Predicting the Thunder's perfect starting lineup after ideal offseason

Shooting guard: Buddy Hield

While the starting small forward spot will likely be best filled by Jalen Williams, another spot that could stand to be improved in Oklahoma City's starting five is at shooting guard. That slot was occupied for most of this past season by Josh Giddey, and considering the down season he just went through, it is worth the Thunder's time to consider making a switch.

Giddey has obviously had his ups and downs in a Thunder uniform, and I am not necessarily advocating for the team to move on from him completely. But at the very least, they could explore bringing him off the bench to begin next season. The idea here is they could supplant his production in the starting lineup with more high-level three-point shooting power, something OKC is in need of.

In looking around the free agent pool, one name that should come to the forefront in this department is the 76ers' Buddy Hield. The sharpshooter will be an unrestricted free agent this coming summer, and the Thunder should be prepared to make a significant offer.

Hield just finished up his fourth consecutive season shooting at least 38% from three-point range. For his career, he is a 40% shooter from outside the arc. He is just the kind of blowtorch OKC will be looking for to come off screens and nail three-point shots. The Thunder of course have plenty of draft assets to get a potential deal done and bring the talented shooter to town.