Oklahoma City

Thunder

Barnhizer is on a two-way contract, and even with the players Oklahoma City traded during the offseason, he’s unlikely to get the minutes needed to impact fantasy basketball. However, nights like Monday can open the door for a longer look, especially if the Thunder are shorthanded on the wings.

After not missing a shot in either of Oklahoma City’s first two preseason games, Mara’s hot streak ended on Monday. However, the rookie center still had a good night, recording a double-double along with six assists and five blocks. Mara’s regular-season minutes will depend on Isaiah Hartenstein’s and Jaylin Williams’ availability, but he’s looked good in the preseason.

With a home game scheduled for Tuesday, the Thunder kept most of their key contributors home rather than sending them to Atlanta. Stirtz started and showed why he was a first-round pick in June, knocking down six of nine three-point attempts. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander running the show, Stirtz is unlikely to get the minutes needed to be a factor in redraft leagues. But he’s a must-roster player in dynasty formats, especially as the price of contending continues to rise for Oklahoma City.

With Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein sitting, Caruso made his first appearance of the preseason as a starter. The veteran wing shot well, hitting four of his six three-point attempts in 17 minutes. While Caruso has been a solid member of the Thunder rotation the last two seasons, injuries limited his fantasy impact. With the team trading Luguentz Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins during the offseason, Caruso’s role takes on added importance, potentially pushing him back into fantasy relevance.

On a night when three of Oklahoma City’s five projected starters were available, Mitchell came off the bench. Cason Wallace, the replacement in the starting lineup on most nights last season, started against the Bucks and appears likely to keep that role. However, this doesn’t mean fantasy managers considering Mitchell should panic. He showed last season that he can provide consistent category league value in a reserve role, and that shouldn’t change in 2026-27, especially with his playing time expected to increase.

With Isaiah Hartenstein sitting out a second straight preseason game, Mara started alongside projected starters Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Cason Wallace, and Jalen Williams on Wednesday. The rookie looked very comfortable in that role, meshing well with the Thunder playmakers in the two-man game. Mara didn’t miss a shot from the field, and Oklahoma City posted a +22.5 net rating when he was on the court. How valuable the rookie is in redraft leagues will depend on Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren’s health, with iHart limited to 47 regular-season games last season.

Like Oklahoma City’s other projected starters, Wallace sat out the team’s preseason opener on Tuesday. He logged 18 minutes on Wednesday, dishing out six assists without committing a turnover. Wallace didn’t have a great night shooting the ball, but he did a little bit of everything else. He was the fifth starter on most nights last season when Oklahoma City was down a man, and it appears Wallace will be a full-time starter following the trade of Luguentz Dort. That makes him a more appealing option within the first 100 picks in standard drafts.

After sitting out Tuesday’s preseason opener, Williams logged 19 minutes in the first half on Wednesday. While he missed all three of his three-point attempts, J-Dub was a perfect 8-of-8 from inside the arc. Limited to 33 games last season due to injury, Williams is a high-level fantasy option when healthy. He appeared in 69 games or more in each of his first three seasons, so fantasy managers shouldn’t worry too much about Williams’ availability going into drafts.

After sitting out Oklahoma City’s preseason opener on Tuesday in Tulsa, Gilgeous-Alexander was in his usual starting point guard role on Wednesday. The two-time MVP looked sharp, missing none of his shots from the field or the foul line. Gilgeous-Alexander’s line included three made three-pointers. SGA averaged 1.7 three-pointers per game last season and made at least three three-pointers in 17 games.

The important thing to note is that this isn’t because they’re still hurt, but rather because the Thunder want to bring them along slowly since both are returning from multiple injuries. While they are both exciting young prospects that could make an impact for OKC in the future, it is unlikely that either will play a significant role this season due to how much depth they have.