The Thunder made 3 cuts and 1 pick, and the 18-man roster is officially released! SGA continues to evolve, and the strongest second leader is born

ESPN released the NBA Basketball Strength Index for the new season, and the Thunder topped the list; the US media TA predicted the Western Conference record rankings for the new season, and the Thunder topped the list with 66 wins and 16 losses; the US media released the probability list of winning the new season, and the Thunder still topped the list! This is the respect the defending champion deserves. As the saying goes: until the defending champion falls, they are still the champion! Not only that, the Thunder spent US$820 million this offseason, and their ambition to build a dynasty team is clear!

The NBA preseason has ended. The Thunder went into battle lightly and achieved a record of 4 wins and 2 losses. The Thunder made final adjustments to their lineup before the start of the regular season, with 3 cuts and 1 pick! According to official news from the Thunder, the team officially waived Whitehead, Austin and Lyons. At the same time, according to NBA reporter Michael Scotto, the Thunder signed a two-way contract with Youngblood. Youngblood is an undrafted player in the 2025 class. He played in 6 preseason games for the Thunder, averaging 11 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. The Thunder have three cuts and one pick, and they have only one principle: championship teams don’t raise idlers.

As a result, the Thunder's 18-man roster for the new season is officially released, as follows: Insider - Holmgren + Harten + Sauber + Carlson (two-way contract), forward - Jaylenway + Kenway + Dieng + Jaylinway + Barnheiser (two-way contract), backline - SGA + Caruso + Dort + Joe + Wiggins + Wallace + Topich + Mitchell + Youngblood (two-way contract). Generally speaking, the Thunder have retained all the championship lineups, and their offensive and defensive balance and lineup depth are still unique in the league. They just need to pack lightly like last season, stay healthy, and do it again! What’s even more frightening is that the total salary of the Thunder’s lineup is only 186.9 million U.S. dollars, which is lower than the luxury tax line (187.9 million U.S. dollars). They can rush to the championship while sharing the huge luxury tax paid by other teams!

The train runs fast, all thanks to the headband. The Thunder team makes a comeback and continues to charge for the championship, and SGA individuals will also launch an attack on the MVP! Last season, SGA completed the feat of scoring champion + MVP + Western Conference Finals MVP + championship + FMVP Grand Slam, and he has just entered the peak of his career at the age of 27. At least judging from the situation in the preseason, SGA has evolved again. After three preseason games, SGA averaged 19 minutes per game, averaging 17 points + 2.3 rebounds + 5.3 assists + 1.7 steals + 1.7 three-pointers, with a shooting percentage of 83.3% and a three-point shooting percentage of 71.4%. After three games, SGA made 20 of 24 shots. Who can handle this?

In addition to SGA, the defending champion also has the league's strongest second-in-command Jaylen Way! Jaylen Way did not play in the preseason due to injury, but his performance in the playoffs last season is still vivid in my mind, especially in the Tianwangshan Finals, where Jaylen Way scored 40 points. This is why the Thunder gave him a five-year, $239 million maximum salary contract. In the NBA's second-leading rankings selected by Yahoo Sports, Jaylen Way undoubtedly topped the list, beating James, Mobley Jr., Butler, Towns, Fox, Wagner Jr., Shen Jing and others. What's even more frightening is that Jaylenway is only 24 years old, and his annual salary in the new season is only US$6.58 million, which is lower than Jaylenway (US$8.45 million). It has to be said that this Thunder team is young and has no limits, and it does have a chance to build its own small dynasty. Fans and friends, what do you think of this? Come and leave me a comment to discuss.