The OKC Thunder have perhaps the most thrilling young roster in the NBA. They have a wealth of young talent, spearheaded by emergent superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They exceeded expectations in 2023 by winning 40 games and securing a berth into the play-in tournament. And they have more trade assets than any other team in the league.
After a diligent and patient two-year rebuild, OKC is back on the plotting rise to title contention. Yet they haven’t made any significant moves since they traded Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers—which brought them Gilgeous-Alexander.
They have acquired their talent through the draft, showcasing superior scouting by finding burgeoning stars like Josh Giddey and Jalen Williams. As well as making big moves to grab an extra lottery pick in Ousmane Dieng.
One Player, the OKC Thunder, should steal from each team in the Atlantic Division.
For a few years, the OKC Thunder grabbed other team’s unwanted contracts and amassed draft capital, executing a long-term plan with a clear vision of the future. Including in this past draft as the OKC Thunder moved up two slots to grab Cason Wallace by taking on Davis Bertans’ contract.
Now the OKC Thunder have a roster full of valuable young players, and they are sitting on an astonishing 16 first-round picks.
While they are in no rush to win a championship this season, it is undoubtedly creeping up on time for the OKC Thunder to make a splash. They don’t need to chase a star, but they should look to bolster their rotation.
Sam Presti has accumulated a towering stack of chips. It’s time for him to cash some of them in. In today’s experiment, the OKC Thunder looks at five East teams as potential business partners. Here is one player the OKC Thunder should target on each team in the Atlantic Division.