As we enter into trade season, it is widely believed that the OKC Thunder will prioritize bringing on some added capital to their already prestigious treasure trove of draft assets they've collected over the past several years, in exchange for trade.
There's also a case to be made that they should consider flipping the expiring rookie-scale contract of Ousmane Dieng rather than lose him for nothing this coming offseason.
In a recent piece by Bleacher Report, writer Zach Buckley found a way to accomplish both tasks in one fell swoop, as he proposed the idea of swapping the forward out to the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Haywood Highsmith and two 2028 second-round picks.
B/R proposes Thunder and Nets trade that lands OKC two more picks
As acknowledged by Buckley in the piece, Oklahoma City is legitimately in a position where they don't necessarily need to make any in-season moves should they not wish to.
After all, they are the reigning champions, lead the league with a 24-2 record, and are currently the odds-on favorites to win it all again in 2026.
However, should they wish to bolster their draft asset collection even more while simultaneously adding a battle-tested playoff performer like Highsmith, this could be the perfect, low-risk move to make.
Though he has yet to log a single minute of action with the Nets while rehabbing from an offseason meniscal surgery, last year the 29-year-old put forth a career-best season with the Miami Heat, where he posted 6.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and just under a steal per game on 38.2 percent shooting from deep while grading in as an A-plus perimeter defender, per BBall-Index.
At 6-foot-5, he boasts the size of a traditional wing, though, with his tenacity and physicality, he can play both the three and four when needed, thus providing the Thunder with even more positional versatility.
As for the Nets, they bring on yet another reclamation project player in Dieng, who, while he has underwhelmed from an expectation standpoint since coming into the association back in 2022, is still a recently selected lottery talent who has shown flashes of serious potential when given extended leeway on the hardwood.
Perhaps a change of scenery, as well as a longer leash from a coaching staff to allow for trial and error play -- exactly what a rebuilding team like Brooklyn would offer -- might be the secret to officially unlocking his full talent.
At the very least, Buckley's proposed exchange is worth exploring for both ball clubs.