RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Now that the NBA has released its entire 2026-27 regular season schedule, there's ample time over the next month to dissect it. You can start filling out your calendar as the marathon-esque slate takes nearly seven months to complete.
The Oklahoma City Thunder finally learned how their 2026-27 regular season will play out. They have the fifth-most national TV games at 30. So expect another year where they're one of the NBA's main characters. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams round out one of the best star trios.
Examining OKC's regular season schedule, two of the bigger games to look for involved a couple of Eastern Conference teams. The Thunder will have a few reunions with longtime role players before Christmas.
The Thunder will host the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday, Nov. 18 at 7 p.m. CT. Of course, that will be the first time Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins will be back in OKC since both were traded to the East contender in separate moves this summer. It netted them five future second-round picks. More importantly, though, it saved them a boatload of money on their payroll.
Later on, the Thunder will host the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Dec. 22 at 7 p.m. CT. That's when Isaiah Joe will be back in OKC. He was traded to the East contender in a cost-cutting move that supplied them with two future second-round picks.
By the end of last year's NBA playoff run, the writing was on the wall for that trio's future in OKC. It made both basketball and financial sense to move on from Dort, Joe and Wiggins. All three were on the outside of their postseason rotation. A fresh start was needed for the role players.
That said, Dort, Joe and Wiggins represent some of OKC's best developmental stories in recent years. They also helped the Thunder bring home the 2025 NBA championship. Because of that, they'll be immortalized for their time there. Especially since they were easy to root for and fan favorites.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: When will Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins return to OKC in 2026-27 season?
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