The OKC Thunder find themselves in the thick of the NBA title race and, amid this year's trade season, have been heavily linked to Nets forward Cameron Johnson. That would be a strong in-season commitment, which isn’t typical of Oklahoma City.
Instead of swinging for the fences, perhaps Sam Presti and company may want to consider pursuing smaller-scale deals ahead of the February 6 deadline, and there are a few, in particular, that could prove to be of as great, if not greater value to the franchise.
Trades Thunder could pursue instead of going all out for Cam Johnson
Package Ousmane Dieng and Dillon Jones for a small rotational upgrade
Ousmane Dieng and rookie Dillon Jones are both not ready for playoff minutes and, frankly, may never crack the Thunder’s rotation. Exchanging them for veteran depth to maximize this season may be the most logical thing they could look to do.
Based on the CBA, the Thunder are allowed to trade Dieng for up to $10,304,080 in salary. Adding Jones to the mix increases that figure to a maximum of $15,149,400. It’s worth noting that OKC would still remain below the luxury tax in either scenario, which is a boon for ownership.
Although $15.1 million is not enough to land a star, plenty of quality role players earn this and even less in salary.
Oklahoma City's biggest flaw is lackluster playmaking and self-creation when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander rests. Now, perhaps that blemish disappears when the team is fully healthy, but it would not hurt to add another ball handler into the mix, especially since it’s difficult to trust a rookie like Ajay Mitchell to step up in the postseason.
Chris Paul ($10.4M) is an intriguing target. He ranks second across the league in high-value assists per 75 possessions, and the 39-year-old rarely turns the ball over. Paul could keep the offense organized and afloat when Gilgeous-Alexander takes a breather. He also has the ability to unlock Chet Holmgren as a lob threat, which is a relatively unexplored maneuver thus far in his career.
The NBA legend apparently enjoyed his lone season with the Thunder in 2020 and mentored Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort. There would be no locker room issues in terms of ego or playing time, which is a critical factor. All Paul wants to do is finally win a ring no matter the individual cost.
His defense is suspect at this stage of his career, so Presti must decide whether Paul’s offensive value outweighs his poor defense. Considering that the veteran would only see around five to seven minutes per game during the postseason, he’s probably a net positive player for the Thunder.
OKC opens up a roster spot by sending Dieng and Jones for Paul. That means they could convert Branden Carlson from a 10-day contract into a rest-of-season contract. Plus, the trade also clears roster space for the Thunder to sign their 2025 first-round picks this offseason, as Paul owns an expiring contract and likely wouldn’t return.
Now, perhaps the biggest question remaining is whether or not the Spurs would agree to the trade in the first place. After all, they signed Paul last offseason so he could mentor Victor Wembanyama and hone the budding superstar’s mentality, not guide the Spurs to the playoffs.
However, mid-way through his debut season that mission is likely accomplished. San Antonio now swaps Paul for a pair of young forwards who may better develop in a different environment.
Larry Nance Jr. ($11.2M) is also a player who makes sense if the Thunder desire frontcourt aid over more guard depth. He’s a versatile big who has the ability to play at power forward or center, which gives OKC lineup flexibility.
Defensively, Nance wreaks havoc due to his 7-foot-2 wingspan. According to Basketball Index, of the 355 players with at least 250 minutes played he ranks 12th in deflections, 44th in steals, and 64th in blocks per 75 possessions. Nance blends perfectly into OKC’s aggressive defensive scheme.
He’s not elite in any one offensive area but rather operates as a jack-of-all-trades role player. Nance can shoot, pass, and screen well enough to not be a liability, which is all the Thunder really need from him.
Essentially, he gives the Thunder injury insurance at center. And should Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein remain healthy, then OKC would have a defensive-oriented (Nance) and offensive-oriented (Jaylin Williams) backup big ready to go depending on the situation.
Nance is also an unrestricted free agent like Paul this offseason and is unlikely to be brought back if attained, thus opening up roster spots for the 2025 draft.
As the cherry on top, he was teammates with Hartenstein on the Cavaliers and Alex Caruso on the Lakers.
