​We’re halfway through September. That means the 2026-27 regular season is right around the corner. Soon, the NBA will return to being at the forefront of the sports zeitgeist with summer behind us. The nine-month marathon will see if the Oklahoma City Thunder can bring home a second NBA championship.After a summer filled with cost-cutting moves, the Thunder remain one of the title favorites. I guess that’s what happens when you have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams as your franchise pillars. Recent success backs it up, too.To prepare for the 2026-27 season, Thunder Wire rolled out the projected depth chart for each position. Let’s look at small forward:Starter: Jalen WilliamsFalling five wins short of their back-to-back ambitions, the Thunder are banking on Williams. They hope last year’s injury concerns were a one-year anomaly — rather than the start of a disturbing trend. The All-NBA talent faded into the background. But we know what he looks like at the peak of his powers. He’s the perfect Robin to Gilgeous-Alexander’s Batman. He’s an efficient 20-point scorer who also plays at an All-Defense level. There’s a reason why nobody scoffed at his Gen Z Scottie Pippen comparisons when OKC was on its way to an NBA championship.Depth: Brooks Barnhizer (two-way), Otega Oweh (two-way)Not much depth behind Williams, though. At least in this thought exercise. Sure, other Thunder frontcourt players will fill in. But in terms of pure small forwards, it’s just Barnhizer and Oweh. Both are two-way players. So don’t expect many contributions from either this year. It will be interesting to see if OKC eventually fills the open standard roster spot with a wing. They almost did so with Spencer Jones before Denver matched their offer sheet.This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: OKC Thunder small forward preview: Jalen Williams, bench unit