The Oklahoma City Thunder can blame Giannis Antetokounmpo for no longer being able to label anyone other than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as untouchable. It's an admittedly uncomfortable conversation to have about a 68-win team, but it's a harsh reality that Sam Presti must come to terms with.
Antetokounmpo is officially an option for 29 other franchises in trade talks, and Oklahoma City must take inventory and seriously consider moving one or both of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams for one of the best players in NBA history.
Blowing up the core of a team that went 68-14 during the 2024-25 regular season is an admittedly bold idea. It's even more difficult to defend when the Thunder are just two wins shy of reaching the Western Conference Finals. Antetokounmpo, however, has turned the NBA on its head.
According to Shams Charania of ESPN, Antetokounmpo has opened his mind to the possibility of requesting a trade during the 2025 offseason.
"The two-time NBA MVP has not made any firm decisions on his Bucks future after the franchise's third consecutive postseason exit in the first round, but, for the first time in his career, Antetokounmpo is open-minded about exploring whether his best long-term fit is remaining in Milwaukee or playing elsewhere, league sources told ESPN."
If the Thunder are willing to part with two of their most valuable players, they could make the leap fans have been waiting for—and sustain it for years to come.
Giannis is open to a trade—but are the Thunder willing to move Chet Holmgren or Jalen Williams?
It'd be as bold a move as any the Thunder could make to include one or both of Holmgren or Williams in a trade for Antetokounmpo. Williams has been Oklahoma City's polarizing second-best player after Gilgeous-Alexander, thriving in multiple phases of the game.
In 2024-25, the 24-year-old averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.6 steals, 0.7 blocks, and 1.8 three-point field goals made per game—all of which were career-best marks.
Holmgren, meanwhile, is the latest in a recent line of unicorns. He's a 7'1" shot-blocking menace with a guard-like offensive skill set that should continue to evolve as he adds more muscle to his frame and gains more experience under his belt.
Holmgren has offered early reasons for intrigue when healthy, averaging 16.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 blocks, 0.7 steals, and 1.5 three-point field goals made through 114 career appearances.
The unfortunate truth, however, is that the Antetokounmpo sweepstakes will see every team offering the closest package it can to a king's ransom. For the Thunder, their only shot at competing with said potential offers would be to give up Holmgren or Williams—if not both.
Oklahoma City can certainly gain leverage by including a rush of its surplus of draft picks, but the bold decision to move on from a current cornerstone will be necessary to get the deal over the finish line.
The obvious appeal of a potential deal would be to pair Antetokounmpo with Gilgeous-Alexander. They finished No. 1 and No. 2 in the race for the scoring title in 2024-25, and are All-NBA mainstays who would give the Thunder one of the most talented star duos in Association history.
One simply can't help but sympathize with those who are reluctant to lose one, if not both of, Gilgeous-Alexander's young star teammates.