverage moments are back.
All 15 roster spots are already filled with players the Thunder likes and will have on the team on opening night. The only roster spot open is a two-way contract. The Thunder has already filled two of their three two-way spots, and players are being signed right now to training camp deals to compete for a chance at that final one. But the standard 15-man roster, the full-time NBA deals, that’s already set in stone.
It’s a different phenomenon than in recent seasons, but it’s a good thing. This setup sparks competitiveness within a group that already knows it’s going to be together. Sometimes, when there’s competition just to earn a spot on the 15-man roster, it can actually be detrimental to chemistry because guys are battling for their livelihood, and there are politics involved. This year, there’s still going to be plenty of competition, but it’s going to be more about the pecking order, carving out roles in the rotation and showing what improvements were made over the summer to earn early-season minutes.
The competitiveness and juice will still exist, just in a different way. And that’s exciting. This is a team running back the same roster in an effort to go back-to-back and win another NBA title. Training camp can be focused on continuing to build cohesion and chemistry rather than figuring out who fits best and who’s going to make the team.
It’s all about these 15 guys the Thunder is rolling out this season and seeing who has stepped up heading into another title chase. The biggest storyline of this training camp will be who, if anyone, can prove worthy of that third and final two-way spot. Otherwise, it’s about chemistry, continuity and getting ready to defend a championship. That’s unique, but it’s a good thing and another reason the Thunder is set up for success.