The Thunder are still churning through the NBA preseason, with the 2026-27 season now on the horizon just a few weeks away.
On Monday, Oklahoma City will face off against the Hawks in their third preseason tilt. So far, OKC is 0-2, though both games have been decided in the waning minutes. The Thunder were up double-digits in both contests in rolling out their primary rotation, with plenty more room for optimism for the upcoming season.
For the fourth-straight season, the Thunder will enter as a top contender in the NBA, having been eliminated by the Spurs in a seven-game series in the Western Conference Finals. They’ll kick off their regular season against San Antonio on Oct. 20, followed by Denver on Oct. 22.
Below is the list of players that are presumably sitting out for Oklahoma City versus Atlanta tonight:
OKC Thunder:
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Chet Holmgren
Jalen Williams
Isaiah Hartenstein
Cason Wallace
Ajay Mitchell
Alex Caruso
Jared McCain
Jaylin Williams
Kenrich Williams
Nikola Topic
Thomas Sorber
The Thunder will be strategically resting the vast majority of its rotation against the Hawks.
"We are going to not travel a number of guys just based on the rhythm of preseason and the fact that it's a back-to-back,” Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault said. “A large amount of our returning rotation players, if not all of our returning rotation players, will not travel and will not play — just in the interest of having them physically ready to go against Indiana. We'll travel the rookie players, the two ways and the Exhibit-10 guys. We'll have nine total guys in Atlanta."
In the least, the Thunder will continue to provide valuable reps to its newest crop of rookies, including Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz and Otega Oweh.
So far, Mara has been a revelation for OKC through two games, starting against both the Pelicans and Bucks. He’s 15-for-15 from the field, having not even missed a field goal. Stirtz has been similarly good, scoring 17.5 points per game on efficient shooting through two contests.
Both players will be counted on to produce for OKC this season, especially in light of the trading of Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins in the offseason. Stirtz' 3-point shooting should be a boon for Daigneault's rotation, in addition to Mara's usefulness in the frontcourt.
The Thunder face off against the Hawks at 6 p.m. CT at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, GA.
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