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Thunder sign first-round pick to multi-year contract

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints | By Josue Pavon | Last updated Jul 4, 2025 9:40 AM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s 15th overall pick in this year’s draft, Thomas Sorber, took in his first glimpse of Thunder playoff basketball at the Paycom Center in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“The crowd was electric that day,” Sorber said.

After leaving a lasting impression on the 19-year-old prospect, the 2025 NBA champion, fresh off its first title in franchise history, selected Sorber in the first round. Then, the Thunder inked Sorber to a multi-year contract. Before the deal was official, the Georgetown product showed his appreciation.

“I’m just so thankful for them being able to trust me, being able to put their all into me as a first-round pick,” Sorber said. “I just know I’m gonna give them my all.”

The Thunder are hopeful that Sorber, a defensive standout in his lone season with the Hoyas, will be able to translate his skills to the NBA level. However, Thomas Sorber is confident that, with the Thunder, he’s with the ideal organization to hone his skill set.

“Defense is something I take very seriously, like, when I get scored on, I take it personally,” Sorber added. “I try to, honestly, just put my mind full on defense and just not try to let the person in front of me score. I feel like I can add a lot to this team, but it’s going to take some time. I know I can learn from all the past players that just won the championship.

“So, I feel like I’m a to have a good time here and learn a lot from these past guys and just see what I can do,” Sorber concluded.

The Thunder also signed its second-round pick, Brooks Barnhizer, who was selected 44th overall, to a two-way contract.

Sam Presti reveals Thunder’s offseason approach NBA title

Thunder general manager Sam Presti speaks during the championship ceremony after his team defeated the Indiana Pacers in game seven of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Thunder GM Sam Presti shared his approach to the offseason. After the Thunder captured its first NBA championship, Presti, rather than take a victory lap, explained his approach to winning a title.

“To me, there’s kind of three ways in the league; you can assemble teams, you can inherit/modify a team, or you can build a team. So, I think there are three kinds of modes; build, modify, assemble. How you do that or the way in which you do that, I think, is very contextual. For us, building is probably our best path here.”

Presti also signed second-year guard Ajay Mitchell and backup center Jaylin Williams to multi-year contract extensions.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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