Despite being the number one seed in the Western Conference standings and sporting the second-best record in the entire association at 35-7, the OKC Thunder still have some room to grow before they can confidently be tabbed as title favorites.
Sure, they may have superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and rising studs Chet Holmgren (when healthy) and Jalen Williams leading the charge, as well as a regular in-game rotation that runs 10 to 12 men deep, but to say their talent arsenal is flawless would be a bit of a stretch.
Arguably their three most glaring weaknesses this season are a lack of legitimate power forwards, pedestrian second-unit scoring options, and no insurance policy at the five behind Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, both of whom have suffered from nagging injuries throughout this campaign.
For the vast majority of this season, many have talked ad nauseam about how a possible solution for the former two sore spots could be by striking on a trade for Nets forward Cameron Johnson, while potentially adding on teammate Day'Ron Sharpe in a packaged deal could even help hit on all three.
However, out in Utah, there's a certain individual who, in theory, could address all of these issues the Thunder have by himself and perhaps by way of a more desirable outbound trade package for OKC.
OKC Thunder must consider trading for John Collins ahead of deadline
Though he may not be getting anywhere near the fanfare that Cam Johnson has been receiving on the market, in many ways John Collins projects as a more ideal fit in Oklahoma City.
Measuring in at 6-foot-9, 227 pounds with a 6-foot-11 wingspan, the 27-year-old has the ideal frame for a tweener big in the modern era, which would be an absolute gem of an addition for the Thunder who, as noted earlier, could use for more heads at both the four and five spots.
On top of this, he's made a name for himself as a highly capable inside-out offensive weapon who boasts career averages of 15.9 points and 8.1 rebounds on 54.6 percent shooting from the floor and 36.4 percent shooting from distance.
Now in year eight, Collins is once again putting forth tremendous efforts on a nightly basis, as he's dropping 17.9 points and 8.3 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the floor and 43.8 percent from deep.
Even when looking at his numbers when solely coming off the pine this year, his 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds on 50.0 percent from the floor would still be an absolute luxury to have within the second unit for the Thunder, especially when considering they currently rank just 20 in bench scoring (34.1 points per game).
Add all of this to the fact that the Jazz's current asking price for his services is reported to be just a first-round pick (significantly lower compared to the two Brooklyn is looking for in exchange for Johnson), and, unless the Thunder are dead set on standing pat this trade season or dealing for the Nets sniper, they must strongly consider pursuing a deal for John Collins.