The OKC Thunder aren't known for making league-altering acquisitions, but recent rumblings about future Hall of Famer Steph Curry's quest for a fifth championship ring might get them thinking.
A recent segment of Stephen A. Smith's First Take pegged the sharpshooter's NBA future as a major topic of discussion.
"What I'm saying to you is [Golden State] is not good enough. They've got no shot at the championship... Curry deserves a better situation than what he has right now... If you just look at it from that standpoint, does Steph need to leave the Warriors to win another championship? The answer to that is 'yes,'" Smith said.
These comments come amid yet another mediocre season for Golden State, where Steph's supporting cast has been headlined by Jimmy Butler (out for the season) and an aging Draymond Green.
Since their last title run in 2021-22, Golden State hasn't been higher than a sixth seed entering the postseason.
Steph Curry and the Thunder would be a match made in Heaven
Even though Steph is in the twilight of his career, he is still playing at an elite level, averaging 27.2 points per game while shooting 39.1 percent from three. With his laundry list of accomplishments, he has earned the right to dictate if and when he leaves Golden State.
If he were to pull the trigger on a trade request, the Thunder would make too much sense as the perfect destination.
Before giving a first and three second round picks to the Sixers for Jared McCain, the Thunder were tied with the most first-round assets in the league. Even after the trade, they're still loaded with more assets than they know what to do with.
Having strategically staggered their larger contracts, Sam Presti has provided his franchise with financial flexibility despite the recently implemented tax apron rules.
Of course, acquiring a big name like Steph would still likely require some financial finagling by the Thunder front office.
Curry schematically fits OKC like a glove. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drawing in defenders like moths to a flame, OKC relies heavily on its perimeter shooting to make double-teaming defenses pay.
It's why they went out and acquired McCain at the deadline.
Having arguably the best three-point shooter of all time on the floor would provide a nightmare scenario that would send opposing defenses into a frenzy.
With SGA constantly improving from deep, Jared McCain still on a rookie deal, and Steph running around the perimeter, OKC would immediately be one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league.
A Steph-SGA combo would almost be poetic, as the former has been one of the faces of the NBA for nearly two decades. Now inching closer to retirement, he could spend his last few years passing the torch to the Thunder's franchise cornerstone.
While the idea might be far-fetched, the pieces mesh together nearly perfectly. It all depends on whether Steph's loyalty to the Bay Area outweighs his desire to further cement his legacy.
With Steph still shooting as he did during his championship days, a move to any team would have seismic effects felt throughout the league.