Oklahoma City’s roster is effectively set for opening night, but that doesn’t mean it’s set for the entire season.
The Thunder’s ring night is only a week away. With the Houston Rockets set to come to town to tip off the NBA season on Oct. 21, the Thunder only have a couple of preseason games to get through until they officially turn the page to 2025-26.
After winning the NBA title, the Thunder didn’t have much offseason movement. Aside from signing extensions, sending out Dillon Jones and adding a couple of players through the draft, it was mostly a quiet offseason for the front office.
However, that doesn’t mean the Thunder were complacent. Sam Presti and company were fortunate enough to return 14 of the 15 players from last season’s standard roster, which is an extreme rarity in the league in 2025.
While the Thunder seemed set to have a quiet offseason, the free agency of former Thunder star Russell Westbrook still drew some attention. Although Oklahoma City never pursued the future Hall of Famer over the offseason, that reunion might not be off the table yet.
As Westbrook remains unsigned in the midst of preseason action, his NBA future is in doubt. With the Sacramento Kings being the only team currently linked to him, Westbrook could start the season without being on an NBA roster.
Apr 21, 2019; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) holds the ball during the game against the Portland Trail Blazers in game four of the first round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-Imagn Images / Rob Ferguson-Imagn Images
As of now, Westbrook wouldn’t be a great fit in Oklahoma City, but things can change suddenly throughout a season, and the Thunder shouldn’t rule out a call to the 2017 MVP at some point in the year. With Nikola Topic already set to miss time, Jalen Williams’ opening night status in question and guys like Ajay Mitchell and Isaiah Joe getting banged up in preseason action, the path to needing a reliable veteran guard is a bit more realistic than it currently seems.
If the Thunder were to add Westbrook, they would also need to clear a roster spot, with Ousmane Dieng being the likeliest candidate. Of course, the situation would also have to be nearly perfect for Westbrook, given that Oklahoma City likely already has plans to promote one of its two-way guys into that spot during the season.
There’s no doubt that someday in the not-so-distant future, the No. 0 will be hanging in Oklahoma City alongside Nick Collison’s No. 4 and the 2025 championship banner. While it still seems quite unlikely, there’s also still a chance that the next time Westbrook’s No. 0 is on display for Oklahoma City, it will be in action on the floor and not just in the rafters.