It feels like a major shake up will be coming this offseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Thunder shouldn’t be panicking over their Game 7 defeat against the San Antonio Spurs. These are both two young organizations on the rise. Oklahoma City has a war chest of draft picks, and even if they didn’t take a big swing, they’d be a favorite to emerge from the Western Conference again next year.
Over the next eight years, the Thunder have 20 first-round picks. That’s an embarrassment of riches for any organization, let alone a team that won the NBA Championship last year and came within one game of defending it in the Finals this season.
The Thunder are set to face a stark financial reality – the second apron. After winning the championship, Oklahoma City had to pay huge deals to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander following an MVP season as well as new deals for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who each received rookie maximum extensions.
That’s why it feels like a major shake up this year feels inevitable. Even though the Thunder have no reason to necessarily panic, they have the resources required to take a risk.
According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick, the Thunder aren’t too interested in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. Instead, they could reportedly target Cavaliers’ forward Evan Mobley, who Cleveland had refused to trade at the deadline. The Milwaukee Bucks offered Antetokounmpo to the Cavs for Mobley, and Cleveland declined. But the Thunder have more assets than Milwaukee in terms of first-round picks and young players that would keep Cleveland’s title window open for even longer.
Even if it’s not a trade with the Cavs, the Thunder moving on from either Williams or Holmgren could make some sense, especially if it means upgrading their roster while staying under the dreaded second apron.
Another bizarre scenario would include the Thunder trading up in the first-round of the 2026 NBA Draft to select a player like Cameron Boozer at No. 3 overall. Assuming the Washington Wizards are set on A.J. Dybantsa and the Utah Jazz select Kansas star Darryn Peterson, Boozer could be a trade out spot for the Memphis Grizzlies at No. 3 overall.
That would add yet another premium young talent to Oklahoma City’s system, and they probably wouldn’t even need to give up too much of their draft capital stockpile in order to make that sort of a move.
One thing should be certain. As of right now, the Western Conference runs through Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs.
Even though SGA is remarkable and the Thunder still had a phenomenal season, don’t expect Oklahoma City to be complacent. Sam Presti isn’t that sort of an executive. Expect a splash from OKC.
