The core: Jalen Williams (25), Chet Holmgren (24), Ajay Mitchell (24), Cason Wallace (23)
How do the NBA’s rich grow perpetually richer? By keeping the pipeline of draft picks and ascending prospects churning. Oklahoma City, which has 132 regular-season wins, six postseason series victories and a world title to show for the past two seasons, will head into 2026-27 with three first-round rookies: Aday Mara (the No. 12 pick), Bennett Stirtz (No. 16) and Thomas Sorber (No. 15 in 2025, recovering from an ACL tear).
Which is to say nothing, of course, of the four different 25-and-under talents headlined above. Nor the three others listed below. Few clubs (if any) can match the Thunder’s quantity of young talent, yet the quality of it reigns over much of the field, too.
Jalen Williams’ 2025-26 season was short-circuited by a hamstring problem, but he was an All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive selection the campaign prior. Chet Holmgren is still ironing out his offensive identity, and he just made the All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive teams this season. They might be centerpieces elsewhere, but they’re reduced to co-star status in the Sooner State by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who is too old for this exercise but might still be ascending—gulp!).
Following this trickle-down, Ajay Mitchell and Cason Wallace might hold primary-prospect status on different rosters. Here, they’re held as clear examples of the absurdity of OKC’s depth. Mitchell seems capable of stardom right now; he was 95th percentile in estimated plus-minus, per Dunks & Threes. And Wallace is a decorated defender (All-Defensive second-team) who could be a great offensive conductor if given the chance.
No team boasts a better blend of quantity and quality of young talent. But since stardom rules this sport, the Thunder miss out on the No. 1 spot for their lack of a superstar in this 25-and-under core.
Others: Jaylin Williams (24), Aday Mara (21), Nikola Topić (21), Thomas Sorber (21), Bennett Stirtz (23), Jared McCain (22)