Pair of OKC Thunder Transactions Ranked Among Best in the NBA

The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the NBA’s best teams for the past three years.

After winning 57 games and earning the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference in 2023-24, OKC notched 68 wins en route to a title in 2024-25.

Now, the Thunder have reached 57 wins with 10 games remaining, and currently hold the top spot in the West once again. Time will tell if Oklahoma City holds off the San Antonio Spurs for the No. 1 seed, but Mark Daigneault’s team has been one of the most consistent in the NBA.

One of the key catalysts in OKC’s success are the team’s roster transactions. Sam Presti and company added Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein ahead of the 2024-25 season, and even after winning the title, the Thunder continue to make solid roster moves.

Over the summer, the team signing Ajay Mitchell to a three-year contract extension worth $8.7 million. This year, the second-year guard and former second-round pick has developed into one of the Oklahoma City’s more important players, averaging 14.2 points, 3.6 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 48.9% from the field and 34.8% from 3-point range.

In addition to securing Mitchell’s talents for the coming seasons, the Thunder made another move at the NBA Trade Deadline, acquiring fellow second-year guard Jared McCain.

McCain has performed well since arriving in OKC, averaging 12.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per game while shooting 46.9% from the field and 44% from beyond the arc.

Both of the aforementioned moves have helped the Thunder continue to build an impressive roster loaded with young talent. The pair of transactions recently ranked No. 2 on ESPN’s list of “10 best NBA deals” since the 2025 offseason.

Landing two impactful young players on low-cost salaries is a massive boost for a Thunder team that needed more ball handling, scoring and shooting. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren all receiving maximum contracts extensions in the summer of 2025, Oklahoma City will soon have an expensive roster and may need to move on from a few other role players.

Mitchell and McCain have provided exactly that for OKC, and have been crucial during the back half of the regular season for Daigneault’s group.

While it remains to be seen how much either member of the duo will impact the playoffs, each player has played a role in helping the Thunder maintain the No. 1 seed and has the skill set to be valuable in the postseason.

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