Thunder Rebuild: Looking Down the Line for Potential Trade Targets
The Oklahoma City Thunder are still a few years out from their rebuild coming to fruition.
As general manager Sam Presti continues to collect assets, the Thunder will hope to hit it big in the NBA Draft.
Building around cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mark Daigneault and Presti will be intrigued to see how No. 6-overall pick Josh Giddey integrates during his first NBA season this year.
If Giddey turns into the guy that OKC projects, and Presti can hit on another high draft pick in the 2022 Draft, the Thunder could be looking toward the 2024-25 season as their targeted return to the playoff stage.
One way the Thunder could speed up their timeline is via the trade market, a place Presti has been very active in years past.
Much like the Paul George situation, Oklahoma City is in a great position to pounce if any superstars become unsettled with just a year or two left on their contract.
It’s not out of the question for Presti to package future first round picks and a promising young player to cash in for an established star to play alongside Gilgeous-Alexander.
Currently, there is a nice young crop of guys who are slated to enter free agency in 2024. If they become unsettled, the Thunder could look to acquire them ahead of the 2023-24 season with the goal of getting them to sign a new deal to stay in OKC, much like George before he was dealt to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Pascal Siakam, Jaylen Brown, Karl Anthony-Towns, Domantas Sabonis, Kyle Kuzma and Talen Horton-Tucker are all slotted to enter free agency in 2024, and while every one of those guys might not push the Thunder over the top right now, it’s hard to predict how they’ll develop and what the OKC roster will look like as they prepare for a playoff run in 2024.
A year later, the Thunder could again be well positioned to strike in the trade market.
Brandon Ingram, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell, John Collins, Lonzo Ball, Lauri Markkanen and Luke Kennard appear to be the top of the 2025 free agency class, but any number of first round picks from the 2021 Draft could also potentially force their way out.
Presti was reportedly a huge fan of Evan Mobley throughout the 2021 draft process, and the Cleveland Cavaliers don’t exactly have a sterling record of player development and keeping their superstars happy, as LeBron James left the franchise not once but twice for perceived greener pastures.
Building through the draft is the ideal scenario for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Presti is no stranger to staying aggressive in the trade market when he feels like he has a roster to compete in the playoffs.
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