What Happened to Thomas Sorber? Thunder Announce Concerning News Ahead of Next Season

Thomas Sorber, 19, was drafted 15th overall by the Thunder in the 2025 NBA Draft after an impressive lone season at Georgetown. With OKC’s forward spots already stacked, many expected him to split time between the Thunder and their G-League affiliate this year. But that plan’s now in doubt, the team just dropped major news about their rookie, and if you’ve followed OKC’s recent trend with first-round picks, this feels all too familiar: another top pick could be missing his entire debut season.

Tim MacMahon reported on X, “Thunder rookie big man Thomas Sorber tore his ACL during a workout in OKC and will miss the 2025-26 season, the team announced.” The injury to his right knee halts the promising start for the New Jersey and Pennsylvania native, who joined Georgetown as a four-star recruit. Sorber started all but one of his 24 games in college, averaging 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and two blocks per game, while shooting 53% from the field and 16% from beyond the arc.

This marks the third time in four years that the Thunder will be without their first-round pick for his rookie season. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in 2022, missed his first year after suffering a Lisfranc injury during a Pro-Am game that summer and didn’t debut until the 2023-24 season. In 2024, Nikola Topić, selected 12th overall, also missed his rookie campaign after partially tearing his ACL in January. Now, Thomas Sorber becomes the third recent Oklahoma City first-rounder to face the same fate. It’s another tough blow for the Thunder’s young core.

Thomas Sorber’s injury woes started even before the draft, as he missed the end of his college season with a foot injury. He also skipped Summer League with OKC while recovering from February surgery to address turf toe. Given the Thunder’s deep roster, he wasn’t expected to log major minutes as a rookie. Instead, the plan was for him to develop into a key role player by Year 2 or Year 3. Now, that growth will be delayed as he faces another surgery and a long recovery.

During draft night, Thomas Sorber couldn’t hide how thrilled he was to be joining the Thudner. “I’ve been (to OKC) a couple times, and it still amazes me every time I step foot into the gym,” he said with a smile. “So just to be welcomed — I just feel honored just to be here.” Coming in as one of the best two-way defensive prospects in the 2025 draft, Sorber felt like a natural fit for OKC’s culture and identity. He explained his approach simply: “I think I’m bringing a defensive-minded type of intensity… just giving them all I’ve got on the defensive end.” And he wasn’t exaggerating, at Georgetown, Sorber built a reputation for his elite instincts, high motor, and quickness, even leading Division I in on-off defensive rating at 26.5 last season.

But Sorber wasn’t just about defense. On draft night, he made it clear he wanted to impact the game on both ends, saying, “On the offensive end, just being a great player, a great offensive player. Just reading the right things, reading the right things to do. Reading the things on defense, hedging or coming back. Just being there at all times, just being able to be a good defender.” Physically, he brought something special to OKC, a massive 7-foot-6 wingspan, one of the longest in the NBA, perfectly complementing Hartenstein and Holmgren in the frontcourt. But now, with Sorber sidelined for the season, it raises big questions about how the Thunder will adjust their plans moving forward.

What’s next for the Thunder’s frontcourt after Sorber’s surgery?

With Thomas Sorber ruled out, the Thunder now face a familiar challenge, figuring out how to adjust without their highly-touted rookie. Sorber was projected to eventually take on a bigger role, potentially even replacing Isaiah Hartenstein as early as the 2026-27 season if OKC declined his $28.5 million team option.

If the Thunder decide to pick up that option, Hartenstein would then become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2028, which made Sorber a key part of their long-term plans. In the short term, though, the reigning champions should be fine without him. Their frontcourt, led by Chet Holmgren and Hartenstein, was one of the league’s best last season and played a huge role in OKC’s title run. Still, Sorber’s absence could test their depth if other injuries pop up, and long-term, it delays his development timeline by at least a year.

The Holmgren-Hartenstein duo remains arguably the best seven-foot pairing in the NBA, combining elite rim protection, size, and two-way efficiency. Holmgren already trails only Victor Wembanyama in Defensive Player of the Year odds, while Hartenstein’s strength and passing ability give OKC plenty of versatility on both ends. The Thunder also won’t rush into any drastic roster changes, especially since they retained almost their entire championship core with the only notable loss being Dillon Jones, who signed with the Wizards.

OKC will open its 2025-26 preseason against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 5 and face Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets in their ring night matchup on Oct. 21. In the meantime, Sorber will stay around the team, learning the system from the sidelines, similar to how Nikola Topić did last year and Chet Holmgren back in the 2022-23 season.

One potential solution to cover Sorber’s absence lies within the roster itself, Branden Carlson. The 26-year-old re-signed with OKC this summer on a two-way contract after impressing in limited opportunities last season.

While he averaged only 7.7 minutes per game in 2024-25, Carlson made the most of his chances. Whenever given double-digit minutes, he produced 10.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. His breakout moment came in the regular-season finale against the Pelicans, where he erupted for 26 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 3 blocks in 38 minutes.

Carlson then carried that momentum into the Summer League, shining with a 23-point performance on 69.2% shooting from the field and 66.7% from deep, finishing the Vegas games averaging 15.0 points and 6.0 rebounds on 56.7% shooting overall and 50.0% from three.

Considering Carlson’s proven ability to contribute within OKC’s system, promoting him into a bigger role seems like the most logical next step. The Thunder have already shown a willingness to reward impactful two-way players, as seen with Ajay Mitchell last year, and Carlson fits that mold perfectly. While Sorber was seen as a future reinforcement and a long-term replacement option for Hartenstein, his injury means OKC may need to rely on Carlson, at least in the short term, to help maintain their frontcourt depth.