The 2015–16 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 8th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 50th in the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the first under head coach Billy Donovan. After coming just short of making the playoffs the previous season, the Thunder won the Northwest Division and clinched the third seed in the Western Conference. In the playoffs, the Thunder defeated the Dallas Mavericks in five games in the First Round, and the San Antonio Spurs in six games in the Semifinals (which was also Tim Duncan's final NBA game) before reaching the Western Conference finals for the fourth time in a span of six seasons, but were eliminated by the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in seven games after leading the series 3–1.
After almost pulling what would've been one of the biggest upsets in professional sports history over the 73–9 Warriors, the Thunder missed out on what would’ve been their first Finals appearance since 2012. The Warriors would go on to lose in seven games against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals after they too led the series 3–1. After the season, Kevin Durant controversially left the team in free agency for the Golden State Warriors.
After this season, the Thunder did not reach the Western Conference Finals again until 2025, where they would win the conference and the NBA Championship.
Previous season The Thunder finished the 2014–15 season 45–37 to finish in second place in the Northwest Division, ninth in the Western Conference and failed to qualify for the playoffs. This marks the second season that the Thunder failed to qualify for the playoffs since moving to Oklahoma City. Following the season, head coach Scott Brooks was fired on April 22, 2015.
Offseason
Draft picks
Round Pick Player Position Nationality College 1 14 Cameron Payne PG Murray State 2 48 Dakari Johnson C Kentucky The Thunder had their own first-round pick and second-round pick entering the draft. The Thunder ended 2015 NBA draft night with Murray State guard Cameron Payne and Kentucky center Dakari Johnson.
Trades On June 25, the Thunder traded Jeremy Lamb to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Luke Ridnour and a future 2016 second-round pick in an effort for payroll relief. Lamb was originally acquired in the James Harden trade back in 2012. Five days later, Ridnour was traded again along with cash considerations to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for the draft rights to Tomislav Zubcic and a trade exception.
On July 14, the Thunder traded Perry Jones, a 2019 second-round pick, and cash considerations to the Boston Celtics in exchange for a protected 2018 second-round pick and a trade exception in another effort for payroll relief. By trading Jones' $2 million, the Thunder cleared $5 million in luxury tax payments.
Free agency
For this offseason, free agency began on July 1, 2015, while the July moratorium ended on July 7. Enes Kanter and Kyle Singler were set to hit restricted free agency. On July 1, it was reported that Kyle Singler agreed to a five-year, nearly $25 million deal to stay with the Thunder, which he later signed on July 9. On July 9, Enes Kanter signed a four-year, $70 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers. However, on July 12, the Thunder exercised its right of first refusal and matched the Trail Blazer's offer sheet to re-sign Kanter.
On July 30, Josh Huestis signed a rookie deal with the Thunder. Huestis was originally selected 29th overall in the 2014 NBA draft but became the first "domestic draft-and-stash" after working out a predraft arrangement with the Thunder to not sign his guaranteed rookie-scale deal. Huestis spent the 2014-15 NBA season with the Oklahoma City Blue.
Front office and coaching changes After the Thunder failed to make the 2015 NBA Playoffs, head coach Scott Brooks was fired on April 22, 2015, after seven seasons with the team. Brooks was named head coach of the Thunder on April 15, 2009, taking over for P.J. Carlesimo after serving as interim head coach during the 2008–09 season. Brooks accumulated a 338-207 (.620) record, named the 2009–10 season NBA Coach of the Year, made three appearances in the Western Conference finals (2011, 2012, 2014) and an appearance in the 2012 NBA Finals.
On April 30, the Thunder hired Billy Donovan, formerly with the Florida Gators, as head coach. Donovan became the third head coach of the Thunder since moving to Oklahoma City. Donovan led the Gators to two national championships, four trips to the Final Four, and accumulated a 467-186 (.715) record.
On June 29, the Thunder announced Monty Williams, Maurice Cheeks, and Anthony Grant as assistant coaches and Billy Schmidt as quality control coach. Williams joins the Thunder after serving five seasons as the head coach of the New Orleans Pelicans leading the Pelicans to a playoff appearance in the 2014–15 season. Cheeks re-joined the Thunder after serving as the head coach of the Detroit Pistons during the 2013–14 season. Grant joins the Thunder after serving six seasons as the head coach of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Schmidt joins the Thunder after serving last season under Billy Donovan at the University of Florida.
Roster
Roster notes Enes Kanter changed his jersey number to #11 while Josh Huestis chose Kanter's former jersey number #34.
