Oklahoma City Continues To Derive Tremendous Value

The Oklahoma City Thunder put together a roster that was the youngest in the entire NBA last season, but was still extremely competitive. The 15-man roster that performed in the postseason contained just six players that have been in the league for at least three seasons. Since there wasn’t a single player on this roster even 30 years old, these six guys were considered the veterans of the team. The other nine players in Oklahoma City were either rookies or sophomores, but were each impactful.

Roster building is extremely important in the NBA, as front offices have three primary methods of acquiring talent. From there, they must consider the price of each player and what they’re worth on the court in terms of production. The best franchises get the most out of each player to ensure they are performing at par or better than their contract.

ProFitX is a data and analytics tool that provides real-time financial and performance insights powered by Artificial Intelligence. According to their models, five of the six veterans on the Thunder roster outperformed their 2022-23 contracts.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

In what was the first season of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s five-year, $179.3 million rookie maximum extension, he legitimately emerged as a star. He finished fifth in MVP voting and was the primary driver of the Thunder winning 40 games and making the postseason.

At just 24 years old, it’s extremely difficult to be the face of the franchise and be productive on both ends. Regardless, that’s what Gilgeous-Alexander did which is why ProFitX models his on-court value at nearly $40 million for the recent season. It’s always a promising sign when your franchise star is already outperforming their contract in year one.

Lu Dort

This was also the first season of an extension for Lu Dort, who inked a five-year, $82.5 million deal with the Thunder to remain part of the long-term core. It’s a contract that escalates in yearly price over the course of the five years, but this first season was a $15.27 million payout for the defensive stud.

While he didn’t blow that number out of the water with his production this season, he did shine in the biggest moment of the season. Dort was the most impactful player in the Thunder’s opening postseason game against the New Orleans Pelicans, notching 27 points, including 20 in the first half. He also won multiple games for OKC on the defensive end over the course of the regular season, locking down in the final seconds to seal the victory. If he can continue developing offensively, Dort’s contract will remain a team-friendly one.

Kenrich Williams
WMB

Unfortunately the 2022-23 season was cut short for Kenrich Williams, who suffered a scapholunate rupture in his left wrist that required surgery. Before that happened, he was playing at a very high level and doing whatever the team needed. Williams played upwards of four positions this season, including center when the Thunder went small during perhaps the team’s most successful portion of the season.

Even then, his on-court production was worth more than four times what he was paid at just $2 million. Williams does have an extension kicking in the 2023-24 campaign, as he enters the first season of a four-year, $27.2 million deal. At under $7 million per year on average over the next four, this is yet another scenario in which a Thunder player is already outperforming their long-term contract.

Aleksej Pokusevski

Another player that had his season essentially cut short was 21-year-old Aleksej Pokusevski. He was playing the best basketball of his career before going down with a leg injury in December. While he did come back and play a few minutes late in the regular season, he wasn’t able to work his way back in the rotation.

A 7-footer with guard skills and two-way upside, he’s eligible for an extension as his initial rookie scale deal is coming to an end after next season. As such, it will be fascinating to see how much he’s able to earn on his second NBA contract. Even with the injuries this season, ProFitX modeled his performance to be worth over $13 million.

Isaiah Joe

While it didn’t seem like a significant signing at the time, Oklahoma City picking up Isaiah Joe during training camp after being cut by the Philadelphia 76ers might go down as the biggest free acquisition in the history of the Thunder. He signed a three-year minimum deal with OKC, then went on to ultimately be one of the best 3-point shooters in the entire NBA last season.

As the season progressed, Joe even showcased his ability to impact the game even outside of perimeter shooting. He has defensive upside and can even generate his own shot off the bounce. At this rate, Joe will be set to earn a massive pay increase in a few years, but in the meantime he is a steal of a contract for the Thunder.

Dario Saric

He likely isn’t part of the long-term core in Oklahoma City, but Dario Saric was a solid piece for the team following his acquisition at the trade deadline. A roster that lacked height, he came in and immediately fit in the system and even helped space the floor.

Saric is set to be a free agent this summer, as he hits the open market. Based on what he did last season, he probably won’t get a deal of the same value as his last, but still proved that he can help any team win games with what he brings to the table. After suffering a torn ACL in the 2021 NBA Finals, Saric is getting back to being the player he used to be.