The Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline is less than a month away and the Oklahoma City Thunder looks like they’ll be buyers for the first time in several years.
The Thunder sit at 28-13, good enough for second place in the Western Conference standings. OKC is set to make its first playoff appearance since 2020.
More importantly, it’ll be the first playoff appearance for this iteration of the Thunder — led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.
The biggest fish in the sea for this trade deadline that’s within the realm of possibility is Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen, who’ll likely make his second consecutive All-Star appearance this year.
With that said, it looks less likely now than it did a month ago he gets moved. The Jazz have been one of the hottest teams recently, owning a 22-21 record. This puts Utah right in the thick of the playoff race. So don’t expect the Jazz to deal their franchise player unless absolutely blown away by an offer.
The Thunder are theoretically a team that can make that happen. With several young prospects and being rich in draft assets, OKC can outbid other teams in a trade market.
Let’s make a case for the Thunder to trade for Markannen, pass on it and hand out a final verdict