1 Player at each position the Thunder gave up on too soon

PF: Jerami Grant

Grant was drafted by the 76ers in the second round in 2014, but he quickly found his way into their rotation. Adding a 6’7 forward with a versatile skill set who is capable of guarding multiple positions is difficult. Grant had struggled to make shots, but the Thunder jumped at the chance to give up Ersan Ilyasova and a first-round draft pick to acquire him in 2016.

He blossomed into a starter in 2019 as he found his jumper. Grant averaged 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.3 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game as he shot 49.7 percent from the field and 39.2 percent on his threes. OKC lost to the Blazers in the opening round of the playoffs and decided to tear things down after that.

Grant was traded to the Nuggets for a first-round pick. He immediately helped Denver reach the conference finals before becoming a 20-point per-game scorer over the next four seasons. The 6’7 forward can fill several roles, including being his team's number one option.

Jerami Grant is back on the trade market, and the Thunder may try to bring him back. If he is willing to take a lesser offense role, he could be the perfect piece for Oklahoma City as a versatile defender, floor spacer, and scoring option when things break down.

The Thunder failed to get his best years because they wanted to rebuild. Their retool worked but created some missed opportunities along the way.