Since embarking on their full-fledged rebuild back in 2019, GM Sam Presti has slowly but surely stocked this OKC Thunder roster up to the point where they're now widely considered the deepest team in the association.
Their assortment of talent has become so absurd, in fact, that even their overflow, afterthought players have managed to break out once landing with another squad.
From Ty Jerome's post-Thunder play while with the Cleveland Cavaliers and, now, the Memphis Grizzlies to Josh Giddey's rise into budding stardom as he suits up for the Chicago Bulls, examples of this kind of trend are a dime a dozen.
Ousmane Dieng seems to be the most recent former Thunder to find his stock on the rise following a departure from the Sooner State, as he's shown flashes during his short stint with the Bucks that he never was able to in OKC.
It's because of this that The Ringer's Bill Simmons is essentially now urging every team in the association to dial up Presti and company to inquire about what it may cost to pry even one of the club's end-of-bench guys away.
Bill Simmons urges teams to inquire about end-of-bench Thunder
During a recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, the eponymous host discussed the currently surging Bucks, who won five of their six games heading into the All-Star break, and highlighted their trade deadline acquisition of former Thunder forward Ousmane Dieng as a spark during this stretch.
While giving the 2022 lottery pick his flowers, Simmons couldn't help but broach the idea that teams in the league should now be reaching out to Oklahoma City regarding their elite overflow, saying, "I would be trying to trade for all the 12 through 17 OKC guys."
As suggested by these remarks, it's understood by the veteran sports personality that the club's collection of quality players extends beyond just standard-contract recipients, as the Thunder also have a number of development league, two-way prospects who have turned heads with their on-court play, with a prime example being big man Branden Carlson.
With all the success stories of departed OKC players seen as of late, this take by Simmons is undoubtedly rooted in logic and should be heeded by rival front offices looking to spruce up their own talent pools.
Now, granted, this luxury the Thunder have of going 12 men deep on a nightly basis is something they shouldn't necessarily be looking to give up on.
However, everyone has a price, and the concept of getting a haul back in return for one of their lesser-used contributors could be rather enticing for the storied executive.