Oklahoma City Thunder history · NBA regular season

The 25 Greatest Oklahoma City Thunder Players of All Time

Gary Payton ranks No. 1 after producing 4,204.0 Franchise Value across 13 seasons for this franchise and its included historical identities. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Jack Sikma complete the top five. This ranking covers 1967–68 through 2025–26.

25 ranked players1967–68 through 2025–26 franchise coverage1,000 minimum minutesRegular season only

See the full top 25 How the ranking works

The answer at a glance

The top five

Franchise Value estimates how many regular-season points above a replacement-level player someone produced for this franchise. It rewards both strong seasons and staying power.

No. 1
Gary Payton
4,204.0Franchise Value
13 seasons · 999 games
18.2 PPG · 4.2 RPG · 7.4 APG
No. 2
Kevin Durant
3,864.8Franchise Value
9 seasons · 641 games
27.4 PPG · 7 RPG · 3.7 APG
No. 3
Russell Westbrook
3,823.3Franchise Value
11 seasons · 821 games
23 PPG · 7 RPG · 8.4 APG
No. 4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2,846.2Franchise Value
7 seasons · 448 games
28 PPG · 5.1 RPG · 5.7 APG
No. 5
Jack Sikma
2,436.7Franchise Value
9 seasons · 715 games
16.8 PPG · 10.8 RPG · 3.3 APG

The full list

The full top 25

Every name links to a full career profile. The best-season rank is the player’s leaguewide Impact Rate rank for that season.

1
Gary Payton
4,204.0 value · 13 seasons · best: 1999–00
4,204.0Franchise Value
13 seasons1990–91 to 2002–03
1999–00Impact Rate No. 3
18.2 / 4.2 / 7.4PPG / RPG / APG
2
Kevin Durant
3,864.8 value · 9 seasons · best: 2013–14
3,864.8Franchise Value
9 seasons2007–08 to 2015–16
2013–14Impact Rate No. 2
27.4 / 7 / 3.7PPG / RPG / APG
3
Russell Westbrook
3,823.3 value · 11 seasons · best: 2016–17
3,823.3Franchise Value
11 seasons2008–09 to 2018–19
2016–17Impact Rate No. 1
23 / 7 / 8.4PPG / RPG / APG
4
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2,846.2 value · 7 seasons · best: 2024–25
2,846.2Franchise Value
7 seasons2019–20 to 2025–26
2024–25Impact Rate No. 2
28 / 5.1 / 5.7PPG / RPG / APG
5
Jack Sikma
2,436.7 value · 9 seasons · best: 1981–82
2,436.7Franchise Value
9 seasons1977–78 to 1985–86
1981–82Impact Rate No. 8
16.8 / 10.8 / 3.3PPG / RPG / APG
6
Gus Williams
2,292.0 value · 6 seasons · best: 1981–82
2,292.0Franchise Value
6 seasons1977–78 to 1983–84
1981–82Impact Rate No. 4
20.3 / 3 / 6PPG / RPG / APG
7
Fred Brown
2,223.0 value · 13 seasons · best: 1974–75
2,223.0Franchise Value
13 seasons1971–72 to 1983–84
1974–75Impact Rate No. 9
14.6 / 2.7 / 3.3PPG / RPG / APG
8
Nate McMillan
1,980.1 value · 12 seasons · best: 1987–88
1,980.1Franchise Value
12 seasons1986–87 to 1997–98
1987–88Impact Rate No. 16
5.9 / 4 / 6.1PPG / RPG / APG
9
Rashard Lewis
1,446.5 value · 9 seasons · best: 2006–07
1,446.5Franchise Value
9 seasons1998–99 to 2006–07
2006–07Impact Rate No. 26
16.6 / 5.8 / 1.7PPG / RPG / APG
10
Shawn Kemp
1,313.5 value · 8 seasons · best: 1993–94
1,313.5Franchise Value
8 seasons1989–90 to 1996–97
1993–94Impact Rate No. 14
16.2 / 9.6 / 1.8PPG / RPG / APG
11
Ray Allen
1,231.2 value · 5 seasons · best: 2005–06
1,231.2Franchise Value
5 seasons2002–03 to 2006–07
2005–06Impact Rate No. 26
24.6 / 4.6 / 4.2PPG / RPG / APG
12
Brent Barry
1,161.2 value · 5 seasons · best: 2001–02
1,161.2Franchise Value
5 seasons1999–00 to 2003–04
2001–02Impact Rate No. 12
11.3 / 4.2 / 4.6PPG / RPG / APG
13
Lenny Wilkens
1,121.9 value · 4 seasons · best: 1968–69
1,121.9Franchise Value
4 seasons1968–69 to 1971–72
1968–69Impact Rate No. 12
19.5 / 5 / 9PPG / RPG / APG
14
Dale Ellis
1,071.7 value · 7 seasons · best: 1988–89
1,071.7Franchise Value
7 seasons1986–87 to 1998–99
1988–89Impact Rate No. 32
20.9 / 3.9 / 2PPG / RPG / APG
15
Detlef Schrempf
1,056.4 value · 6 seasons · best: 1994–95
1,056.4Franchise Value
6 seasons1993–94 to 1998–99
1994–95Impact Rate No. 25
16.6 / 6.3 / 4PPG / RPG / APG
16
Spencer Haywood
1,027.8 value · 5 seasons · best: 1973–74
1,027.8Franchise Value
5 seasons1970–71 to 1974–75
1973–74Impact Rate No. 10
24.9 / 12.1 / 2.4PPG / RPG / APG
17
Paul George
894.0 value · 2 seasons · best: 2018–19
894.0Franchise Value
2 seasons2017–18 to 2018–19
2018–19Impact Rate No. 6
25 / 6.9 / 3.7PPG / RPG / APG
18
Dennis Johnson
877.9 value · 4 seasons · best: 1979–80
877.9Franchise Value
4 seasons1976–77 to 1979–80
1979–80Impact Rate No. 42
14.2 / 4.3 / 3PPG / RPG / APG
19
Hersey Hawkins
876.3 value · 4 seasons · best: 1996–97
876.3Franchise Value
4 seasons1995–96 to 1998–99
1996–97Impact Rate No. 20
12.8 / 3.9 / 2.7PPG / RPG / APG
20
Sam Perkins
758.3 value · 6 seasons · best: 1994–95
758.3Franchise Value
6 seasons1992–93 to 1997–98
1994–95Impact Rate No. 47
11.1 / 4.2 / 1.4PPG / RPG / APG
21
Derrick McKey
725.4 value · 6 seasons · best: 1988–89
725.4Franchise Value
6 seasons1987–88 to 1992–93
1988–89Impact Rate No. 63
13.9 / 5.2 / 2.2PPG / RPG / APG
22
Slick Watts
720.4 value · 5 seasons · best: 1975–76
720.4Franchise Value
5 seasons1973–74 to 1977–78
1975–76Impact Rate No. 24
10.1 / 3.6 / 6.7PPG / RPG / APG
23
Dick Snyder
656.3 value · 6 seasons · best: 1970–71
656.3Franchise Value
6 seasons1969–70 to 1978–79
1970–71Impact Rate No. 34
14.7 / 3.3 / 3.6PPG / RPG / APG
24
Serge Ibaka
635.0 value · 7 seasons · best: 2013–14
635.0Franchise Value
7 seasons2009–10 to 2015–16
2013–14Impact Rate No. 70
11.6 / 7.4 / 0.6PPG / RPG / APG
25
Xavier McDaniel
603.3 value · 6 seasons · best: 1987–88
603.3Franchise Value
6 seasons1985–86 to 1990–91
1987–88Impact Rate No. 51
20.7 / 7 / 2.5PPG / RPG / APG

