Three Teams Who Could Sell to OKC Thunder at NBA Trade Deadline
Armed with a bevy of future draft selections and rising young prospects, the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to be in talks as buyers at the NBA’s trade deadline, despite reports they may be content with their current core.
Regardless, it’s a fun thought experiment. But only a select few teams will actually be willing to sell at the trade deadline. And the list Oklahoma City would likely want to pull from is even smaller.
Here are three teams who could be sellers at the NBA trade deadline, and more specifically, to the OKC Thunder:
Atlanta Hawks
Jan 3, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Isaiah Joe (11) shoots against Atlanta Hawks forward Onyeka Okongwu (17) during the first half at State Farm Arena.
© Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports
Competing in the Eastern Conference Finals just a few seasons ago, Playoff appearances and the leadership of Trae Young have made the Atlanta Hawks a bit of a closed case in recent years.
But a recent report from Yahoo’s Jake Fischer said, “Right now it sounds like the Hawks are truly considering the idea of being a real seller. Taking a step back and maybe even getting a couple extra lottery balls this year,”
If that’s the case, players may be available that previously weren’t, such as Onyeka Okongwu, De’Andre Hunter, or even one of Atlanta’s heavy hitters.
And OKC will certainly have the capability to give the Hawks extra lottery balls.
Chicago Bulls
Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
The Bulls are in a similar situation to Atlanta. After years of middling contention, they may finally be looking to get out of NBA purgatory and into the upper ranks of the NBA Draft.
There’s a few players the Thunder could potentially covet, including Alex Caruso, Nikola Vucevic, Patrick Williams or even veteran Torrey Craig. And they’ll likely be able to out-bid competition for them, too.
But it would be no small decision, as the list of suitors for those players are likely long, and the prices high.
Washington Wizards
© Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
With Sam Presti’s former protege, Will Dawkins, currently serving as the general manager for the Washington Wizards, there’s plenty of connection between the two franchises. Especially with several former Thunder players — Jared Butler, Mike Muscala, Danilo Gallinari and Eugene Omoruyi — on the Washington roster.
Even more, at 6-29 and ready to undergo a “Thunder-style” rebuild, the Wizards will almost certainly be sellers in some capacity at the deadline.
Be it Kyle Kuzma, Deni Avdija or Daniel Gafford, if there’s any interest on OKC’s side, a deal could certainly get done quickly.
Want to join the discussion? Like Inside the Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
