Which OKC Thunder Players Are 'Most Likely' On NBA Trade Market?

Should the Thunder be active in the trade market, who could be made available?

May 13, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng (13) warms up before the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder in game four of the second round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

With the NBA Finals nearing, the offseason comes closer for the entire league. For all but four teams, the focus is on the NBA Draft and free agency.

With this, rumors are swirling and speculation is coming for each and every team and what they might want to do over the course of the offseason.

One thing is true of Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder -- they're far from predictable and incredibly tight-lipped. Any "reports" surrounding this team are more than likely just rumors.

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Still, anyone can speculate. Should the team be active in the trade market -- which it's hard to believe they will be -- who will be available on the trade block?

Fadeaway World wrote about this scenario for every team in the NBA, including the Thunder, and they grouped an interesting set of names together. The names? Josh Giddey, Kenrich Williams and Ousmane Dieng.

Now, of the team's current core, Giddey seems most likely to be moved. The pairing just might not be there, and a better fit for Giddey might be on the horizon. Moving him to a young, rebuilding team in return for a win-now role player could make the most sense for the Thunder.

Adding Dieng to a potential package in this scenario also makes sense -- a young player needing to be developed. A change of scenery for both players could be best for their careers as they look to emerge and break out and prove their value in the league.

"The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a great spot to contend for the foreseeable future. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a superstar player and the potential of Chet Holmgren is through the roof. Not to mention, no team has accumulated the stack of first-round picks that the Thunder have in recent seasons," Fadeaway World wrote.

As Fadeaway World alludes to, the team is competing, and the championship window will be open for a while. So, moving on from two players who need developed before competing on the biggest stage makes sense. Looping Williams into the group of names only makes sense for contract reasons.

It's hard to believe the Thunder will trade Williams, though. He wants to retire in Oklahoma City -- he's been very, very open about that. The team prioritizes bringing in people first, and Williams embodies what it means to be a part of the team.

His value to the win-now Thunder is too big to move on for another role player. Other than that, it wouldn't be shocking for teams to look to acquire Giddey and Dieng to add to their rebuild, giving them freedom to experiment with their games and develop.

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