Salaries Player Salary Kevin Durant $20,158,622 Russell Westbrook $16,744,218 Enes Kanter $16,400,000 Serge Ibaka $12,350,000 Dion Waiters $5,138,430 Kyle Singler $5,000,000 Nick Collison $3,750,000 Anthony Morrow $3,344,000 Randy Foye $3,270,000 Steven Adams $2,279,040 Cameron Payne $2,021,520 Mitch McGary $1,463,040 Andre Roberson $1,210,800 Josh Huestis $1,140,240 Nazr Mohammed $352,750 Total $94,622,660 All 2015-16 salaries. ‡ Waived with guaranteed money
Staff Oklahoma City Thunder staffFront Office Chairman – Clay Bennett Executive Vice President & General Manager – Sam Presti Assistant General Manager – Troy Weaver Assistant General Manager – Michael Winger Coaches Head coach – Billy Donovan Associate Head Coach – Monty Williams Assistant coach – Mark Bryant Assistant coach – Maurice Cheeks Assistant coach – Anthony Grant Assistant coach – Darko Rajaković Quality Control Coach – Billy Schmidt Trainer – Joe Sharpe
→ Staff
Standings
Conference
Division
Game log
Preseason
|- style="background:#bfb;" | 1 | October 7 | @ Minnesota
| Serge Ibaka (18) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Russell Westbrook (13) | Target Center8,601 | 1–0 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 2 | October 9 | Fenerbahçe
| Dion Waiters (19) | Steven Adams (8) | Durant & Westbrook (5) | Chesapeake Energy ArenaN/A | 2–0 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 3 | October 13 | Dallas
| Russell Westbrook (19) | Enes Kanter (11) | D. J. Augustin (8) | BOK Center17,978 | 3–0 |- style="background:#fbb;" | 4 | October 16 | @ Memphis
| Anthony Morrow (16) | Roberson & Adams (7) | Cameron Payne (6) | FedEx Forum14,996 | 3–1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 5 | October 18 | Denver
| Kevin Durant (23) | Enes Kanter (11) | Russell Westbrook (12) | Chesapeake Energy ArenaN/A | 4–1 |- style="background:#bfb;" | 6 | October 20 | @ Utah
| Kevin Durant (29) | Adams & Westbrook (10) | Russell Westbrook (10) | Energy Solutions Arena17,806 | 5–1
Regular season
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 1 | October 28 | San Antonio
| Russell Westbrook (33) | Enes Kanter (16) | Russell Westbrook (10) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 1–0 |-style="background:#cfc;" |2 |October 30 | @ Orlando
| Russell Westbrook (48) | Durant & Ibaka (12) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Amway Center 18,846 | 2–0
|- style="background:#cfc;" | 3 | November 1 | Denver
| Kevin Durant (25) | Enes Kanter (10) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Chesapeake Energy Arena 18,203 | 3–0 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 4 | November 2 | @ Houston
| Kevin Durant (29) | Serge Ibaka (14) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Toyota Center17,224 | 3–1 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 5 | November 4 | Toronto | | Kevin Durant (27) | Durant & Adams (7) | Russell Westbrook (16) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 3–2 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 6 | November 5 |@ Chicago | | Kevin Durant (33) | Enes Kanter (8) | Russell Westbrook (10) | United Center21,861 | 3–3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 7 | November 8 | Phoenix | | Kevin Durant (32) | Kevin Durant (11) | Russell Westbrook (13) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 4–3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 8 | November 10 | @Washington
| Dion Waiters (25) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Verizon Center20,356 | 5–3 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 9 | November 13 | Philadelphia
| Russell Westbrook (21) | Russell Westbrook (17) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 6–3 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 10 | November 15 | Boston
| Russell Westbrook (27) | Serge Ibaka (10) | Russell Westbrook (5) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 6–4 |- style="background:#fcc;" |11 | November 16 | @ Memphis
| Russell Westbrook (40) | Serge Ibaka (9) | Russell Westbrook (14) | FedEx Forum17,270 | 6–5 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 12 | November 18 | New Orleans
| Russell Westbrook (43) | Enes Kanter (11) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 7–5 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 13 | November 20 | New York | | Russell Westbrook (34) | Enes Kanter (13) | Russell Westbrook (7) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 7–6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 14 | November 22 | Dallas
| Russell Westbrook (31) | Serge Ibaka (9) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 8–6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 15 | November 23 | @ Utah | | Kevin Durant (27) | Russell Westbrook (7) | Russell Westbrook (9) | Vivint Smart Home Arena19,911 | 9–6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 16 | November 25 | Brooklyn | | Kevin Durant (30) | Enes Kanter (9) | Russell Westbrook (13) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 10–6 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 17 | November 27 | Detroit
| Kevin Durant (34) | Durant & Adams (13) | Kevin Durant (5) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 11–6 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 18 | November 30 | @ Atlanta | | Russell Westbrook (34) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Russell Westbrook (7) | Philips Arena17,768 | 11–7
|- style="background:#fcc;" | 19 | December 3 | @ Miami
| Durant & Westbrook (25) | Durant & Roberson (9) | Russell Westbrook (7) | American Airlines Arena19,600 | 11–8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 20 | December 6 | Sacramento | | Kevin Durant (20) | Steven Adams (12) | Russell Westbrook (10) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 12–8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 21 | December 8 | @ Memphis
| Kevin Durant (32) | Kevin Durant (10) | Russell Westbrook (16) | FedEx Forum16,415 | 13–8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 22 | December 10 | Atlanta
| Kevin Durant (25) | Kevin Durant (12) | Durant & Westbrook (10) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 14–8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 23 | December 11 | @ Utah
| Russell Westbrook (24) | Durant & Ibaka (8) | Russell Westbrook (7) | Energy Solutions Arena 19,911 | 15–8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 24 | December 13 | Utah
| Kevin Durant (31) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Kevin Durant (6) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 16–8 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 25 | December 16 | Portland
| Kevin Durant (24) | Enes Kanter (13) | Russell Westbrook (5) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 17–8 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 26 | December 17 | @ Cleveland
| Kevin Durant (27) | Serge Ibaka (9) | Russell Westbrook (10) | Quicken Loans Arena20,562 | 17–9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 27 | December 19 | L.A. Lakers
| Kevin Durant (22) | Enes Kanter (14) | Russell Westbrook (11) | Chesapeake Energy Arena18,203 | 18–9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 28 | December 21 | @ L.A. Clippers | | Russell Westbrook (33) | Steven Adams (11) | Durant, Westbrook (7) | Staples Center19,415 | 19–9 |- style="background:#cfc;" | 29 | December 23 | @ L.A. Lakers
| Russell Westbrook (23) | Enes Kanter (10) | Russell Westbrook (8) | Staples Center18,997 | 20–9 |- style="background:#fcc;" | 30 | December 25