With the dust settling on the three-team trade between the Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, and Dallas Mavericks that sent wing Lu Dort to the Hawks, Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks, guard Ryan Nembhard to the Hawks, and three second-round picks to the Thunder, the stark financial implications of maintaining a title-contending core are apparent in Oklahoma City.
BREAKING: The Oklahoma City Thunder trading All-Defensive wing Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that sends three second-round picks to OKC, former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks and Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/4ewUxhRQA5
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2026
In part due to motivations to avoid the NBA second apron threshold of the salary cap, the Thunder have spent the 2026 NBA offseason shedding salary to avoid the draconian penalties that are levied on NBA teams with salary cap payrolls that reside above the second apron value.
The 2026 NBA offseason cost-cutting maneuvers leveraged by the Thunder’s front office, led by executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti, are likely to repeat going into the 2027 NBA offseason as well due to the Thunder’s salary cap spending projecting to return to second apron territory once guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s four-year $271.7 million contract extension kicks in, according to Yossi Gozlan of Third Apron.
Oklahoma City Thunder after trading Lu Dort.
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) July 19, 2026
They save $100 million and have enough second apron space to sign a 15th player without going over.
They will be in the second apron next season once Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supermax kicks in. Cason Wallace also extension-eligible. pic.twitter.com/G6gOfq5GYI
This all becomes relevant to the Chicago Bulls when focusing on Thunder big Jaylin Williams, who becomes extension eligible during the 2027 NBA offseason.
Given the Thunder and Presti’s benchmark reputation for front office management, there is a general expectation among the greater NBA community that when Thunder role players don’t receive extensions, it’s all but a foregone conclusion that the player will be traded, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
Jaylin Williams is a can’t-miss Bulls opportunity
The basic profile of Jaylin Williams alone should pique Bulls lead front office executive Bryson Graham’s interest in acquiring the 6’9” 240-pound player who will enter his age 25 season during the final season of his contract during the 2027-28 NBA season.
Williams, of course, carries an NBA championship pedigree as part of the Thunder’s 2024-25 NBA title roster, and he also carries great positional versatility to play either power forward or center.
Over his four-year NBA career, all in Oklahoma City, Williams has been a stalwart rotational contributor to the Thunder’s rise to NBA champion status, averaging a career 12.2 points per 36 minutes, 10.2 rebounds per 36 minutes, 1.0 steals per 36 minutes, and 1.0 blocks per 36 minutes according to Basketball Reference.
Also noteworthy is Williams' ability to contribute as a stretch big, shooting a career 38.7% on 6.2 three-point attempts per 36 minutes.
Williams presence with Caleb Wilson and Matas Buzelis would instantly level up the Bulls' young roster core.
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