The Oklahoma City Thunder tip off their preseason Tuesday, Oct. 6, against the New Orleans Pelicans at Tulsa's BOK Center, with tickets still available starting at $15.15.

The 7 p.m. game marks the franchise's 16th preseason appearance in Tulsa. The Thunder skipped the city in 2025 because of a scheduling conflict at BOK Center, according to SI.

Head coach Mark Daigneault framed the return as a commitment to the full state. "We understand we're the state of Oklahoma's team … So we're grateful for our fans, certainly in the city, but all around the state," Daigneault told SI.

Tulsa fans will get a look at a roster built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. The Thunder reached the Western Conference Finals last season before falling to San Antonio in seven games. Holmgren earned All-NBA, All-Star and All-Defense honors in 2025-26, averaging 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 55.7% from the field.

Daigneault announced that these players will not play against New Orleans: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, Nikola Topić and Thomas Sorber. The Thunder's five-game preseason slate runs through Oct. 15, with the regular season opening Oct. 20 at San Antonio.

The roster also has new faces. OKC parted ways with Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins this offseason and drafted Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz and Otega Oweh, according to Yahoo Sports.

If you're going

Tipoff: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, BOK Center

Tickets: $15.15 to $63.18 at ticketmaster.com

Watch from home: Thunder app (Thunder+), NBA app or NBA League Pass for out-of-market viewers

Bag policy: One clear bag per person, no larger than 12-by-6-by-12 inches, or a one-gallon clear plastic bag. One small non-clear clutch no larger than 5-by-8 inches is also allowed.

Cashless venue: BOK Center accepts only debit and credit cards inside the arena. The box office still takes cash.