NBA Mock Trade: Thunder Acquire Kings' Marvin Bagley III
With a loaded war chest of assets, the Oklahoma City Thunder have plenty of options for the future.
With 18 first round draft picks in the next 7 drafts, the Thunder will have the flexibility to grab any number of star-level players. The only question is who and for what timeline.
Aligning players with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be key.
Over the next few weeks, InsideTheThunder.com will be evaluating what it would take to land some of the top available talent in the NBA, and Kings big man Marvin Bagley III could be a readily available talent.
Here are SI Thunder’s thoughts on what it will take to trade for the disgruntled youngster:
Nick Crain: Since entering the league, Bagley has been quite the letdown. Between injuries keeping him off the floor and underachieving performance when he can play, it’s safe to say he hasn’t been worth the second overall pick to this point. Now that his rookie deal is coming to an end in the near future, the Kings will have to decide whether they want to continue waiting on him to come around or deal him. Either way, they aren’t going to dump him for nothing. His trade value alone isn’t great, but if you attach him as a sweetener in a deal, all of the sudden he seems much more valuable. Teams know he has talent, but are they willing to take on a project? A team like the Thunder certainly has time to develop Bagley. However, they may not be willing to give up a solid asset to take a risk on him.
READ MORE:
NBA Mock Draft: Thunder take chance on projects in middle of first round
OKC's probability to draft an All-Star at No. 6
Thunder interested in trading for No. 1 overall pick
Derek Parker: Despite not living up to his status as a second overall draft selection, Bagley still has plenty of time for growth, and it's clear his time in Sacramento is coming to an end. He's never averaged more than 25 minutes per game in three seasons, and per 36 averaged 19.7 points and 10.3 rebounds last season. His free throw shooting took a hit, but the 2020-21 season was the first time it looked like he may be able to extend his range. He may just need a fresh start and revitalized role, and OKC could potentially get him at a discount.
Oklahoma City's Offer: Kemba Walker, No. 34 pick for Buddy Hield, Marvin Bagley III
