One 2026 New Year's resolution for every OKC Thunder player

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It's New Year's, which means everybody around the world has turned the page in their next chapter of life. Jan. 1 starts a clean slate for most. That's why one of the more popular traditions is a New Year's resolution.

The yearly tradition is a way for an individual to better their life in one way or another. Everybody has one. So what does that have to do with the NBA? Let me get to it.

In the second half of the 2025-26 regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have looked like the NBA's best team. They're primed to go back-to-back with historic dominance. We'll see how the playoffs shake out, but you gotta feel good if you're the reigning NBA champion.

As a fun exercise, let's come up with one New Year's resolution for all 18 Thunder players. Some have to do with this season. Others with the offseason and beyond. Let's get right to it:

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

New Year's resolution: Win MVP

This is pretty simple. Gilgeous-Alexander is the reigning MVP. And through the first half of the season, he's squarely in the middle of another debate. Considering Nikola Jokic could get disqualified soon, it's not unreasonable to think he could win back-to-back prestigious trophies. He's one of the league's best players and in the all-time conversation. Another MVP trophy will add to his mythos.

Chet Holmgren

New Year's resolution: Win Defensive Player of the Year.

Again, this is another example where the 65-game minimum requirement could boost Holmgren's odds. The rest of the NBA world can't wait to hand Victor Wembanyama every award they can. But he must stay healthy to do this. Considering he's already missed time, he'll likely be ineligible once again. In comes Holmgren. He's the face of the NBA's best defense. Enjoying a career season, he should be the favorite to bring home the award.

Jalen Williams

New Year's resolution: Be ready by playoffs

How Williams looks when the playoffs roll along will hover over OKC. Since he returned from wrist surgery, the jumper hasn't been as automatic as before. The Thunder hope he normalizes things in four months. The Thunder can survive the regular season with a rusty version of the All-NBA player. But if they want to win another championship, he must return to being an efficient 20-point scorer.

Lu Dort

New Year's resolution: Up the defense

It's been a hit-or-miss season for Dort. Not just from the outside, either. He went from an undrafted rookie to an NBA champion because of his tenacious perimeter defense. His OKC teammates campaigned for him last year to be an All-Defense member. He was eventually given the career accolade. Deservingly so, too. There's a reason why OKC only surrendered a handful of 30-point outings by perimeter scorers. He must return to that shutdown form.

Isaiah Hartenstein

New Year's resolution: Get the bag

It might not happen in OKC, but if teams are lined up to back up the Brink's trucks for Hartenstein, then only good things happened in the playoffs. The Thunder have a $28.5 million 2026-27 team option that they will likely decline. What happens afterward is anybody's guess. That said, if he can get a large payday, that means he likely played a huge role in another title run. It's a rich-person problem the Thunder will gladly deal with.

Cason Wallace

New Year's resolution: Make All-Defense Team

The Thunder once again have the NBA's best defense. Any stat you look at, they're at the top. This time, though, the main cast has changed. Wallace has graduated into OKC's best perimeter defender. He's taken on the toughest assignment most nights. He also leads the league in steals. If things keep up, the Thunder should have multiple players on the All-Defense Teams. He should be one of them.

Alex Caruso

New Year's resolution: Hit outside shots

The Spurs provided the Thunder a glimpse of what could happen in the playoffs. They dared Caruso to beat them from the outside. The bet paid off on Christmas. Remains to be seen if it also works out in the playoffs. The two-time NBA champion has a reputation for stepping up in the highest stakes. He shot 41% from 3 in their title run last year. He must replicate that if OKC wants to have a good-enough offense to bring home another Larry O'Brien trophy.

Aaron Wiggins

New Year's resolution: Provide scoring boost

The Thunder will need some of their role players to step up in the playoffs. One candidate is Wiggins. He has some of the best self-creation on the team. He can also play off-ball when needed. He had a hot start to the regular season before an adductor strain derailed any momentum. If you're OKC, you hope he gets back to that level in the playoffs. He had his moments in their championship run last season with timely buckets.

