Oklahoma City’s offseason questions are getting louder, but Alex Caruso’s role in the Thunder’s long-term plan is being framed as secure—leaving trade buzz to run into a different reality as max extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams reshape the money
The Thunder’s summer planning might feel like it’s being built in public, but one name keeps coming back in the private math.
Veteran guard Alex Caruso is being viewed as safe in the Oklahoma City roster picture. according to a new report—an assessment that is already likely to frustrate anyone hoping for a major shake-up around the dethroned champions. The backdrop is clear: with All-Star Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams’ respective max extensions kicking in and impacting the financials moving forward. the Thunder’s front office will have to find ways to shave salary cap space during the offseason.
Caruso, one of Sam Presti’s final pieces to the championship puzzle ahead of the 2024-25 season, is still considered part of the Thunder’s core future.
League sources cited by ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon describe Caruso as a “firm member of the long-term core.” They also tie that standing to what Caruso has brought to Oklahoma City’s playoff run. “Caruso. entering the second season of a four-year. $81 million extension. is considered a firm member of the long-term core. league sources said. proving again his extreme playoff value the past month in the locker room and on the court. ” Slater and MacMahon reported.
It’s not just reputation being pointed to—it’s production, too. Caruso is coming off the most productive postseason of his career while Oklahoma City. for the most part. faced the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals without Williams and his backup. Ajay Mitchell. During that run, Caruso averaged 14.9 points on 47.7% shooting, including 50% from deep. He added 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 26.1 minutes per game.
Next season’s role is also already mapped out financially. Caruso is set to enter the second season of his four-year, $81 million contract in 2026-27, with a salary of $19.5 million.
That matters because Oklahoma City’s roster decisions won’t be made in a vacuum. When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander spoke to reporters after a Game 7 loss. he made it plain that he doesn’t get involved in GM Sam Presti’s affairs. That stance suggests Gilgeous-Alexander won’t be steering possible moves across the summer.
But he’s said to make one exception: Lu Dort.
ESPN’s Anthony Slater and Tim MacMahon reported that Gilgeous-Alexander will vouch for Dort. because the two guards are the longest-tenured members of the Thunder. MacMahon said on the NBA Today show that he was told Shai was “playing a little bit coy there. ” but that he would still “remind Sam Presti and the Thunder management just how much he values having Lu Dort as his teammate.”.
For Dort. the question hanging over his standing isn’t a lack of fit inside the franchise—it’s what came with the playoffs. With the emergence of homegrown guards such as Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell. along with Caruso as the veteran presence. some around the team have viewed Dort as the odd man out after what was described as an underwhelming performance in the playoffs. especially against the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort are also teammates on the Canadian men’s national basketball team, a detail that adds another layer to why Dort could be treated differently in any internal conversation.
The story that’s forming here is simple on the surface and complicated underneath. The Thunder may have to rearrange their salary-cap picture as max extensions change the financial landscape. but the signals being sent around Caruso are clear: trade suitors are being told they won’t get the outcome they’re expecting.
At the same time. Dort is positioned as the one player Gilgeous-Alexander will actively protect—quietly. through the value he’s prepared to state directly to the people making the calls. And that is the pressure point for Oklahoma City as the offseason approaches: the money will have to move. but the identity of at least part of the core. at least in this phase. appears to already be decided.
Oklahoma City Thunder Alex Caruso Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Lu Dort Chet Holmgren Jalen Williams Sam Presti Western Conference Finals San Antonio Spurs salary cap