Thunder: Pass or Pursue on 5 potential offseason targets

The OKC Thunder are in a prime position to make a serious jump from playoff contenders to legitimate title favorites with how they go about approaching the upcoming offseason.

Despite being crowned the youngest team in league history to clinch the top seed in a conference standings, following their second-round ouster from the 2024 postseason it's more than evident that the ball club still needs a bit more rotational tweaking to thrust themselves into the same category as the west's elites like the Denver Nuggets and the NBA Finals representative, Dallas Mavericks.

This summer, there are projected to be a number of quality players made available, and, recently, Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire went as far as to make a list of five individuals who are believed to be ideal targets worthy of OKC's attention.

Of course, though these players may have name recognition and intrigue attached to them, this is not to say that they should automatically be viewed as realistic options for Sam Presti and co. to covet.

With this in mind, today we take a look at each one of Almanza's proposed targets and discuss whether they're worth a pass or pursuit this summer.

Proposed Thunder target No. 1) Dorian Finney-Smith

First up on deck is Brooklyn Nets forward and steardy veteran, Dorian Finney-Smith.

A player who has made a career for himself as a highly physical and rather reliable 3-and-D rotational commodity, to Almanza, the 31-year-old is someone who could provide this Thunder team with vital lineup versatility with his skill-set and 6-foot-7, 220-pound frame and tack on ample playoff experience in the process.

"Finney-Smith is a prototypical wing that can do a little bit of everything. He can defend well, space the floor and is a decent rebounder for his size. The 31-year-old is also rich in postseason experience and has the track record of a playoff riser."

Clemente Almanza

This past season, Finney-Smith was a rumored target for the Thunder and went on to produce admirably, as he posted impressive per-game averages of 8.5 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.6 assists while shooting roughly 35 percent from beyond the arc.

Sadly, his efforts were somewhat wasted considering he was playing for the pedestrian Nets (32-50).

Though he may be under contract with the organization at a manageable average price range of $15.1 million per season over the next two years, considering the rough spot the Nets are in (have forfeited their first-round draft rights due to poor trade decisions over the last few seasons), Oklahoma City could consider floating one or two of their lower-end future firsts toward Brooklyn in an effort to acquire him and, in turn, bolster their frontcourt physicality and improve their overall floor spacing in the process.

Verdict: Pursue (at a reasonable cost)

Proposed Thunder target No. 2) Anfernee Simons

With all the rumors floating around that the Thunder are open to offloading former lottery-selected guard Josh Giddey this summer, there's an argument to be made that the front office might be in the market for adding more heads to replace him within the backcourt.

Here, Anfernee Simons is being tabbed as a possible option for OKC to consider, as he's someone who Almanza believes could help improve the club's tertiary scoring options.

"The Thunder’s playoff exit opened the eyes of many that they desperately needed another bucket-getter. If Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams struggle, the offense stagnates. Simons could help that.

The 24-year-old had a phenomenal season with the Trail Blazers as their top scorer. He averaged 22.6 points on 43% shooting, 5.5 assists and 3.6 rebounds. He shot 38.5% from 3 on 8.8 attempts. Simons could fill the void as OKC’s traditional sixth man who can come off the bench and cook opposing second units."

Clemente Almanza

Without question, the idea of adding Simons to this Thunder rotation, be it in a starting or reserve role, is one that should excite the franchise's faithful followers, as he's still just 24 years old and has posted tremendous averages of 20.2 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.9 rebounds on 38.8 percent shooting over the past three seasons.

Of course, these aforementioned takes on why he would be superb for Oklahoma City are the exact reasons why he's almost certainly out of the realm of possibility when it comes to being a realistic offseason target.

As of right now, there appears to be no real indication that the Portland Trail Blazers are even remotely interested in parting ways with their former first-round selection, but, even if they were, who's to say they'd be interested in shipping him to a direct division rival over, say, to an entirely different conference altogether.

Outside of this, Simons has two years, $53.5 million remaining on his $100 million deal and, based on his productivity, is slated to earn himself an even bigger deal on the free agency market come the summer of 2026, a time when not only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will have to be paid, but, soon after, guys such as Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren will be up for max extensions of their own.

At this point, the Thunder would be completely cash-strapped and, thus, would likely see the rising Simons bolt for a higher payday. Assuming his services would come at a cost of several first-round picks and a promising young player, such value being offloaded seems to be far too high for a mere two-year rental.

Verdict: Pass

Proposed Thunder target No. 3) Isaiah Hartenstein

Perhaps the most popular offseason target being discussed of late, Isaiah Hartenstein is a player who seems to fit the bill for exactly what this Thunder team is looking for in a back-up big man.

