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OKC Thunder: 2 players to consider trading for using team’s TPEs

By Mark Nilon

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 26: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic drives against John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at State Farm Arena on February 26, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - FEBRUARY 26: Aaron Gordon #00 of the Orlando Magic drives against John Collins #20 of the Atlanta Hawks in the second half at State Farm Arena on February 26, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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With just under 10 days to go till the March 25th NBA Trade Deadline, many are under the impression that the OKC Thunder are gearing up to be sellers in an effort to part with some of their veteran contracts and, in turn, better position themselves for the future and for their current franchise rebuild.

Perhaps the most oft mentioned member of Oklahoma City rumored to be on the trade block is George Hill, but others such as Al Horford and even Trevor Ariza (remember him?!) have also been found within the trade rumor circuit.

Though a popular want from the Thunder fanbase has been to see them serve as sellers, there are many — some of which have contacted me personally by email — who are very open to the idea of Sam Presti and co. targeting young and talented players via trade and, in turn, play the role of buyers instead.

The OKC Thunder could use their several TPEs to bring on talent via trade

With the fact that the OKC Thunder have an illustrious treasure trove of draft assets, coupled with their three total Traded Player Exceptions — two of which having value north of $18 million — if this front office actually wanted to bring on talented players to help bolster this team moving forward, it would be a relatively easy task to accomplish.

While it may not be a popular belief amongst some, others — including myself — believe it’s certainly a concept worth considering.

An NBA roster is only permitted to hold 15 players. With the Thunder being in possession of a potential total of 16 first-round picks over the next seven seasons, there’s seemingly no feasible way in which they can go about building for the future without swapping out some of these assets anyway.

With the luxury of having these aforementioned trade exceptions and holding the rights to enough picks to roster an entire team by the year 2027, if OKC wanted to, they could easily put themselves in a prime position to nab a few quality talents via trade at this year’s deadline.

Today, we present to you 2 players rumored to be on the market that we believe would be ideal targets using Oklahoma City’s TPEs:

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