Are There Any Realistic Trade Options For OKC Thunder?

Oklahoma City’s loaded roster doesn’t need many more outside enforcements.

Apr 26, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; LA Clippers guard Russell Westbrook (0) reacts to being called for a technical foul against the Dallas Mavericks during the fourth quarter during game three of the first round for the 2024 NBA playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports / Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City made more than enough moves this offseason. Truthfully, the Thunder would’ve been a favorite to contend for the NBA Finals even if they opted to keep the same roster and rely on internal growth. But the team went over the top and pushed some of the chips in for a championship run.

Signing a big man was a given, and Isaiah Hartenstein was the best available. The price tag was a perfect match for the Thunder, a team that had short-term money to spend.

Oklahoma City has already been active on the trade market, too. The team added one of the best role players in the NBA via trade with the Chicago Bulls in a swap for Josh Giddey. Alex Caruso is a defensive menace and an elite connector on the offensive end. His services could fit perfectly on the Thunder and his skillset is extremely complimentary of the team’s core.

With Hartenstein added and Caruso brought in via trade, does Oklahoma City need anymore outside help. Trade hypotheticals will always surround contenders, but with no holes on the roster, it’s hard to find a player that would truly help the Thunder. 

Bleacher Report recently published an article analyzing every NBA team’s top three trade targets. Oklahoma City’s listed targets were interesting to say the least.

Two of the three players Greg Swartz listed are former Thunder players, and one of them is perhaps the greatest player in franchise history. With Giddey off the roster, Oklahoma City doesn’t necessarily have a backup point guard. The suggested trade targets both fit that bill, as Dennis Schroder and Russell Westbrook have settled into reserve roles. Schroder could give the Thunder ball-handling off the bench and another pick-and-roll threat, but he doesn’t raise the team’s ceiling much. Westbrook, while still loved by many Thunder fans, simply doesn’t make any sense on this iteration of the Thunder team.

The last name, Simone Fontecchio, could be an interesting one to watch. His skillset certainly fits the Thunder, but there might not be enough minutes to go around. He has proven to put up great stats on bad teams, but it’s unclear what he’d look like on a contender. 

“Fontecchio, 28, thrived following his trade to the Pistons last year, averaging 15.4 points and shooting 42.6 percent from three,” Swartz wrote.



“Detroit won't necessarily want to trade him, although OKC has enough draft picks to make nearly any team consider parting with any player. Fontecchio would fit like a glove as a backup wing on this team, knocking down shots as part of the second unit.”

All things considered, a trade doesn’t make much sense for the Thunder right now. There’s no one available that would make this team immediately better and Oklahoma City just made two big win-now moves. It’s smart for the Thunder to let this group figure it out and reach their potential.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.