With his ability to set hard screens, defend the rim, and crash the boards, the 26-year-old has been viewed by many as a legitimate option for Presti and company this summer, and, in Almanza's eyes, "he’d be a great addition."

"Rebounding was one of OKC’s biggest weaknesses this past season, and Hartenstein can help patch that... Hartenstein is the prototypical rim-running big who scores most of his points near the rim and off of assists."

Clemente Almanza

Coming off a career year with the Knicks, the sixth-year pro went on to average 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.1 blocks a night, and would only up his production during their exhilarating two-round playoff run where he dropped 8.5 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and just shy of a block per game on 59.2 percent shooting from the floor and 50.0 percent shooting from distance.

Him serving as a reserve big, or even as a spot-starter could prove to be a game-changer in many ways for the Thunder, as he proved to be a true difference-maker with New York this past season.

Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, however, as a result of his uptick in production, many project that Hartenstein will command quite a pretty penny on the free agent market this summer, with Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports noting that he "will be able to draw at least $80 million, and perhaps upward of $100 million" over a four-or-five-year span which, as noted in the previous slide about Simons, could be a financial issue for the front office to deal with in about one or two seasons.

Nevertheless, should the Thunder's brass feel the big man's intangibles in both production and style of play to be what could help beef up the team's frontcourt that was absolutely manhandled by the more physically dominant Mavericks in the Western Conference Semifinals, then perhaps overlooking this financial predicament in the meantime could be worth the future headache.

Verdict: Pursue

Proposed Thunder target No. 4) Kelly Olynyk

Like Finney-Smith, Kelly Olynyk is a player OKC was rumored to have had interest in acquiring at this year's trade deadline though, in the end, they opted to take a swing on the likes of Gordon Hayward instead.

Four months removed from this splashy decision... well, we all now know how that turned out.

This summer, however, the Thunder could have a chance at a do-over of sorts when it comes to the likes of an Olynyk pursuit, and Almanza suggests that a trade could prove to be quite beneficial for the title-hungry organization.

"Olynyk fits OKC’s scheme to a tee. He’s a versatile backup center who can facilitate and stretch the floor with plenty of playoff experience.

Even though the Raptors signed him to a two-year, $26.3 million extension after acquiring him from the Jazz, that doesn’t mean he’s unavailable. Toronto is amid a rebuild after parting ways with several of its top players this past season. A 33-year-old bench big should not be untouchable."

Clemente Almanza

As was shown during the 2023-24 campaign and throughout the postseason, the Thunder could use for some extra size within their frontcourt rotation.

Of course, considering how well they've proven to play with a five-out scheme and, specifically, with Chet Holmgren manning the starting five spot, a possible target's physique and play style are equally important factors that need to be taken into account -- it should not just be one or the other.

At 6-foot-11, 240 pounds while sporting a career 36.9 percent long-range shooting clip, the 11-year veteran is absolutely someone who fits this bill and, being he is coming off a season where he averaged 9.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.3 steals on 55.5 percent shooting from the floor and 38.7 percent shooting from deep, it's quite evident that he still has plenty of gas left in the tank to serve as a quality rotation piece on a championship- hopeful.

Verdict: Pursue

Proposed Thunder target No. 5) Tyus Jones

Though it's undeniable that the Thunder must look to strengthen their frontcourt rotation this offseason, as noted during the Anfernee Simons angle a few slides back, considering the potential offloading of Josh Giddey the franchise may find themselves in a position where they could use for extra guard talents next season as well.

This summer, veteran Tyus Jones finds himself heading into unrestricted free agency following a career campaign with the Washington Wizards, and while his latest production may inflate his desired asking price, Almanza believes his services within Daigneault's rotation could be worth every penny.

"The Thunder lacked a traditional backup guard who could set the offense. Jones provides that coming off a career season with the Wizards. The 28-year-old averaged 12 points on 48.9% shooting, 7.3 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 66 starts last season. He shot 41.4% from 3 on 3.9 attempts.

As a free agent, Jones will likely command a strong market and has a shot of being a starter. The Thunder have the funds to overpay the 6-foot-1 guard on a short-term deal."

Clemente Almanza

On top of his career per-game counting stats, Jones also would go on to lead the league in assist-to-turnover ratio out of those who logged 50 or more games played, thus only strengthening his label as a trusty set-up artist which, if they part ways with Giddey, OKC would be without.

On top of this, Jones has plenty of experience and has had a ton of success manning the back up point guard position behind a rising superstar on a young and promising title-hopeful team during his time with Ja Morant and the Grizzlies.

Interestingly enough, there were a slew of comparisons drawn between Oklahoma City and Memphis this past season, ranging from their on-court play to their camaraderie and postgame shenanigans.

At the right price, adding Jones along with an upgrade within their frontcourt could make for a tremendous offseason.

Verdict: Pursue