Since the OKC Thunder were eliminated from the NBA Playoffs, a lot of talk has centered on potential shakeups the club could make to help get them back to the mountaintop next season.
From urging them to consider moving on from guys like Chet Holmgren to the rumor mill running rampant over possible trade pursuits for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, the tabloids are absolutely flooded with splashy hypotheticals that many believe Sam Presti and company should entertain.
Given how this front office has operated for the better part of the last 20 years, it's safe to say that seeing a blockbuster transaction this summer is far from likely. However, this is not to suggest the Thunder won't be a major player on the trade market.
In fact, fans should expect nothing less than a few deals to go down between now and the kick-off to 2026-27 -- they should just severely lower their expectations when it comes to the size of said trades.
Thunder literally can't afford not to make trades this summer
As things currently stand, the Thunder find themselves with a fully loaded roster and are projected to be $28 million north of the dreaded second apron heading into next season.
On top of this, they have two first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft, which, due to their aforementioned no-vacancy depth chart, they literally can't use for themselves as currently constructed.
Needless to say, many moves clearly need to be made.
Now, though some may believe that the simplest way for them to address these problems would be to just opt out from the final years of players attached to club options, considering the only two candidates that would make a real dent in the payroll, Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort, are integral parts of OKC's infrastructure, doing so would be far from a simple task.
All things considered, the best way for them to shed significant salary and create more roster space would, in fact, be by way of the offseason trade market.
Fortunately, they have plenty of expendable players and assets that opposing teams would absolutely love to get their hands on.
Whether it's the spark plug offensive talents of Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, or the All-Defensive abilities of the veteran Dort (the only logical way to part ways with him is if the Thunder gets something in return), Oklahoma City has an overflow of role players who, as expertly put a few months ago, could literally start on other top-tier contenders.
Of course, parting ways with players isn't the only kind of deal the Thunder could be eyeing this summer, as recent rumblings indicate that the front office is open to offloading their picks in this year's draft for future ones down the line.
Regardless of the how of it all, based on the state of the team coupled with recent reports, it seems more than likely that the Thunder will be quite a busy team in the trade department this offseason.
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