Sitting at 27-11 and tied for first place in the Western Conference standings, the Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the Feb. 8 trade deadline viewed as buyers for the first time in several years.
The Thunder have broken open a contention window led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams help round out one of the league’s best trios.
While OKC won’t make any blockbuster deals, expect it to possibly make minor upgrades to improve its depth heading into its first playoff appearance since 2020.
An area Thunder general manager Sam Presti can strengthen is the backup guard spots. Vasilije Micic has found a bit of a groove recently, but there is always a need for playmakers.
But it’s not necessarily an urgent need. The Thunder roll deep in guard depth with Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace manning the top five spots. The emergence of Williams as a playmaker also makes it less of a need.
With that said though, a contender can never have too much guard depth. If the deal makes sense, OKC can still look to make improvements on the margins.
The Thunder have plenty of draft capital and young prospects to entice any type of deal. Scouring through the league, let’s look at three bench guard options OKC could add.
Jevon Carter
Over the last few years, Carter has carved out a nice role for him in the league as a backup guard option who can spot-start when needed. He started nearly half of his games last season with the Milwaukee Bucks.
This season with the Chicago Bulls, Carter’s returned to a more traditional bench role and has had somewhat of a down season shooting from 3 — going 34.3% on 3.7 attempts.
Still, though, Carter’s proven he’s a better outside shooter than that and OKC can be confident that playing with a contender with greater spacing will help improve that number. He also has plenty of playoff experience, which could prove valuable for the youthful Thunder.
In terms of his contract, the 28-year-old is in the first year of a three-year, $19.5 million deal. He has a $6.8 million player option for 2025-26. It’s a little lengthy, but an easily movable deal. OKC could use his down season to help in its negotiation process.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Jevon Carter
- Bulls receive: Tre Mann, 2024 second-round pick via Rockets, 2025 second-round pick via Sixers
Delon Wright
As the Wizards continue to tank, expect several of their veteran pieces to be moved by the trade deadline. One name to watch out for is Delon Wright.
The 31-year-old has had a down season in Washington but is a career 35.3% 3-point shooter on 1.9 attempts. Wright has plenty of playoff experience too, which could be valuable for OKC in its first playoffs with this group.
He could be another buy-low candidate where OKC could utilize his poor season in trade negotiations. Wright’s expiring $8.2 million salary can make him a pure rental for the Thunder.
Wizards GM Will Dawkins’ ties to OKC can also help as they look to refortify their draft stock. The Thunder and Wizards seem like a perfect match as trade partners this year.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Delon Wright
- Wizards receive: Aleksej Pokusevski, 2024 second-round pick via Rockets
Alec Burks
The most attractive of the trio, Burks could provide OKC with outside shooting and veteran experience.
The 32-year-old is shooting 38% from 3 on 5.3 attempts on the awful Pistons, who provide negative spacing. If he can do that with Detroit, imagine what he can do with OKC.
Burks is also on a bargain deal and is set to enter free agency this season. He already has a history with the Thunder, initially signing with them in 2019 before backing out of his deal.
Just like with the Wizards, Pistons GM Troy Weaver’s relationship with OKC — where he got his start — could play a factor in any possible deal materializing.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Alec Burks
- Pistons receive: Davis Bertans, 2024 first-round pick via Clippers, 2025 top-14 protected first-round pick via Heat
