The Oklahoma City Thunder have been one of the better teams in the league through 25 games this season. OKC is 17-8 and in sole possession of second place in the Western Conference.
If the Thunder continue to win at their current pace, they’ll be buyers at the upcoming trade deadline. According to one NBA insider, several league executives already view the Thunder that way.
Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer recently said several executives believe the Thunder will be buyers when it’s all said and done and pivot from their patience route.
“I’ve heard several people say that’s the exact opposite of what they’re going to do (remain patient.) They’re saying that publicly; they’re working behind the scenes.
Who’s gonna know for sure until the trade calls actually start to happen, this is all kind of the early preliminary stages. It’s hard to determine exactly right now how the Thunder are going to operate.
I’ll tell you, every rival executive I’ve spoken to, they are 100% prepared for the possibility for Oklahoma City to do that. Because they are second in the Western Conference right now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate MVP candidate. Chet Holmgren, to me, is easily the Rookie of the Year. There’s too many people expecting the Thunder are going to sniff around — with all of their draft picks, there’s just such a great opportunity for them to add someone to this right now.”
Will the Thunder ‘finish their breakfast’ as Sam Presti [OKC EVP & GM] said, or be aggressive at the trade deadline?@JakeLFischer talks with @TermineRadio & Ryan McDonough about the possibilities for Oklahoma City. pic.twitter.com/Ut7jF7tZrq
— SiriusXM NBA Radio (@SiriusXMNBA) December 19, 2023
The Thunder have already been linked to several players in anticipation of February’s deadline. The type of move OKC could make varies from a franchise-altering trade (Lauri Markkanen) to a borderline starter (Isaiah Stewart) to a more traditional backup rental big (Andre Drummond).
