OKC Thunder Listed 'Potential New Home' For New Orleans Pelicans Center

Could the Oklahoma City Thunder be in the market for a center via free agency?

Apr 24, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas (17) runs down the court after scoring against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of game two of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports | Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

At this point in time, it's genuinely hard to imagine the Oklahoma City Thunder spends its available cap space in free agency to land a new center talent. It's hard to swing for any expensive player, for that matter.

With the No. 12 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and plenty of tradable assets to work with, the Thunder has a path to improvement this offseason. That is building off a 57-25 season as the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, too.

Bleacher Report recently wrote about the "biggest flight risks" in the 2024 offseason, taking a look at free agents to keep an eye on. New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas was listed, and one of his potential new homes listed happened to be the Thunder.

For plenty of reasons Bleacher Report alluded to, Valanciunas' situation could be tricky. The team has been vocal about the positive side of continuity, but they also need a path to improvement, and moving on from the big center could play a big role in that.

"The veteran center is still a capable starter on the right team, yet may have to settle for the mid-level exception from a contender," Bleacher Report wrote.

Evidently, the Thunder is a contender, and they do have the cap space. However, that's about the only reason the Thunder would be linked to a free agent like Valanciunas. The 7-footer is used to playing a key role within his team. That just wouldn't be the case in Oklahoma City. He'd be a backup to Chet Holmgren and he lacks a versatility the team thrives on.

Sure, Valanciunas patches some holes in the rebounding department, but at what cost? Would the offense lose its functionality? Would the defense take a hit in efficiency? If the cost outweighs the benefit, the Thunder won't even begin to think about making the move.

It's understandable why players like Valanciunas are going to be linked to the Thunder, but it doesn't seem like a positive move for the team to make given their current situation.

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