By all accounts, this OKC Thunder squad as constructed on August 22 will be the one rolled out come regular season's tip-off in late October.
However, if Sam Amico of Hoops Wire had to choose who among the bunch should be viewed as a potential trade candidate heading into the year, he's apparently looking at Isaiah Joe.
Isaiah Joe tabbed as trade target on Thunder roster
In a recent piece, the NBA insider acknowledged that he finds it difficult to envision the Thunder doing "a single thing" to tinker with their title-winning core between now and the regular season, though, at least in his eyes, the fifth-year wing is someone worth keeping an eye on.
If ever placed on the trade block, it should go without saying that a ton of teams would likely come inquiring about his services.
Considering the career-best campaign he just had while posting 10.2 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 41.2 percent shooting from deep, coupled with his true steal of a contract, Joe is without question a desirable catch.
Add on the fact that they have a bevy of wings already within their arsenal with the likes of Jalen Williams, Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Alex Caruso, and it's no wonder one may consider I-Joe as a Thunder player opposing teams could realistically pursue, simply based on rotational redundancy alone.
Who would Thunder most likely look to trade?
Of course, as Amico suggested in his piece, his decision to tab the 26-year-old as Oklahoma City's top trade candidate was not based on anything of note or any information from sources.
Frankly, Joe is likely seen by the Thunder as one of the players they'd try to hold onto throughout the duration of his current deal.
Someone like Ousmane Dieng, on the other hand... now there's a player they'd likely be interested in shipping off in some sort of trade.
Since being selected 11 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, the forward has failed to establish himself as a regular within coach Mark Daigneault's rotation.
Despite showing flashes of his two-way potential down in the G League, where he averages 17.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists on 47.2 percent shooting with the club and even served as a driving force in them winning the 2024 NBA G League Finals, through three full seasons Dieng has yet to find a way to piece things together with the varsity squad.
Heading into the final year of his rookie scale contract, it seems crystal clear that the 22-year-old will not be with the team beyond the 2025-26 season. Selling him off anytime between now and February's trade deadline for any semblance of a positive asset could be well worth it for Sam Presti and company.