Isaiah Joe

New Year's resolution: Remain an outside threat

A lot of what was said above can apply to Joe. The Thunder will need their role players to step up in critical moments. In Joe's case, that means hitting on his outside shots. He's a regular-season machine, but his playoff numbers have dropped in two trips. Every bucket counts in the postseason. If he can cash in on his outside looks, then defenses won't be able to cheat and blitz Gilgeous-Alexander when he drives to the basket.

Ajay Mitchell

New Year's resolution: Run non-SGA lineups

If the Thunder want to dominate the rest of the NBA, they need to survive Gilgeous-Alexander's minutes off the floor. He'll likely only sit out around eight minutes per game in the playoffs. During that time, OKC has to keep its head above water. Mitchell could help with that. He's had a breakout season as a backup guard. If he can keep the offense flowing, they should fix that patch. Don't give the opponent an out with bad bench minutes.

Jaylin Williams

New Year's resolution: Scale up and down

You could argue nobody else in OKC's rotation has a more fluid role than Williams. Some nights, he's a starter. Other nights, he doesn't even see the floor. It all depends on the frontcourt room. Everybody needs to stay ready at all times, but that's especially the case with Williams. He was an important piece against the Denver Nuggets in their playoff series last year. He could have similar helpfulness against some of these larger frontcourts in the West.

Kenrich Williams

New Year's resolution: Stay healthy

Over the last few years, the Thunder have limited Williams' minutes. Partially because of their rich depth. Also, because he'll be more needed in the playoffs. All hands will need to be on deck for another championship run. There could be certain matchups where he could help out. Despite juggling injuries throughout the regular season, OKC was perfectly healthy in last year's playoffs. It will need the same type of luck to go back-to-back.

Ousmane Dieng

New Year's resolution: Get a fresh start

All signs point toward Dieng finding a new NBA home. Whether at the trade deadline or in the offseason. Either way, a fresh start could do him some good. The 22-year-old has shown flashes this season when given spot minutes. When he gets into a flow, he could drain outside shots off pull-up attempts. Getting consistent playing time elsewhere in a low-leverage situation could salvage his career.

Nikola Topic

New Year's resolution: Make NBA debut

The entire NBA world is rooting for Topic. After missing last season with a torn ACL, his debut was delayed once again with a testicular cancer diagnosis. The Thunder and his medical team are fully confident he'll return. Participating in pregame warmups is a positive sign towards that. Once he beats his cancer, expect the entire sports world to feel happy for him when he eventually suits up for the first time.

Thomas Sorber

New Year's resolution: Impress in Summer League

A torn ACL shelved Sorber for his first season. Just bad luck. The Thunder added the 20-year-old with the hopes he could show enough potential to affect some difficult roster decisions. Instead, we won't get to see him until likely the Summer League. When that happens, though, you hope he can dominate. OKC needs some fresh legs for its roster. He could help with that.

Brooks Barnhizer:

New Year's resolution: Stay in OKC

Because of their draft capital, the Thunder have a decent chance to add several premium picks. That means Barnhizer will have to show enough to keep his roster spot. It might feel quick, but that's the reality of the NBA business. Dillon Jones and Keyontae Johnson are two recent players who OKC only kept for one season. The urgency level has to be high for him as he spends most of the year on the G League's OKC Blue.

Branden Carlson

New Year's resolution: Get converted to standard deal

This feels inevitable. The Thunder have relied on Carlson this season. When their center depth has been decimated by injury, he's answered the call. OKC went out of its way to retain him this past offseason. Sam Presti singled him out once. Feels like the franchise is happy with his development. He has great size to be a constant lob threat and can spread the floor with his outside shooting. He's perfectly fine as your fourth-string center.

Chris Youngblood

New Year's resolution: Stay in OKC

Youngblood torched the nets in Summer League. He's done so at the G League level this season, too. Because he's the last man on the bench, you won't see him play a ton of NBA minutes. That said, Youngblood has to do everything in his power to remain in OKC. Even if that means not being on a two-way deal. There's a reason why they're known as one of the better developmental programs. If you're an undrafted rookie, you want to be there.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: One 2026 New Year's resolution for every OKC Thunder player

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