OKC Thunder: NBA Insider Gauges Josh Giddey's Trade Value

The Oklahoma City Thunder have an interesting decision to make on 21-year-old guard Josh Giddey as one NBA insider reveals his possible value.

Nov 25, 2023; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Josh Giddey (3) reacts to an officials call during the first quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports / Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder are heading into the 2024 offseason with a ton of pressure on them after proving to be contenders during the 2023-24 campaign.

With one of the best young cores in the NBA, four open roster spots, a ton of cap space and a mountain of future assets many expect the Thunder to bolster their 57-win ball club this summer.

One of the biggest decisions top executive Sam Presti has to make will be on former lottery pick Josh Giddey. The No. 6 selection in the 2021 NBA Draft had a rocky 2023-24 campaign which ended in him being benched in the playoffs - snapping a 218-game starting streak.

Presti spoke at his end-of-season press conference about the Thunder's need to maximize and leverage Giddey's skillset despite him looking like an awkward fit on the floor this season. The 21-year-old is extension-eligible this offseason and it has many questioning his future in Bricktown.

Sam Vecenie took to his Game Theory Podcast to pull off an exercise of trading all 30 first-round picks of the 2024 NBA Draft. With the

"Will Dawkins was a big part of the room that drafted Josh Giddey to Oklahoma City...You get No. 26 and a future second for Giddey, that feels like it is about the price point to be honest with you for where Giddey is right now and where the playoffs ended with him, this feels like a reasonable offer for Giddey," Vecenie explained on the Game Theory Podcast.

While this mock trade may seem low to those around Oklahoma City, the NBA insider was adamant that this level of package should be the expectation for Giddey.

"I am sure [Oklahoma City's] Goal will be to move him for a future first. But I don't know how amenable teams will be...I think it will be a heavily protected future first if they were to move him. They are not extending him this summer, there is just no way. So I feel like this is their reasonable fair offer for what this is," the Athletic scribe continued.

On the Latest Game Theory Podcast, they had an interesting segment about Josh Giddey’s trade value. It went for over 5 minutes and the full show can be found below where they went through and traded all 30 picks of the first round leading to some interesting discussions. pic.twitter.com/gXFKAtyLP2

— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) June 6, 2024

Despite his poor performance this season, it would be a tough pill to swallow that return from a Thunder standpoint. However, Giddey would instantly be placed in a better environment for individual growth as the Wizards would be able to return him to a more natural position on the ball.

Even coming off the pine for the Thunder, with how many touches Jalen Williams will command in staggered lineups, there still isn't a seamless pathway to getting Giddey in a more comfortable situation in Bricktown.

With each passing day, the value of Giddey could trend in the wrong direction for the simple fact of the clock ticking against his club control. The former NBL star is extension eligible this summer ahead of Restricted Free Agency next offseason.

The Thunder holding still until the deadline would give the team acquiring Giddey even less time to make internal observations of the youngest before having to dish out a payday to the potential lead guard.

Quickly, the Giddey dilemma is turning into a catch-22 for Presti and company. While many still expect the 21-year-old to be on the Thunder's opening night roster, there is certainly a case to be made that it would be best for both sides if a split happened this summer.

However, the alternative route is inking Giddey to a relatively team-friendly long-term pact with the idea being to extend the clock on this experiment - if it were to work out in Oklahoma City, Great, if not they work together to send the youngster to a preferred destination. This maneuver would make this summer less of a dire situation.

Should Giddey be willing to ink a deal such as that, giving up the ability to earn a bigger payday with better play in 2023-24, it would certainly work out in the Thunder's favor either with a bargain deal for a quality player or the grace period to trade them on more comfortable terms of engagement later down the line.

This conversation and topic will only heat up with each passing day. Like sand through the hour glass these are the NBA days of our lives.

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