OKC Thunder: 4 second-chance players team could still trade for

There are quite a few young players across the league that could use a fresh start, and the OKC Thunder should consider dealing for some of them at a low cost.

The OKC Thunder come into the 2020-21 season with one thing on their mind: the 2021 NBA Draft.

After shipping off the majority of players that made their surprise 2019-20 postseason run possible, Sam Presti and co. now have the franchise setting sail on a full out rebuild, which likely will wind up ending their 11-year streak of finishing the season with a winning record.

While the team does hold the rights to a plethora of draft assets over the next several years, in terms of long-term contributors currently on the roster, pickings seem a bit slim.

Sure, OKC has the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Darius Bazley, and Luguentz Dort seemingly cemented into their future, but outside of them, the team either has unproven rookies coming into their first year or veterans with minimal upside.

Again, having draft capital is great, but subsequently having potential building blocks in tow is also something a team should aspire for.

In our eyes, there is a very simple and cost-efficient way for Presti to go about adding some more potential long-term contributors to their roster: trading for young and reletively underwhelming prospects, especially those who have yet to live up to expectations.

Sure, it may sound odd at first, but the OKC Thunder are in a great position to take some second-chance players on, as it likely wouldn’t cost much to acquire them and, being that the team is fortunate to not be in a “win now” mode, they could theoretically provide these types of talents with more meaningful time to develop as well as a longer leash.

If the front office were to opt to go down this route — which we really suggest they should — there are 4 specific players they should have on their radar:

Player the OKC Thunder could target No. 1) Matisse Thybulle

First on the docket, we have Philadelphia 76ers wing, Matisse Thybulle.

A four-year contributor at the University of Washington, selected 20th overall in the 2019 draft Thybulle came into the league as a quality 3-and-D prospect with the upside of a Thabo Sefolosha or Andre Roberson, but with a more consistent jumper.

Through 65 games played during his rookie campaign, while certainly providing solid defensive production (1.4 steals per game), the wing posted rather underwhelming numbers of 4.7 points and 1.6 rebounds a game.

Perhaps not the most utilized player on the win-now 76ers, on a team like the Thunder he’d be welcomed into the youth-movement with open arms.

A high character, defensive-first, and floor-spacing prospect, Thybulle seemingly fits the definition of what Sam Presti covets.

If he could be potentially pried away from the Sixers with a package surrounding Geroge Hill and a couple of second-rounders, a guy like him would be well worth acquiring.