The Oklahoma City Thunder have to make a move this summer to build on their sensational run to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The youngest team in the NBA couldn’t compete in the Playoffs against a team led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but it seems nobody in the West could. The Thunder have a phenomenal core, and they have to add some win-now pieces to it this summer instead of continuing to wait.
If there’s any star-level player who becomes available over the summer, the Thunder are inevitably going to be linked to them. There were already rumors floating about OKC possibly looking to bring Kevin Durant back to the team, or their exhaustive search for more guard options around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There are a lot of top-tier names available on the market they could go after, such as Dejounte Murray, Darius Garland, or Trae Young.
Hitting on your ideal trade targets isn’t always going to happen, so the Thunder should prepare a list of other elite options who can add the final pieces OKC needs to be a legitimate contender instead of a young overachiever.
Collin Sexton
Trade Details
OKC Thunder Receive: Collin Sexton
Utah Jazz Receive: Josh Giddey, 2025 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2027 First-Round Pick (DEN)
We already listed the top guard names available on the market, but not all of those names would fit the Thunder with the presence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Josh Giddey’s time with the franchise looks to be up while Cason Wallace showed in the series against the Mavericks that he needs a little bit more time before he can be a reliable contributor in the biggest moments. The Thunder need guard help and adding someone like Collin Sexton could be perfect.
Sexton averaged 18.7 points and 4.9 assists on the Jazz this season, quietly improving his stock after a rough ending with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sexton shouldn’t cost nearly as much as the star-level players and could be a perfect scoring complement to Shai in the backcourt. Sexton won’t need the ball in his hand at all times to be effective, something that can’t be said about other players available on the market.
The two first-round picks they’re including aren’t packed with value, with a top-five protected Nuggets pick with Nikola Jokic under a long-term contract and a pick bound to be in the late-20s next season. Giddey should convince the Jazz to accept the deal as a 21-year-old, who the Jazz could extract value. Those picks will further bolster Danny Ainge’s rapidly expanding treasure chest of draft assets.
Mikal Bridges
Trade Details
OKC Thunder Receive: Mikal Bridges
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Josh Giddey, Isaiah Joe, Kenrich Williams, 2025 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2025 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2027 First-Round Pick (LAC)
The Brooklyn Nets have no realistic path to improving their roster unless they start trading the valuable players on their roster. The franchise slumped to a 32-win season this year and conveyed their Draft pick to the Houston Rockets. Without a first-round selection coming into Brooklyn, the team is in desperate need of young assets to revitalize their team. The 28-year-old Mikal Bridges shouldn’t have to see his value plummet being played as a No. 1 option on a tanking roster, so the Thunder could save them from disaster.
The Thunder have a catalog of young players the Nets could extract value from, with Giddey being the most attractive as a versatile 21-year-old playmaker. While his scoring will have major question marks around it, he is still a developing player and could thrive in a backcourt with a natural scoring talent like Cam Thomas. Players like Isaiah Joe in this deal would add more offensive firepower to Brooklyn, who were the 23rd-ranked offense this season.
Bridges averaged 19.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.6 assists this season, struggling to thrive as the No. 1 option on the Nets. We’ve seen him thrive as a 3-and-D role-player before, finishing as runner-up in the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year race. Adding a wing defender of Bridges’ caliber with a growing offensive skill set would be a home run for a Thunder team who are building an identity as a ferocious perimeter defense team.
Bridges is an upgrade on Lu Dort as a more dependable offensive player, with the ability to defend virtually all five positions on the court. He’s the kind of hustle player every winning franchise wants, and the Thunder have the assets to acquire.
Julius Randle
Trade Details
OKC Thunder Receive: Julius Randle
New York Knicks Receive: Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams, 2025 First-Round Pick (PHI), 2027 First-Round Pick (LAC), 2027 First-Round Pick (OKC)
In their second-round loss to the Mavericks, it became clear that the Thunder needed a more bruising inside presence to complement Chet Holmgren. Holmgren is far too talented defensively to have to adjust to playing power forward next to a traditional center, a suggestion many have thrown out after watching the Thunder get dominated on the inside by Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II. Instead, the Thunder should keep Chet where they are and acquire a star-level power forward to be a high-volume rebounder and inside finisher.
Julius Randle’s future in New York looks a little cloudy given how the team managed to secure the No. 2 seed in the East without him. If there’s an odd man out on the Knicks roster right now, it’s Randle. The former All-NBA selection averaged 24.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season, proving he’s still among the elite power forwards in the NBA.
If the Knicks can get a player like Lu Dort, who exemplifies what Tom Thibodeau wants from a forward while giving up rotational pieces such as Jaylin Williams and draft picks, it could be a move that interests the franchise. The Thunder need a veteran inside presence to add toughness to the team while the Knicks need to commit to their path of wing versatility leading to success.
While the Thunder could still make moves to reinforce their center position, they should prioritize adding a legitimate power forward like Randle while moving Jalen Williams to his natural position as a small forward.
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