NBA Mock Trade: Thunder Help Raptors Change Directions

The Thunder have been one of the worst 3-point shooting teams over the last several years, perhaps sometimes even by design. But one thing has become clear with the emergence of star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: it’s much needed.

Oklahoma City has at times rolled out better shooting lineups featuring Isaiah Joe, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, the new-and-improved Aleksej Pokusevski and more. But the team as a whole has struggled.

With an unprecedented cache of future draft picks at their disposal, Oklahoma City has the bandwidth to add even more shooting to the team.

But OKC, one of the youngest teams in NBA history, aren’t looking to add just any player. Shooters come at a premium, but they’ll need one that moderately fits their timeline and culture.

And that’s where the Toronto Raptors, sitting at 13-17, come in.

Led by general manager Masai Ujiri, Toronto could soon decide to opt for a rebuild rather than continue down their current path. The Raptors are currently on a five-game losing streak, which has usually resulted in trades, albeit minor ones, in the Ujiri era.

With a relatively recent championship in 2019, Toronto isn’t on the clock to do anything drastic, but could be in line for a change-of-pace rebuild they haven’t seen in quite awhile.

First, though, they’d need to offload their current trade-able assets. OG Anunoby could very well be on their ‘to keep’ list, but if he’s on the table, you can bet Thunder general manager Sam Presti, and nearly every other general manager for that matter, will be calling.

At 25-years-old with multiple seasons of steady growth under his belt, Anunoby is the premier piece that the Thunder are looking to add. He's a lengthy, switchable defender with enough handle to drive, and plenty of poise from outside.

Anunoby is having his best season yet — around 19 points per game while playing all-defense level on the other end — and is on one of, if not the best deal in the NBA.

Anunoby is seeing his worst shooting season in awhile — just 33 percent on 4.6 attempts per game — but is a career 36 percent 3-point shooter, and certainly a weapon that players like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey could use.

Anunoby won’t be cheap, however. Should the Raptors opt towards a rebuild, Ujiri will be looking to maximize his assets, and a bidding war could raise the price of Toronto’s players’ significantly.

Here’s what a mock trade between Oklahoma City and Toronto could look like:

Oklahoma City Thunder get: OG Anunoby

Toronto Raptors get: Luguentz Dort, 2024 Utah Jazz protected first round pick

The trade would have to wait til Jan. 15 due to Dort’s bird rights, but all-in-all the money works.

I deliberated between giving Toronto two lesser firsts, but felt Ujiri would value one potentially great Jazz pick instead.

Dort in his own right is a valuable asset that Ujiri could hang onto for four more seasons on a reasonable deal, or flip to a team with cap space for a first. Dort fits fine with the current iteration of the Thunder, but the team could use Anunoby’s skillset, at 6-foot-7, just a bit more.

Overall, both teams have flexibility to get a deal done with various picks and prospects. Toronto might value legitimate prospects or just picks even more, which could include Tre Mann, potentially Jalen Williams and Houston and Heat future selections.

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