How OKC Thunder could be dramatically impacted by James Harden trade

OKC Thunder could play the role of facilitator in  Harden’s trade

To reiterate, the Thunder are not in the mix of teams wanting to trade for their former player. Granted, with a potential 18 first-round draft picks over the next seven seasons Sam Presti has inarguably the most trade equity in the Association.

There’s also the ‘been there, done that’ aspect to this situation. Given the current rhetoric surrounding Harden’s off-court indulgences presumably, Presti and the Thunder are already familiar with the dynamic.

In fact, the year prior to his trade to Houston, the OKC Thunder went to the NBA Finals. In that 2012 playoff run the young shooting guard was spectacular but floundered versus the Heat. Rumors surfaced he was out all hours in South Beach partying. While some suggested that was simply the party line (no pun intended), in retrospect, there was likely more fact than fiction to those stories.

Moving forward, the clear frontrunners for Harden are the Nets and 76ers. However, with Woj’s article update, the leverage is once again back in the Rockets’ corner. With other teams in the mix now, the 76ers Morey and Nets Sean Marks will have to provide a trade package worthy of landing the 2017 MVP (and a finalist in five of the past six campaigns).

As per Wojnarowski, the Nets, in particular, may need to involve a third party.

"The Nets are limited by the Rockets’ interest in their personnel, and likely would need a third team to emerge in talks, sources said."

Considering that statement, suddenly the OKC Thunder emerge as a desirable facilitator. Stone (like every front office exec) is covetous of those 18 potential first-round draft picks Presti has at his disposal over the next seven seasons.

While Woj cites the Nets as needing a third party, so too could other elite clubs.  Several team’s plans were thwarted this week when Giannis Antetokounmpo elected to sign his extention to stay in Milwaukee. The Raptors, Mavericks, Heat, and Warriors were the squads most affected. Ironically, the Thunder own picks from all but the Raptors (second-round picks from the Mavericks).

Then again, there are few teams Presti hasn’t wrestled draft picks from as the Rockets and 76ers also owe OKC first-round picks.

The question is whether there are assets on any of those clubs Sam Presti would be interested in giving up picks for. Thunderous Intentions was high on Tyler Herro long before the youngster displayed the bubble snarl.

Could Presti grab the player TI coveted from the 2019 draft class?  Surely a draft pick (not in the next two years) would be worth landing the 20-year old who fits the Thunder timeline and would be an ideal backcourt partner to grow with SGA.  NOTE: be sure to check back this weekend for a Mark Nilon article specifically detailing options of this nature.

Scanning the elite club’s draft closets the only top teams whose draft cupboard isn’t bare of first-round picks are the Celtics and Raptors. Other teams with excess first-round picks that could be used to help facilitate the trade are the Pelicans, Knicks, and Grizzlies.