Stealing one player from every Southwest Division team for the OKC Thunder

The OKC Thunder will enter the 2023-24 NBA season with the most excitement surrounding their franchise since 2017. With one of the best young cores in the entire league, a top-notch head coach, and the amount of depth on this roster, this OKC Thunder team can undoubtedly stack up wins this season.

Not only do the Oklahoma City Thunder have a mountain of draft assets to eventually cash in for a bonafide superstar should Sam Presti elect to go that route, but they also have the perfect blend of first and second-round picks to dominate the NBA trade deadline for the foreseeable future, including this season.

While I do not expect a massive trade to go down in Oklahoma City this season, the Thunder do control assets to dominate the NBA trade deadline should they choose to. Typically, teams are willing to part with quality players in the middle of the season for little to nothing as they slip through the cracks of contention. The asking price? An assortment of second-round picks.

One Trade target from each South West Division team for the OKC Thunder to keep an eye on this season.

For this installment of spinning around NBA Divisions to find trade targets on every team in the association, we take a trip to the South West division to hunt for Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets, and New Orleans Pelicans.

This division presents high-end options, buy-low reunions, and complimentary role players. Something for everyone in the South West Division!

The OKC Thunder and Dallas Mavericks are not true trade partners after draft night.

Please hold your tomatoes until the end; do not fling them on stage at the sight of Maxi Kleber. The bottom line is there is no great option from the Dallas Mavericks. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are likely not going to demand a trade this season, Seth Curry and Grant Williams were fixtures of the Mavs offseason moves and likely will not be flipped, and taking a flyer on Richaun Holmes or Markieff Morris is not very appealing.

So that brought the list down to three names: Jaden Hardy, Maxi Kleber, and Dante Exum. Despite my love for Olivier-Maxence Prosper’s game, I could not justify selling you on the idea the Mavericks would part with one of their first-round rookies.

Ultimately, Jaden Hardy gets scrubbed from the list due to his importance to the Mavericks and the guard depth in OKC. Hardy and Josh Green should play significant roles for Jason Kidd’s squads, and they will not be parted with easily. That young duo represents some of the Mavericks’ best trade chips and rotational pieces.

So now the list is down to Dante Exum and Maxi Kleber. While watching Exum play with Josh Giddey for Team Australia was fun, I ultimately sided with Maxi Kleber due to his size and three-point shooting.

However, Sam Presti will likely say, “We have Kleber at home,” while pointing to Davis Bertans, who the Thunder acquired from the Mavericks on draft night.

There just is not a trade to work out here for the Mavericks and Thunder.

Target: Maxi Kleber.

Steven Adams was a fan favorite during his OKC Thunder tenure, but is anything left in the tank? Why he is not the top Memphis target.

Again, I would like to ask you not to pelt me with tomatoes as I say; while we all love Steven Adams, he is not the player he was in Oklahoma City. He currently represents one of the worst contracts in the NBA, being owed 12.6 million dollars this season and next.

Adams is an old 30-year-old with plenty of wear and tear on his body; questioning his ability to play an 82-game schedule is not out of line. OKC Thunder fans also had a front-row seat to how the game changed for him during the postseason. For as much as he would warm the hearts of the heartland, Adams is not the player he once was, and there would be little-to-no sense in bringing him back for the sake of nostalgia.

The Memphis Grizzlies have their own young core with plenty of off-limits talent, so I narrowed my search for a trade target to Luke Kennard.

Kennard is owed 14.7 million dollars this year, with a 14.7 million dollar team option to be decided on in the summer. The Memphis Grizzlies sharpshooter shot 49 percent from beyond the arc a season ago, and we have seen what adding a leather shooter has done for Mark Daigneault’s offense in the form of Isaiah Joe.

It again comes down to how realistic it is for the Grizzlies to part with Kennard. Making yet another South West division foe seem unlikely as a trade partner.

Target: Luke Kennard.

