The OKC Thunder have a ton of NBA Draft capital, especially after re-loading during the 2021 NBA Draft by trading away the rights to Alprene Sengun. While the Oklahoma City Thunder do not appear to be playoff contenders in the western conference for the 2021-22 NBA season, their ability to control the 2022 NBA Draft and trade market, is what brings a ton of excitement as the organization attempts to rebuild a championship contender.
The Minnesota Timberwolves, who have debated going all-in for Ben Simmons in an attempt to make the NBA postseason, made a shocking move this afternoon in firing their General Manager Gersson Rosas just days before the start of training camp.
The team is promoting Sachin Gupta to the head of basketball operations, Gupta invented a tool you likely use every few weeks, ESPN’s trade machine. On the surface, the Wolves making a move after making the playoffs just one time in 16 years is not surprising. However, why give Rosas the entire offseason of control and wait until training camp is six days away?
OKC Thunder in line to trade for Karl-Anthony Towns if he demands out
This move created a stir in Minnesota, even prompting the Wolves star player, Karl-Anthony Towns, to tweet out a cryptic message.
Now, this tweet could simply be the NBA All-Star wanting the sweet, sweet, twitter interaction on his account. After all, nothing gives you a buzz like over 25 thousand likes on a post in less than five hours.
However, it could also be the final straw. After making the NBA Postseason just once in his NBA career, a five-game series loss to the Houston Rockets, the two-time NBA All-Star, and 2015-16 Rookie of the Year could demand out of this dysfunctional organization set to undergo new ownership in a few seasons.
If KAT wants out of Minnesota, no team is positioned better than the OKC Thunder to the All-NBA player to their roster. The Kentucky product is still just 25 years old, he is owed 31.6 million dollars this season, and is under club control until 2024.
The OKC Thunder have 36 future NBA Draft selections, including three picks in the top 30 during the 2022 NBA Draft, using those picks along with a few young pieces Theo Maledon, Darius Bazley, or even 6th overall pick Josh Giddey could land the Thunder KAT while keeping in place a solid core, and a lot more draft capital to continue to bolster the team.
What would you give up for Karl-Anthony Towns if you were OKC Thunder General Manager Sam Presti?