The OKC Thunder essentially already have their 15-man roster set for the 2025-26 campaign and, thus, are not in a position to add on any new players. That being said, this doesn't mean they can't still partake in offseason dealings.
According to The Athletic's Jovan Buha, the Utah Jazz are open to the idea of trading third-year center Walker Kessler this summer and are looking to receive two first-round picks in exchange for his services.
Though certainly a steep asking price, especially for someone like Kessler who boasts more of an old-school style of play predicated on rim protection and rebounding, looking around the league there are a number of big man-needy ball clubs that could stand to benefit from the 7-footer's arrival and, in turn, should be willing to pay close to or the full premium.
However, not all of these teams have the capital to make such a deal happen. The Los Angeles Lakers, for example, have just one tradable first-round pick over the next seven years.
This is where the Thunder would come into play.
Thunder could serve as third team in potential Walker Kessler trade
Simply put, the Thunder have more draft picks than they know what to do with. Outside of this past draft, where they managed to snag one of the biggest steals from the 2025 class in Thomas Sorber, OKC could have as many as 11 first-round picks through 2031, and up to three in next year's festivities alone.
Already, Sam Presti has shown an affinity for kicking the proverbial can down the road in exchange for more future capital, even flipping the rights to their 24 overall pick in this year's draft to the Sacramento Kings for a top-16 protected 2027 first-round pick via the Spurs.
On top of this, the front office has had ample experience over the last few years serving as a third-party for pick purposes, as they did so for the Philadelphia 76ers in the trade that sent James Harden to the LA Clippers back in 2023 and for the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 trade-deadline deal that landed them Daniel Gafford from the Washington Wizards.
Now, with the Jazz looking to get a handsome return for the likes of Walker Kessler, it seems that the Thunder could once again be called upon to contribute the desired amount of draft capital to make such a move happen this summer.
Especially if they can secure a favorable future pick swap from a contender teetering on disaster, stepping in as a third team in such an exchange could be well worth it for Oklahoma City.