It’s not all peaches and cream, though. He suffered a fractured right hand in late December and subsequently underwent surgery to address the issue. Nance missed roughly a month before returning to the lineup on January 25. Although he logged 20 minutes, Nance visibly felt pain in his hand and may have come back a bit too soon.
Will this injury matter when the playoffs roll around? It’s extremely doubtful, but it’s a factor that Presti must investigate before pouncing.
Nance is accustomed to playing around 20 minutes per game, too. Will the 32-year-old happily accept a substantially diminished role? If not, then he is no longer a viable option.
Trade Ousmane Dieng for future draft capital
Sam Presti may stare at the Thunder’s pristine record and laundry list of injuries and come to the conclusion that no marginal upgrade is needed. If that’s the case, then trading Dieng for future draft capital is a reasonable pivot.
The former lottery pick has not developed in time to justify a roster spot because the days of developmental minutes for young prospects are long gone. OKC is a true championship contender at this very moment, so Dieng won’t have the opportunity to fight through growing pains.
Rebuilders like Chicago, Washington, Charlotte, Brooklyn, or Utah would likely jump at the chance to buy low on Dieng, who is under contract next season at about $5 million.
The Bulls have shown a tendency to disregard draft capital in favor of prospects, and there is a front-office connection already established via the Caruso trade last offseason. They can use a small chunk of their $17.5 million trade exception from the DeMar DeRozan deal to absorb Dieng’s contract without sending back salary to OKC.
Chicago would then be above the luxury tax by roughly $500,000, but they can easily dip below the threshold by moving Torrey Craig or Talen Horton-Tucker to a contender.
In return for Dieng, the Thunder receive an unprotected 2028 second-round pick via the Kings. Based on Sacramento’s future outlook, the pick likely lands somewhere in the 40s. If that seems like a low price, consider the following:
- Second-round picks hold far more value under the new CBA because of the aprons
- Dieng has been one of the least efficient players in the NBA through three seasons
- Dieng becomes an unrestricted free agent in the 2026 offseason, which means the recipient does not have him locked up on a long-term deal
OKC adds a future pick, clears room for Carlson to sign a rest-of-season contract, and opens up a roster spot for their 2025 first-round picks. Essentially, Presti avoids the sunk cost fallacy and gains future flexibility.
Exchange immediate draft capital for future draft capital
Should Presti want to see how this team performs in the playoffs before making potential upgrades, then saving Dieng’s contract to have serve as a matching salary this offseason is reasonable. However, just because players are not involved does not mean a trade cannot be orchestrated.
The Thunder are currently drowning in draft capital and lack the roster space to sign their 2025 selections, much less their next three years' worth of picks. Consolidating numerous lower-quality picks for one premium selection is a worthwhile way to circumvent this problem, especially since the NBA is a star-driven league and stars typically land in the top ten of the draft.
Which teams would be open to such a deal? Aging contenders who lack draft capital but are desperate to upgrade their depth charts make for perfect targets.
This scenario recently occurred, as the Phoenix Suns sent their unprotected 2031 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for three low-quality firsts. Phoenix gained more picks to trade, while Utah got a juicy future first when Kevin Durant is likely retired and Devin Booker is past his prime.
The Suns are not a viable partner for OKC anymore, but other teams who fit the criteria include the Bucks, Nuggets, and Clippers. All three franchises only have one tradeable first-rounder remaining, and they all feature an aging core that’s still likely one piece away from a title.
Milwaukee is the best option here because they reside in the Eastern Conference and own the worst outlook in 2031. Their core is older than Denver’s, and they cannot attract premium free agents like Los Angeles.
What could a trade look like? The Thunder send the worst of their 2025 firsts (likely low to mid-20s), the worst of their 2027 firsts, and three second-round picks in exchange for Milwaukee’s unprotected 2031 first.
It’s a decision that carries risk yet may land a top-five pick in the 2031 draft from a potentially horrible Bucks team still trying to rebound from the Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard era. As for Milwaukee, they obtain more flexibility to make a move this trade deadline and go title hunting.
Overall, the Thunder have numerous avenues that they could pursue before the trade deadline. Although it’s unclear which path Presti will take, look for him to make some sort of move before February 6.