As the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline creeps closer, expect the Oklahoma City Thunder to be potential buyers for the first time in years.
After spending the last three seasons rebuilding, OKC has busted open a contention window this year with a 23-11 record led by the young trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.
Even though the Thunder will make the playoffs for the first time since 2020, don’t expect any seismic in-season trades by them according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The NBA insider detailed that OKC will likely ride it out with this group but could look to make improvements on the margin.
To prepare for the trade deadline, let’s look at four Thunder targets who’d make sense as short-term commitments that could improve their depth without giving up serious trade capital.
Gordon Hayward
The Thunder have two great scorers in Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams, beyond those two though, they could use another. Hayward fits the bill. Even though he’s long past his prime, the 33-year-old wing can still score and shoot the basketball.
In 25 games with the Hornets, he’s averaged 14.5 points on 48.6% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He’s shot 36.1% from 3 on 2.4 attempts. Nearly all of his 3-pointers resulted in assists (95.5%) so he’ll be a nice catch-and-shoot option for OKC.
Now, the advanced stats and on-off numbers aren’t pretty for Hayward, but considering the price the Thunder would likely pay combined with his expiring salary of $31.5 million, he’s worth a shot as someone who could provide quality wing minutes with immense playoff experience.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Gordon Hayward
- Hornets receive: Davis Bertans, Vasilije Micic, 2025 first-round top-six protected pick via Heat
Nic Claxton
The Thunder are 29th in rebounding rate at 44% and this issue has crept its head periodically throughout the season. There’s no real internal solution for this considering the size of the roster, so an outside addition might be needed.
In comes Nic Claxton, who’s fallen out of favor with the Nets. His 16.6% rebounding rate would easily rank first among OKC’s rotation players. The 24-year-old is a machine on the boards and athletic enough to keep up with the Thunder’s young legs.
The good news is Claxton’s expiring salary at $8.8 million and he’s young enough — 24 years old — to fit with OKC’s timeline should they pursue an extension with him in the offseason.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Nic Claxton
- Nets receive: Ousmane Dieng, Tre Mann, 2024 first-round pick via Clippers, 2024 second-round pick via Rockets
Gary Trent Jr.
While the Thunder’s bench has done a respectable job so far this season, adding another scorer and spacer is always a welcomed improvement.
Trent Jr. could be another piece the Raptors trade away as they’ll likely have a fire sale following their trade of OG Anunoby. The 24-year-old could provide OKC with another scoring guard/wing hybrid.
In 31 games, Trent Jr. has averaged 11.3 points on 39.9% shooting and 2.3 rebounds. He’s shot 38.5% from 3 on 5.6 attempts. He’s also an expiring salary of $18.6 million.
Another sneaky feature of adding Trent Jr. is he brings playoff pedigree — something OKC’s youthful roster seldom possesses. He already has two playoff runs under his belt and performed well both times, so OKC can head into the postseason knowing the moment won’t be too big for him.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Gary Trent Jr.
- Raptors receive: Ousmane Dieng, Davis Bertans, 2024 first-round top-four protected pick via Rockets
Tyus Jones
When the Thunder run a mostly bench lineup, it’s evident they lack a traditional guard. Vasilije Micic was supposed to be that but he’s struggled this season. Jones could help OKC in that department.
Jones is enjoying a career campaign for the Wizards, averaging a career-high 12.5 points and 5.4 assists. He’s shot 42.6% from 3 on 3.5 attempts.
The 27-year-old is the prototypical backup point guard who can run the second unit and also play with the starters as an off-ball threat. He also has plenty of playoff experience with four separate runs.
Sam Presti’s relationship with Wizards GM Will Dawkins could also help make a move materialize. Dawkins spent 15 years working for the Thunder’s front office before moving to D.C.
Jones is on an expiring $14 million salary, so there’d be no long-term commitment from OKC. He’d purely be a rental.
Trade:
- Thunder receive: Tyus Jones, Mike Muscala
- Wizards receive: Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, 2024 first-round pick via Clippers, 2024 second-round pick via Rockets, 2025 second-round pick via Hawks
