Plotting the dream offseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder this summer

Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder and OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors
Luguentz Dort, Oklahoma City Thunder and OG Anunoby, Toronto Raptors | Mark Blinch/GettyImages
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Draft two-way forwards

The Thunder have a superstar in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. They have future All-Stars in Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. They have a dynamic two-way guard in Cason Wallace who will grow into a larger role.

While the Thunder have always prioritized making big swings in the draft focused on upside, and that approach has clearly paid off, as they move into a phase of consistent contention they need to narrow their draft board to two-way players who can fill in the lineup, and ideally at forward.

The Warriors have shown the difficulty in both contending and developing raw talent; the Thunder won't have the minutes to offer a project. Rather than add players like Ousmane Dieng, they should start to focus on players who fit the archetype that they will need to fill out the roster.

They will have at least one, and potentially two lottery picks in this June's draft. As they put together their draft board they should find a balance between not losing their draft fastball but also using picks on players who can fill the right roles.

Be Aggressive on the trade market

Finally, the Thunder should be aggressive on the trade market this summer. They have a deep collection of draft picks and a team ready to win now. If a star player comes available and the Thunder can add them without touching their core three stars, they should strongly consider the move.

They should be careful to understand that SGA is their superstar, and Jalen Williams is a bona fide No. 2. Adding a star player to the mix should prioritize someone who can scale into what they are doing. If such a player is available, however, the Thunder have the assets to make it happen.

None of these moves will secure a championship down the line, and there are a lot of specifics to fill into the blanks, but this is the approach to winning the offseason and securing a dream summer to propel this team into a successful future.

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