The Oklahoma City Thunder are set for another season, and they'll need some contributions from some of their youngest players.
After an offseason filled with change that saw the Thunder send out some key contributors, next season will be an intriguing one for their recent draft picks. Over the past three drafts, the Thunder have used four first-round picks to add some young talent to the roster.
While injuries have piled up over the past couple of years for Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber, they're poised to join the lineup alongside Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz in 2026-27. Considering how critical it is for Oklahoma City to produce young talent in this era, it will be counting on those four to make an impact in some fashion, even if they aren't necessarily going to be relied upon in the postseason.
Perhaps most importantly, the Thunder can't afford to strike out entirely at either spot. While it's always a possibility that the Thunder will be faced with a couple of busts at guard or inside, they should have the capabilities of ensuring at least one player at each spot develops into a playable piece of the rotation for future postseason runs.
While it's crucial for Oklahoma City to get at least one solid player at both spots, the ways in which pressure will be taken off or piled on also differ greatly at guard and center. With all four players effectively entering their first full NBA season, they all project to have different potential paths to contributing.
Down low, Sorber and Mara will both have their ability to succeed largely determined by their physical capabilities. With Sorber coming off an ACL tear and Mara potentially needing some time to adjust to the speed of the NBA game, it would be a real relief for the Thunder if one can immediately shine, thus giving the other some extra time to prepare for play at this level.
Meanwhile, the guard situation will likely be more about who has the talent to break into the already-deep rotation. Topic and Stirtz are both offensive-minded players who could bring an interesting dynamic to the Thunder rotation.
While there should naturally be minutes available for Sorber and Mara inside, that luxury may not always be there for Topic and Stirtz, giving each of them more pressure to perform when their number is called.
Ultimately, the Thunder will be looking to develop their young talent throughout the season, and if things go right, the pressure put on these four next season will result in contributions for years to come.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi as Recent OKC Thunder First-Round Picks Have Pressure to Perform Next Season .
