The Oklahoma City Thunder bowed out of the 2024 playoffs earlier than many were hoping, but that should not diminish the incredible year they put together. The Thunder won their most regular season games since the 2013-14 season when Kevin Durant took home the MVP award.
In earning 57 victories, they outdid the Minnesota Timberwolves and even the defending champion Denver Nuggets en route to the top overall seed in the West. While competing in an ultra-competitive conference stacked with talent and loaded with deep teams, OKC rose to the top and proved that they have the best young core in the entire NBA.
While appreciating all that the Thunder achieved, we need to also recognize what went wrong for them in the playoffs. For one, they ran into a red-hot Mavericks team and arguably a top-three player in the world in Luka Doncic. But another reason they fell to Dallas in six games was their offensive struggles outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
To help fix these issues, the time is perfect for Oklahoma City to take a swing for the fences and trade for a star player. Remember, the Thunder were just one layup away from sending the Western Conference champions to a Game 7. They are right on the cusp of an even higher level of greatness, and plugging holes in their starting lineup with a co-star next to SGA is the logical next step.
The Thunder need to trade for a star this summer
When it comes to pulling off risky trades with the potential to pay big dividends, maybe none in the league are better than OKC General Manager Sam Presti. The fact that the Thunder have Gilgeous-Alexander in their starting lineup at all is a testament to Presti’s ingenuity, seeing how he pulled off one of the all-time heists in acquiring SGA from the Clippers in 2019.
Oklahoma City is also uniquely equipped to execute a massive trade due to their extensive stash of draft capital. Owning six first-round picks between the 2024 and 2025 drafts, they have more than enough assets to package and use in potential trades. As such, this gives them supreme leverage in any and all negotiations.
The spots the Thunder could most stand to upgrade are the power forward and shooting guard positions. The starting point guard, small forward and center spot are all firmly cemented by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Adding another sharpshooter in the backcourt and a second reliable scorer and rebounder alongside Chet in the post would go a long way toward helping this group reach their ultimate ceiling.
Truly, now is the ideal time to make a move like this. Oklahoma City is still young, and getting a star that can grow along with the rest of this young core is the best possible scenario. If Presti makes his moves carefully, going for a blockbuster trade could turn this team into a potential dynasty.
