Media Day, 2026: "We are still the Oklahoma City Thunder."
The Thunder lost the 2026 Western Conference Finals in brutal fashion. In the four months since, they've lost Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Lu Dort in trades for second-round draft picks. They lost out on the offer-sheet extended to Spencer Jones (but, with Payton Watson's subsequent subsequent dumping, won the cap war with Denver).
The only offseason additions to the roster are rookies. That means the only way for this young, expensive team return to the winner's circle two years after the 2025 title–barring an unlikely trade for veteran talent that manages to dodge the tax line, fits within apron restrictions, and satisfies Presti's appetite for long-term, cost-controlled talent–is to improve from within.
The media day theme, which Sam Presti anchored at his preseason presser last week, was echoed by Mark Daigneault and all the OKC players: the Thunder's offseason changes were off-court losses that will affect the human beings representing Oklahoma City on the court this season. But the team expects to be better in 2026-27. Shai wants to improve on a historic, repeat MVP campaign. Everyone expects Jalen Williams' return from injury to power the team forward–most confidently, JDub himself.
Also: everyone loves Jared McCain.
Alex Caruso put it most succinctly: "Fundamentally, we are still the Oklahoma City Thunder."
Here are some of the best quotes and takeaways from the press sessions and team interviews, which you can watch in its entirety here.
Shai.
"Swing at it and keep swinging until you get it. And if you don't get it, keep swinging." - On his hopes of reaching his 50-40-90 goal.
On losing Dort, Wiggins and Joe:
"For me, it was less about basketball and more about the individuals and not being around them every day that was going to be the hardest."
On Chet moving forward:
"Just because he had a bad outing to some doesn't mean those things change about him. He's the same guy, same character."
On playing off the ball with Canada:
"That was just an area of the game where I felt like I could be a better basketball player."
On getting JDub back:
"We'll have an All-NBA talent who puts the ball in the basket and guards 1 through 5. So that will make life easier not only for myself but for the rest of the group."
On Jared McCain:
"He'll be a star in his role... I think with him, it's just the opportunity, the more he'll show, and the better he'll get, the more reps he gets under his belt."
Dub.
"I'm more excited to remind myself that I play basketball."
On addressing his recurring hamstring problems:
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