The Oklahoma City Thunder’s bid to retain the NBA Championship has failed after a 111-103 Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals. The Thunder were favorites to win the title after a dominant 64-win season, but injuries to Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell in the Conference Finals put them at a disadvantage against a hungry Spurs squad.
The Thunder are one of the most asset-rich teams in the NBA, currently controlling 12 future first-round picks and 15 second-round picks, in addition to having some really valuable young talent on their roster. If the Thunder come calling for any star player, it’s going to be hard for any team in the league to beat the offer they can put together. As a result, the franchise will likely be a presence in offseason trade conversations around potentially disgruntled stars.
It isn’t like Thunder GM Sam Presti, who Shai Gilgeous-Alexander called the best GM in NBA history after their Game 7 loss, to rush for star acquisitions. However, it’s also not like him to let these conversations happen without his voice being heard.
Given the rough way the season ended for OKC with disappearing stars such as Williams and Chet Holmgren, let’s take a look at three potential superstars the Thunder could consider adding to their core to challenge Wembanyama and the Spurs next season.
Kawhi Leonard
OKC Thunder Receive: Kawhi Leonard
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Jalen Williams, Nikola Topic, Kenrich Williams, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAC)
The Thunder and the LA Clippers completed one of the most famous NBA trades of all time in 2019 with the Gilgeous-Alexander and future picks for Paul George trade. The Clippers are still paying for that trade, with the Thunder still controlling the team’s 2027 and 2029 first-round picks. The best way for the Clippers to regain control of their future is to potentially discuss sending Kawhi Leonard ($50,300,000) to the Thunder in a full-circle move, as the Clippers acquire Jalen Williams ($41,250,000) for their rebuild.
The irony in this trade is that Williams is one of the stars they drafted with a pick the Clippers originally owned, so it’d be interesting to see him return to the Clippers as their potential No. 1 option for the future. He averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals this season in an injury-riddled year, but averaged 21.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.6 steals last season, being named to an All-NBA team and winning the NBA Championship with the Thunder.
Nikola Topic ($5,429,760) averaged 5.2 points and 4.4 assists this season, recovering from testicular cancer and returning to the court for 10 regular-season games. The 20-year-old has had his first two NBA seasons interrupted with a torn ACL and cancer, so a fresh start in Los Angeles, where he’ll get the opportunity to develop on the court as a backup guard behind Darius Garland, could be interesting. Kenrich Williams ($7,163,000) is on an expiring contract and could be a solid rotational addition.
The Thunder essentially substitute Williams for Leonard in this deal and return the Clippers their 2027 pick, allowing them to control their direction for the next season under the new lottery odds. Leonard averaged 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in a career-best scoring season last year and might be the perfect two-way connective piece the Thunder need.
He’s still an effective low-usage No. 1 option, so just imagine what he could do as a No. 2 option next to an elite scorer like Gilgeous-Alexander. Another ironic element here would be Kawhi joining to help OKC overcome the Spurs, a team he won Finals MVP with the last time they made the NBA Finals.
Jaylen Brown
OKC Thunder Receive: Jaylen Brown
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2028 First-Round Pick (DAL)
The Boston Celtics are expected to make some changes to their roster this summer after an embarrassing first-round exit in the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where they blew a 3-1 series lead. While the Celtics could be tempted into running it back with a full season of healthy Jayson Tatum, it might be time to move on from former Finals MVP Jaylen Brown ($57,078,728) for a tantalizing package that gives the Celtics some elite assets and additional depth on their championship-contending roster.
Brown averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists this season, being named to the All-NBA Second Team, establishing himself as one of the best two-way perimeter players in the NBA. Adding Brown as the co-star next to Gilgeous-Alexander will make the Thunder’s offense a lot more dynamic, with Brown also fitting the defensive ethos of the franchise.
It’s a star-level addition at a reasonable price, given Williams’ value as a former All-NBA forward and the enhanced value of the first-round picks from potentially mid teams under the new NBA Draft lottery rules.
Williams would be a pretty like-to-like replacement for Brown on the Celtics, although he’d be more willing to be a full-time No. 2 option behind Tatum rather than wanting to have 1A, 1B parity like the Celtics have right now. In addition, the Celtics can fix their problems at starting center by acquiring Isaiah Hartenstein in a sign-and-trade where the German center receives a $16 million contract for next season. Hartenstein averaged 9.2 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this season and is a proven winning center.
As of right now, the 29-year-old Brown is the better player on both ends than Williams. However, the 25-year-old Williams might have a longer runway of staying productive with the age difference. The Celtics receive two high-quality championship winners, while the Thunder receive a difference-making star who can help them establish themselves as a dynasty.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
OKC Thunder Receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks Receive: Chet Holmgren, Lu Dort, Nikola Topic, No. 12 pick, 2027 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2028 First-Round Pick (DAL), 2029 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2031 First-Round Pick (OKC)
The dream target for any team in the trade market this offseason is Giannis Antetokounmpo ($58,456,566) from the Milwaukee Bucks. The two-time league MVP is expected to be traded this summer, and if the Thunder join the race to acquire Antetokounmpo, it’s hard to see any team being able to rival their package.
The Thunder would offer Chet Holmgren, who averaged 17.1 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks this season but disappeared in the Conference Finals against Wembanyama. Sending him to the Eastern Conference as the new cornerstone for the Bucks might be the best move, with the Bucks definitely not getting a better player than Holmgren on the trade market in return for Giannis. Adding Lu Dort ($17,722,222) as an expiring contract after OKC exercises its team option will fill space for next season.
The Bucks receive some incredible future assets. Alongside the potentially high-ceiling point guard Topic, the Bucks receive a total of five first-round picks, starting with the No. 12 pick in 2026. They also get two high-value picks, one from the Clippers for next year’s Draft and one from the Dallas Mavericks in 2028. The Thunder also part with their own picks in 2029 and 2031, making this a strong package that also retains a lot of good assets for the Thunder.
Antetokounmpo would be the perfect addition for the Thunder as a high-usage offensive machine who can score, defend, and make plays. Both he and Gilgeous-Alexander sharing playmaking responsibilities for a three-and-D heavy squad sounds great, especially with Giannis also being a potential key behind guarding Wembanyama with his length, strength, and mobility.
This would be a slam dunk trade for the Thunder, but the asset cost might make Presti think a million times before making such a major adjustment to a core that’s already won a championship.
