Who Are OKC Thunder’s ‘Most Desirable’ Trade Assets?

Oklahoma City certainly has the chips to make more big moves.

Apr 12, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Patrick Beverley (21) drives to the basket beside Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace (22) during the second quarter at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Oklahoma City has been patient in its process throughout the rebuild. The team has been hesitant to make big trades and has tended to let development take place before fully making decisions. The only real trade Oklahoma City has made for a specific player was the Gordon Hayward deal at last year’s deadline.

This offseason, the Alex Caruso trade came out of left field. Nobody was expecting it, but the general reaction from the public was that Oklahoma City got much better by making that move.

With Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein coming in, it really feels unlikely that Oklahoma City will make any big moves this season. Nothing is out of the equation though if management thinks one move would push them over the edge.

Bleacher Report published an article detailing each team’s most appealing trade assets, and the Thunder had a few good options. It would likely take a perfect deal, though, because Oklahoma City is committed to its young core. It seems unlikely that any of these players are on the trade market.

Greg Swartz noted Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, and the Clippers’ draft picks as Oklahoma City’s top trade assets.

“Wallace, 20, is already one of the better on-ball defenders in the NBA and made 41.9 percent of his threes as a rookie,” Swartz wrote. “His raw stats won't wow anyone on a loaded Thunder team, but Wallace simply impacts winning.



“Dort is a bulldog of a wing who's worked himself into becoming a valuable two-way starter. He's under a great contract (three-year, $51.9 million) and shot a career-high 39.4 percent from three last season.”

Dort’s contract is a value deal at this point and Wallace is still on his rookie deal. Oklahoma City is getting two elite defenders at a bargain and Wallace has an extremely high ceiling.

While those might be the Thunder’s most appealing trade assets, it doesn’t mean the Thunder would actually trade them. At this point, it would be a complete shock.

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