Thunder linked as possible offseason landing spot for 4x Champion, 5x All-Star

At 45-20, the OKC Thunder are seemingly en route toward claiming both their first playoff berth in four years as well as their first top-four finish in the Western Conference standings since the 2017-18 season.

With this, heading into the playoffs, the belief among the fanbase is that Mark Daigneault's squad is a legitimate title contender and could realistically find themselves vying for the franchise's first-ever Larry O'Brien Trophy.

Analysts, however, are a bit less enthusiastic about Oklahoma City's chances this year for a number of reasons, as they lack size, strength, and, frankly, experience when it comes to playing in such meaningful games.

Whatever the outcome of their upcoming postseason excursion winds up being, this summer it should go without saying that Sam Presti and company will be looking to address some of the club's primary limitations, and, in the eyes of Fansided's Lior Lampert, there's one impending free agent they should pursue to address a number of areas within their scheme.

Klay Thompson tabbed as possible offseason target for OKC Thunder

In a recent piece, Lampert highlighted OKC's need for both added experience as well as a potential upgrade for the somewhat regressing Josh Giddey within the starting backcourt.

This offseason, the Thunder will have somewhere in the realm of $20 million in cap space to work with -- a sizeable amount that could either see them add on several new players or cash in on a reletively splashy name.

Lampert suggests they may wish to go down the latter route, and believes Golden State Warriors two-guard Klay Thompson could be a viable option worth considering.

"The Thunder are a team predicated on efficient 3-point shooting, as illustrated by their league-leading 39.5 percent team rate, making Thompson an ideal fit. He’d be an upgrade to Joe, who Oklahoma City has leaned on in favor of Giddey at times.

Moreover, Thompson’s versatility as a player who can defend multiple positions and ability to impact the game without the ball in his hands makes him a desirable rotational piece for Daigneault.

Considering Oklahoma City’s positional need and their financial flexibility with so many young players under team-friendly contracts, pursuing Thompson to be a starter on a short-term pact makes sense for both sides."

- Lior Lampert

Despite the fact that 2023-24 is being considered a "down" season for the veteran, this is largely based on his perennial All-Star track record coupled with his current $43.2 million salary more than anything else.

Take all these factors out of the equation and, from an on-court perspective, the 33-year-old has still proven to be quite a productive contributor.

Through 62 games played thus far, Thompson finds himself posting impressive averages of 17.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists while cashing in on 38.0 percent of his 8.7 attempts from distance per night.

Even with his continuously advancing age, the shooting guard is still a reliable defender who, with his 6-foot-6 frame and 6-foot-9 wingspan, has the length to cover any position from the one down to the four, which, along with his advanced shooting, would add a much-desired upgrade to the starting lineup compared to Giddey's contributions.

Add all this to the fact that he's a four-time NBA Champion and a sure-fire Hall of Fame talent, and, on a short-term deal, bringing on a guy like Thompson could prove to be quite beneficial for this promising and hungry Thunder team.