Rumors

Oklahoma City’s future $1 billion arena will open with a new name following an agreement between Paycom and owners of the Thunder to end a naming rights contract that started in 2021 and was to last 15 years. Paycom, headquartered in Oklahoma City, employed 7,306 people as of Dec. 31, 2024 with a client base topping 37,500, and is one of the city’s leading employers.

oklahoman.com

The Oklahoma City Thunder unveiled its full 2025 preseason schedule on Thursday, featuring six games—two at home and four on the road. The Thunder opens preseason play on Oct. 5 against the Charlotte Hornets in Charleston, South Carolina, followed by a back-to-back matchup with the Dallas Mavericks in Fort Worth on Oct. 6. Oklahoma City returns to Paycom Center for its home preseason debut on Oct. 9, once again hosting Charlotte. The team will then travel to face the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 11 and the Milwaukee Bucks on Oct. 14, before closing out exhibition play at home against the defending champion Denver Nuggets on Oct. 17.

news9.com

Michael Scotto: San Antonio Spurs are trading Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of DAL, PHI, OKC) to the Washington Wizards for Kelly Olynyk, sources confirm. ESPN first to report. Wizards have a roster overflow and will need to adjust via cuts or trades.

x.com

Shams Charania: The Washington Wizards are trading Kelly Olynyk to the San Antonio Spurs for Malaki Branham, Blake Wesley and a 2026 second-round pick (least favorable of Dallas, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City), sources tell ESPN.

x.com

Jack Sikma: "It’s completely different. And there's no anger in that. Yeah, it's not that. It's just different. And again, Oklahoma City didn't steal the franchise. Seattle lost it, which was for a number of reasons. There are a number of villains that we could—you know—kick the dog at this guy or that guy, or whatever. So, I hold nothing against Oklahoma City and their fans. But I’m not rooting for them. Seattle needs a franchise again. And actually, Seattle's been teased a bit about a franchise because there's always one other event that has to happen. I can understand—they needed a new media deal done. They got it done. That helps set a price. It's really—we think we’re going to expand, but we don’t know what it's going to cost. So, I guess we use the term many times—patience. That’s what it’s going to come down to. And hopefully, if they do ever decide to expand, Seattle’s near the top of the list, if not the top of the list."

YouTube

Brandon Rahbar: Sam Presti hopes this team has an impact on people. He believes the the first OKC mountain top team did. "I think Westbrook had a huge influence on the community. The fearlessness." He says you can knock Westbrook for some things, but not his heart.

Twitter

NBA: It's raining champagne in Oklahoma City 🍾 The @okcthunder are having their championship parade!

Twitter

Could the Thunder trade up to No. 10? Sources say Oklahoma City did have some dialogue with Houston about that pick before the Rockets used it as a primary element of the package to acquire Durant.

marcstein.substack.com

After winning the first championship in the Oklahoma City era, the prevailing notion within league circles is young stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will receive massive rookie-scale extensions from the Thunder. The question is whether both get full maximum rookie-scale extensions or take a slight discount to help the Thunder financially long-term.

HoopsHype

Rival NBA executives who spoke with HoopsHype believe Oklahoma City could trade the No. 24 pick in the draft for a future first-round selection or select a foreign draft-and-stash overseas player such as Hugo Gonzalez or Noah Penda.

HoopsHype

Rival executives also view Ousmane Dieng as a possible trade candidate if Oklahoma City adds their first-round selections to the roster as constructed.

HoopsHype

Oklahoma City and Oklahoma County offices will be closed Tuesday to celebrate the Thunder's historic NBA title win. City offices will be closed, and no trash or recycling will be picked up to allow employees the chance to celebrate with the team. There will be a makeup day for trash on Wednesday, and bulky waste will not be impacted.

KOCO.com

Shams Charania: Breaking: Indiana Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton sustained a torn right Achilles tendon in Game 7 against Oklahoma City, sources tell ESPN. Haliburton played through a calf strain in the same leg during the NBA Finals for an opportunity to win a championship.

Twitter

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary flight restriction for Oklahoma City ahead of Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday. The restriction, set for “special security reasons,” affects drones within a .5-mile radius of downtown Oklahoma City from 5 p.m. to midnight. This restriction prohibits unmanned aircraft systems, commonly known as drones, from flying from the surface up to 400 feet in the designated area.

wftv.com