Who says you can’t go home again? Jeff Green might be the best option from this Houston Rockets team for the OKC Thunder to target.

The Houston Rockets represent a prime trade deadline time, an organization that made some moves this summer in an attempt to climb out of the barrel of the NBA and into the play-in tournament; in a tough western conference, the Rockets still might fall flat on that goal.

In that event, this organization might be willing to sell off some veteran pieces for a few second-round picks and enter NBA Champion and OKC Thunder legend Jeff Green. After providing Denver veteran leadership en route to a title, Green inked a one-plus-one pact with the Rockets for 8 million dollars this season, including an 8 million dollar team option next season for the club to exercise or move on from.

A year ago, 37-year-old Jeff Green averaged seven points, two rebounds, and an assist per game while shooting 48 percent from the floor. While Green does not offer much beyond the arc, he can still get it done inside the three-point line.

Jeff Green would not be someone you leaned on for valuable playing time, but instead, a journeyman who has the wisdom to help a young team navigate their first season with true pressure and expectations.

Target: Jeff Green.

The OKC Thunder see the New Orleans Pelicans offer a plethora of options in an assortment of roles.

Brandon Ingram will make many Oklahoma City Thunder fan’s eyes light up, but I wonder if he would end up in Bricktown for various reasons. But Ingram is one of many options for Sam Presti to look into. Trey Murphy III offers a seamless fit to the Thunder that could complete this young core, Naji Marshall presents a fine role player to chase after, and there has been constant drama surrounding Zion Williamson since he landed in New Orleans.

Of all these options, Trey Murphy III is my favorite if I could just hand-pick a player from the Pelicans roster, but in all likelihood, to make a run at this season,  Naji Marshall is a bit enticing.

At 25 years old, the 6’7 forward played in 77 games, averaging nine points, three rebounds, and two assists to go along with a stock per game (Steal plus blocks). In over 50 isolation attempts defensively, Synergy grades Marshall as a “very good” defender with a solid ability to switch and fight through screens. He fits right in with Mark Daigneault’s squad.

However, the difficult part with the New Orleans Pelicans as a trade partner is finding the balance. Brandon Ingram is lofty of a goal, and Naji Marshall has a redundant skill set that does not move the needle for the OKC Thunder.

One thing is for sure: writing this article has me fixated on how Trey Murphy III would complement this OKC Thunder squad and enhance the team’s core. While I do not think the Pelicans would easily part with Murphy III, he is our swing-for-the-fence target of this article.

OKC Thunder could find another perfect match with an old friend from San Anton.

What is this, A reunion episode? As much as the Kansas Jayhawk fan in me wanted to go with Deonte Graham, the small guard does not exactly fit with the OKC Thunder. Beyond Graham, you have an overload of youngsters the Spurs will not be eager to get rid of and Zach Collins, who seems poised to stay in San Antonio for the long haul.

That leaves Doug McDermott as the best trade target for the OKC Thunder to nab from the San Antonio Spurs. McDermott spent a whopping 22 games in Bricktown during the 2016-17 season, averaging six points, hauling in two rebounds, and shooting 36 percent from distance.

Last season for the San Antonio Spurs, McDermott shot 41 percent from three-point land to match his career average from beyond the arc. Now, at age 31, the power forward could cheaply fill one of the holes on this OKC Thunder team: Shooting.

The San Antonio Spurs, despite the Victor Wembanyama excitement, do not expect to be in the postseason mix and could be willing to part with “Dougie Buckets” for cheap.

The Creighton product is on a 13 million dollar expiring contract that could see him get moved for a similar package used to acquire Dario Saric this past deadline. The OKC Thunder grabbed Saric and used him down the stretch run of the season before saying thank you for your service and letting him hit the open market to sign with the Golden State Warriors.

If the OKC Thunder can bring in a 40-plus percent three-point shooter at the deadline, it would be a massive success for the franchise. While he will not steal headlines, that shooting can swing games in the young Thunder’s favor this season.

Trade Target: Doug McDermott.