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

C: Domantas Sabonis

The 11th overall pick in 2016 was sent from Orlando to Oklahoma City in a draft night trade. It brought Sabonis to the Thunder, but he was playing behind Steven Adams and Enes Freedom in the frontcourt. The 20-year-old rookie averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game over 81 contests, but there was plenty of potential still to unlock.

It did not happen in OKC as the Thunder traded Sabonis and Victor Oladipo to get Paul George in the 2017 offseason. Sabonis kept improving in Indiana and was an All-Star by his fourth season. The Pacers traded him to Sacramento where Sabonis has taken another step forward. He has now twice been on third-team All-NBA and led the league in rebounds per game.

Domantas Sabonis is an All-Star big man and excels in an area of weakness for the Thunder. Oklahoma City would have loved to have Domas at the five last season. His playmaking, scoring, and rebounding would have been a fantastic addition as the Thunder chased the top seed in the Western Conference.

Giving up a future four-time All-Star after one season is never easy, but the Oklahoma City Thunder jumped at the chance to trade for Paul George in his prime. It is impossible to blame them, but the franchise certainly let Sabonis go too soon. He was not the only one.