The OKC Thunder currently hold the best record in the Western Conference standings at 18-5, roster some of the best talents the league has to offer with guys like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, and are objectively the best two-way team in the NBA.
Yet, despite all this, there's still a realistic possibility that they'll consider making roster-altering moves between now and year's end. Considering their treasure trove of draft capital, promising young prospects, and limited yet evident weaknesses an in-season trade should never be ruled out.
Though the deadline for such transactions to be made is still roughly two months away (Feb. 6), December 15 is widely regarded as the first official day of trade season, as a slew of players who signed new deals in free agency this past summer will become eligible to be moved.
Of course, for any organization to partake in these types of ordeals, an exchange of assets is generally required.
Should the Thunder ultimately wish to be active on the trade market during this year's campaign, there appear to be a few players, in particular, who seem most likely to be sent outbound.
OKC Thunder players at risk of being traded this season
Kenrich Williams
With this list, the order each player appears descends based on their likelihood of being shipped out in some sort of trade. To no fault of his own, Kenrich Williams easily is the odds-on favorite of the three mentioned to be included in an outbound package.
The veteran wing has consistently seen his on-court usage drop over the last three seasons, going from 22.8 minutes per game in 2022-23 to a mere 12.9 in 2024-25.
Now, there's a strong case to be made that this reduction is due to no fault of his own, as Oklahoma City rosters several other players at a similar position who are simply younger and, in turn, project as longer-term contributors for the franchise. However, this bleeds into perhaps the strongest reason why Williams is the most likely to depart in a hypothetical trade.
At 30 years old, he is the eldest player currently on the ball club's roster and is competing for minutes with more enviably aged youngsters such as Aaron Wiggins (25) and Isaiah Joe (25). Not only this but once this roster gets back some of its players currently sidelined due to injury, Williams' progressively plummeting activity on the hardwood will only head further south.
With all this in mind, along with the fact that he's making an easy salary-matching payday of $6.6 million this year and then $7.1 million in 2025-26, there's plenty of reason to believe Kenny Hustle's days in the Sooner State could be limited, and many in the know around the league are keeping close tabs on the situation.
Ousmane Dieng
In the event that the Thunder are engaged in negotiations for a quality, win-now role player but the potential trade partner may not want a veteran talent like Kenrich Williams in return, perhaps someone like Ousmane Dieng could be enough to help get things moving.
Though he's undoubtedly struggled to produce at a consistent rate in the association throughout his three-year tenure, both during last year's title run with the OKC Blue and during the early stages of this season the forward has shown flashes of why he was so highly sought after upon being selected in the 2022 NBA Draft.
From his length (6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan), untapped two-way potential, and the sheer fact that he's a recent lottery pick still on his rookie-scale deal, there's no doubt that a raw prospect like Dieng could entice many ball clubs to make a move between now and February 6, especially those gunning for a rebuild.
The Thunder have a clear track record of former players blooming soon after being sent to a different organization, so this trend may also be a draw for youth movement-era clubs at the deadline.
Cason Wallace
No, we do not expect Cason Wallace to be dealt this season... unless the Thunder finally decide to cash in some of their chips and snag a legitimate difference-maker via the trade market.
Should this admittedly unlikely scenario end up happening, outside of draft capital the sophomore is easily their most valuable, non-untouchable asset.
As nauseating as it may be to even think about Oklahoma City parting ways with Wallace, there is some logic behind why such a move wouldn't be all that debilitating to the team or, frankly, the youngster himself.
Coach Mark Daigneault currently has too many guard options within his rotation and, in a way, has left the 21-year-old in somewhat of a minutes crunch while competing with other backcourt commodities in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Aaron Wiggins, Alex Caruso, and Isaiah Joe for playing time.
The upside that Wallace has is not only known by OKC but many other teams across the league.
He's a former five-star high school recruit who, following an impressive one-and-done stint with the Kentucky Wildcats, was projected as a top-10 pick heading into the 2022 NBA Draft and, ultimately, was snatched up 10 overall by the Dallas Mavericks (later traded to the Thunder).
Should they wish to unclog their guard rotation while simultaneously vastly improving an actual weak spot in the rotation (power forward, for example), Cason Wallace's involvement would undoubtedly result in them bringing back a major haul.