The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the Feb. 8 trade deadline as buyers for the first time in several years.
Sitting at 32-13 and in first place in the Western Conference standings, the Thunder hope to make a run at the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
The Thunder have broken open a contention window led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams round out one of the league’s best trios.
While OKC is not expected to make any blockbuster deals, expect it to possibly make minor upgrades to improve its depth.
The biggest weakness for the Thunder is their rebounding. OKC’s 47.7% rebounding rate and 41.2 rebounds per game both sit at 28th in the league. Outside of Holmgren, the Thunder doesn’t possess a traditional center.
This will likely be the top priority for Thunder general manager Sam Presti heading into the trade deadline. Adding a backup center with no long-term money committed could provide a boost to the roster.
The Thunder have plenty of draft capital and young prospects to facilitate any type of deal. Scouring through the league, let’s look at three bench big options OKC could add.
Kevon Looney
This could be a potentially great buy-low candidate for the Thunder. The Warriors have struggled all season as they sit outside the playoff picture.
Unless something drastic happens, they’ll be in a similar position they are right now by the trade deadline. Which means they could be forced to be soft sellers. Looney could be a perfect fit for OKC if that’s the case.
The 27-year-old has been an integral part of the Warriors’ dynasty, accumulating several deep playoff runs as their best big. He’s enjoying another stellar campaign with 5.5 points on 62.2% shooting, seven rebounds and 2.4 assists.
Looney’s 19% rebounding rate would easily be the best on the Thunder among their regulars. He could help fix a lot of OKC’s rebounding woes immediately.
The nine-year veterans’ contract is also a massive steal. He is set to make $15.5 million this season and next once it gets guaranteed this offseason. So OKC could have his services for two playoff runs.
His immense playoff experience is also a nice bonus for the Thunder as they’ll know he can be reliable and provide a veteran presence. It makes all the sense in the world for OKC to target Looney if a deal is there.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Kevon Looney
- Warriors receive: Aleksej Pokusevski, Tre Mann, 2024 top-10 protected first-round pick via Jazz
Clint Capela
Everything said about Looney can be applied to Capela here — but to a much lesser extent.
Capela is an established veteran in this league who has several deep playoff runs under his belt. The 29-year-old big man was part of the Rockets’ success in the 2010s.
This season, he’s had another productive year for the Hawks. He’s averaging 11.1 points on 56.7% shooting, 10.3 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. His 21.7% rebounding rate is the best in the league.
If the Thunder want to fix their rebounding problems for good, Capela could be the guy to target. The only problem is he’s been a starter for most of his career and will surely have a competitive market.
Capela is also under a two-year, $45.8 million deal through next season. It sounds like a lot at first, but it should be doable for the Thunder since most of their roster is still on their rookie deals during that timeframe.
But unless OKC is willing to shake up their starting lineup and pay a hefty price, Capela might be too expensive of an option as simply a backup big. The fit is not as seamless as Looney’s, but the payout could be bigger.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Clint Capela
- Hawks receive: Ousmane Dieng, Davis Bertans, 2025 lottery-protected first-round pick
Santi Aldama
The Grizzlies are plagued with injuries. Ja Morant’s season-ending shoulder injury was the death blow for Memphis’ aspirations of a deep playoff run this season.
This means they could be soft sellers at the trade deadline. Aldama could be someone on the move, especially if Steven Adams returns healthy next season.
In his third season, Aldama has carved out a nice role as a backup center who could spot start. He’s averaging 10.4 points on 43.9% shooting, 5.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists this season. His 13.1% rebounding rate would be near the top for OKC.
Aldama is also still on his rookie deal, owed $6.2 million over these next two seasons. This gives the Thunder the chance to potentially extend him in the offseason if they like him enough or have a cheap backup big option for two playoff runs.
The only real downside is the 23-year-old’s health problems. He’s only played in 34 games this season and just 32 games in his rookie season. But perhaps OKC could use this as leverage to create a deal.
Meanwhile, the Grizzlies desperately need wing depth, so this could be a deal where both teams strengthen each other’s weaknesses due to an abundance of talent in a particular spot.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Santi Aldama
- Grizzlies receive: Aaron Wiggins, 2024 second-round pick via Rockets, 2025 second-round pick via Hawks, 2025 second-round pick via Sixers