What separates the list

Peak and staying power

The main order uses total Franchise Value. These views show who supplied the biggest single seasons and who contributed across the most seasons.

Why No. 1

Why Gary Payton leads

Gary Payton produced 4,204.0 Franchise Value, 339.2 more than Kevin Durant. His best team season was 1999–00, when he ranked No. 3 in leaguewide Impact Rate.

If you put more weight on playoff moments, championships, or awards, your order may differ. This list does not quietly fold those judgments into the number.

Most seasons among the top 25

Gary Payton · 13 seasons

Gary Payton logged 999 games and 36,858 regular-season minutes across 1990–91 to 2002–03.

Best individual seasons

1
Russell Westbrook2016–17 · Impact Rate No. 1
750.3
2
Kevin Durant2013–14 · Impact Rate No. 2
686.7
3
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander2024–25 · Impact Rate No. 2
653.8
4
Gary Payton1999–00 · Impact Rate No. 3
605.0
5
Kevin Durant2012–13 · Impact Rate No. 3
598.7

Franchise Value leaders by decade

1960s
Lenny WilkensMost value in the decade
613.8
1970s
Fred BrownMost value in the decade
1,771.2
1980s
Jack SikmaMost value in the decade
1,878.7
1990s
Gary PaytonMost value in the decade
3,191.6
2000s
Rashard LewisMost value in the decade
1,379.3
2010s
Russell WestbrookMost value in the decade
3,552.2
2020s
Shai Gilgeous-AlexanderMost value in the decade
2,687.0

Just outside the list

Nos. 26–30

No. 26Steven Adams595.1
No. 27Tom Meschery577.0
No. 28Jalen Williams561.2
No. 29Tom Chambers521.3
No. 30Lonnie Shelton504.0

Method and limits

What this ranking measures

This is a model ranking, not a claim that one number settles every argument about franchise greatness.

Count only team value

We add the player’s hussEyquation Season Value only while he belonged to this franchise. A player needs at least 1,000 franchise minutes to qualify.

Split traded seasons

When a player changed teams, his season value is divided by the minutes played at each stop. In 1950–51, when minutes were not recorded, games are used instead.

Use one clear order

Higher total Franchise Value ranks first. Ties are broken by the player’s best leaguewide Impact Rate rank, then franchise minutes. Peak seasons and per-game stats are context, not hidden inputs.

Know what is missing

The model covers NBA regular seasons from 1950–51 onward. Playoffs, championships, awards, cultural importance, and ABA seasons are not inputs.

Sources and historical estimates: Team stints and conventional totals come from Basketball Reference; Franchise Value comes from the hussEyquation model. The site reconstructs missing box-score inputs through 1972–73. Exact Raw BPM inputs begin in 1973–74. In a traded season, the model has one combined season impact estimate; only the value allocation is split by team workload. Data were checked for this release on September 14, 2026. Read the full methodology.

Quick answers

Oklahoma City Thunder ranking FAQ

Who is the greatest Oklahoma City Thunder player of all time?

Within this NBA regular-season ranking, which begins in 1967–68, Gary Payton ranks first with 4,204.0 Franchise Value produced for this franchise.

Who had the best single season in this ranking?

Russell Westbrook has the highest team-season value in this dataset: 750.3 in 2016–17. He ranked No. 1 in leaguewide Impact Rate that season.

How are the top 25 ranked?

The order is total regular-season Franchise Value, which adds up value above replacement produced for this franchise. More value ranks higher.

Which earlier team names and locations are included?

Includes Seattle SuperSonics NBA history under the league’s franchise-lineage convention.

Keep exploring

Greatest players for every NBA team

Move from this franchise to any of the other 29 current NBA teams, or compare these players with the leaguewide career ranking.

Leaguewide all-time rankings Current NBA team power rankings Gary Payton’s full career profile