New OKC Thunder arena to downsize in capacity from Paycom Center

As the multi-year project took another step in the right direction, more details were discovered about the Oklahoma City Thunder's future home. The 2025 State of the City address was headlined by the unveiling of renderings of OKC's new downtown arena.

OKC Mayor David Holt and Architect David Manica presented the first look of OKC's new arena. It's set to open in 2028 with a construction cost of $900 million. Several photos and videos demonstrated the interior and exterior of the building.

Afterward, Holt revealed a ballpark estimate of the new arena's capacity. He said it will likely be in the 17,000 range, a downgrade from Paycom Center's 18,203 number. The arena will be larger, though, by around 200,000 square feet.

It will be one of the smaller capacity sizes among NBA arenas. Only the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Sacramento Kings, Milwaukee Bucks, New Orleans Pelicans and Atlanta Hawks have capacity rates of less than 18,000 seats. It's a strategic move as it will give the Thunder's new homecourt a more intimate feel with seats closer to the floor.

While the reaction to the lower capacity was mixed, the rest of the presentation was universally beloved by Thunder fans. The photos and videos excited the fanbase as OKC gets a more state-of-the-art arena with the intention of it being built for an NBA team.

Paycom Center will remain the Thunder's NBA arena for three seasons. The 2025-26, 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons will be the arena's last years. The new OKC arena will have a different name as Paycom will retire its naming rights once the current arena is shut down.

The Thunder have played at Paycom Center since their relocation from Seattle in 2008. The arena opened in 2002 and is one of the smaller NBA homes. It was formerly known as the Chesapeake Energy Arena before being rebranded as Paycom Center in 2021.

Once the new OKC arena opens, the Thunder will sign a 25-year lease that will keep the NBA franchise there through at least 2053. A new home is the type of long-term security needed to ensure the Thunder remain in Oklahoma City.

Fresh off an NBA championship, the Thunder should remain a title contender throughout Paycom Center's final years and when the new home opens. When the new OKC arena opens, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will still be under contract.

OKC’s new arena will be more intimate, OKC Mayor David Holt said. Capacity will likely be in the 17,000s, down from 18,203 at Paycom Center.

— Joe Mussatto (@joe_mussatto) July 16, 2025

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: New OKC Thunder arena to downsize in capacity from Paycom Center