We're halfway through September. That means the 2026-27 regular season is right around the corner. Soon, the NBA will return to being at the forefront of the sports zeitgeist with summer behind us. The nine-month marathon will see if the Oklahoma City Thunder can bring home a second NBA championship.
After a summer filled with cost-cutting moves, the Thunder remain one of the title favorites. I guess that's what happens when you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams as your franchise pillars. Recent success backs it up, too.
To prepare for the 2026-27 season, Thunder Wire rolled out the projected depth chart for each position. Let's look at point guard:
Starter: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Gilgeous-Alexander remains one of the top NBA superstars of this era.
The two-time MVP winner is the biggest reason why the Thunder have one championship — with room to add more. He's one of the best players ever. His resume speaks for itself. The walking 30-point machine has had four consecutive superb-efficient 30-point campaigns. You need an era-defining Hall-of-Famer to be taken as a serious title contender. OKC has that with the 28-year-old.
Depth: Ajay Mitchell, Nikola Topic
Behind him, Mitchell enjoyed his own breakout last year. He blossomed into a double-digit scorer. The Thunder are depending on him even more. He's expected to take on the Sixth Man role. He's another developmental success story for OKC and has plenty of room to grow. The sky is the limit for him. As long as he stays healthy. Elsewhere, Topic is entering a make-or-break year. He's running out of time to show something at the NBA level. Maybe he can take advantage of the glut of minutes up for grabs.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder point guard preview: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, bench unit
