Sitting at 27-11 and tied for first place in the Western Conference standings, the Oklahoma City Thunder approach the Feb. 8 trade deadline as buyers for the first time in several years.
The Thunder have broken open a contention window led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams round out one of the league’s best trios.
While OKC is not expected to make any blockbuster deals, expect it to possibly make minor upgrades to improve its depth heading into its first playoff appearance since 2020.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti can strengthen the backup guard spots. Vasilije Micic has found a bit of a groove recently, but there is always a need for playmakers.
That is not necessarily an urgent need. The Thunder roll deep in guard depth with Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace manning the top five spots. The emergence of Williams as a playmaker also makes it less of a need.
However, contenders can never have too much guard depth. If the deal makes sense, OKC can make improvements on the margins.
The Thunder have plenty of draft capital and young prospects to facilitate any type of deal. Scouring through the league, let’s look at three bench guard options OKC could add.