The Oklahoma City Thunder have been experimenting with various starting lineups this season, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, and either Chet Holmgren or Isaiah Hartenstein consistently featured.

Despite the acquisition of Alex Caruso, head coach Mark Daigneault has opted to keep him as a bench player, valuing his ability to elevate the game’s intensity and provide scoring off the bench, especially given the team's frontcourt depth issues.