The Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to explore offseason roster moves involving Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, with salary and luxury tax structure emerging as key factors following a deep 2025-26 playoff run.
NBA insider Evan Sidery reported on Sunday, May 31, that the Thunder “will look to salary dump Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins for draft compensation this summer to become apron-compliant.” He also noted that both players were out of Oklahoma City’s main rotation during the playoffs.
Joe, 26, is under contract for two more seasons on a three-year, $35 million deal. Wiggins, 27, has three seasons remaining on a four-year, $37 million contract, making both players mid-tier long-term salary commitments within the roster structure.
Both wings saw limited postseason involvement during Oklahoma City’s run to the Western Conference Finals, where the Thunder were eliminated in seven games by the San Antonio Spurs. Rotation usage tightened significantly in the playoffs as head coach Mark Daigneault leaned on a shorter, defense-heavy group.
In that series, Oklahoma City relied heavily on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s scoring workload, Chet Holmgren’s interior presence, and perimeter contributions from players such as Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace. The reduced playoff role for Joe and Wiggins reflected a shift toward defensive versatility and high-efficiency shot creation.
Joe appeared in 13 playoff games but averaged just 10.1 minutes per contest, while Wiggins played 13 games at 8.0 minutes per game. Their statistical output remained limited due to reduced usage and situational deployment.
Joe averaged 4.8 points per game in the playoffs while shooting 34.8 percent from three-point range during the postseason sample. Wiggins contributed 1.5 points per game on 36.0 percent shooting overall in the same span.
The Thunder finished the regular season 64–18, earning the top seed in the Western Conference and maintaining one of the NBA’s deepest rotations throughout the year. However, playoff rotation tightening reduced the roles of several bench contributors, reshaping how the front office may evaluate long-term salary allocation.
