Category: Trade Week

‘He fills every need the Thunder had’: Zach Lowe gushes over Gordon Hayward addition

‘He fills every need the Thunder had’: Zach Lowe gushes over Gordon Hayward addition.

The Oklahoma City Thunder made a splash at the NBA trade deadline by acquiring veteran wing Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets.

In exchange, OKC surrendered only Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, Vasilije Micic, two future second-round picks and cash considerations.

In 25 games with the Hornets, Hayward has averaged 14.5 points on 48.6% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He has shot 36.1% from 3 on 2.4 attempts. The 33-year-old is on an expiring $31.5 million salary, so there’s no long-term commitment.

This is a massive upgrade for OKC’s bench. Hayward can serve as a great backup wing who can close games. He can shoot and create his shot. He also brings a ton of playoff experience to the young Thunder.

Hayward has had durability issues for years, and that has been the case this season. He hasn’t played since Dec. 26 due to a calf injury but was recently upgraded to questionable.

It should help that OKC likely will reduce Hayward’s role and workload, which means the amount of stress he puts on his legs will decrease. After the move was made, ESPN’s Zach Lowe gushed about it on “NBA Today,” saying it was a smart move by a smart front office.

“I want to talk about the Oklahoma City Thunder! … The top of the West — minus the Monte Morris move to Minnesota — has been pretty quiet and the Thunder just got a player in Gordon Hayward that can close games for them.

Perk mentioned Josh Giddey being up and down, Lu Dort’s been up and down. Gordon Hayward can play the three, the four, he can shoot, he can work off the dribble. He fills every need the Thunder had.

Yes, his health is a big question — I’m told he should be ready to play very soon, if not immediately for Oklahoma City. The Thunder did it! They went out and made a win-now move. Their team has earned this respect from the Thunder front office, they’ve earned a chance to really go for it.

It’s not the sexiest move but it’s a big move by their standards and the top of the West has a contender that fortified itself.”

Lowe is at the forefront of NBA media personalities, so getting his stamp of approval made Thunder fans like the move even more. There’s no real downside to this trade as the worst-case scenario is Hayward flames out and OKC has over $30 million in cap space to play with in the offseason.

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Trade grades: Examining what the OKC Thunder did during 2024 deadline

Trade grades: Examining what the OKC Thunder did during 2024 deadline.

The 2024 NBA trade deadline has passed, and the Oklahoma City Thunder made a pair of moves.

The Thunder bolstered their wing depth with the addition of veteran Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets. In exchange, OKC sent Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, Vasilije Micic and two second-round picks.

The other deal the Thunder made was more about improving the quality of their draft assets without sacrificing the quantity. They traded the second-worst of their four 2024 first-round picks to the Dallas Mavericks for a 2028 first-round pick swap.

This trade deadline perfectly exemplifies how the Thunder front office runs the franchise. It made improvements on the margins with an eye on the future without sacrificing too much.

Let’s hand out trade grades for the moves Thunder general manager Sam Presti made as OKC gets ready for the stretch run of the regular season and playoffs.

OKC Thunder acquire 2028 first-round swap from Mavericks

OKC Thunder acquires 2028 first-round swap from Mavericks.

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced they had acquired a 2028 first-round pick swap from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the second-least favorable of their four 2024 first-round picks.

The four 2024 first-round selections are their own pick, the LA Clippers’ pick, the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick.

The Mavericks sent the pick and Richaun Holmes to the Washington Wizards in exchange for forward Daniel Gafford.

This move was previously reported as a possibility for OKC. It kicks the first-round draft pick down the road. Considering how rich the Thunder are with young talent, they likely will not add several rookies to their roster this offseason, which means they have 2024 draft picks to shed.

The 2028 first-round swap could be very valuable. Who knows how the Mavericks look by then. Luka Doncic is under contract until 2027 with a $49 million player option in 2026-27. If he leaves, the pick could be a massively valuable trade asset.

OKC enriched the quality of its draft pick capital without sacrificing quantity. This is smart asset management that can pay dividends down the road.

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NBA Twitter reacts to Thunder trading for Gordon Hayward

NBA Twitter reacts to Thunder trading for Gordon Hayward.

The Oklahoma City Thunder improved their roster by acquiring Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets during the NBA trade deadline.

In exchange, the Thunder sent Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, Davis Bertans and two second-round picks to the Hornets. Micic is likely the largest absence for OKC; he recently started to carve out a nice backup guard role.

In 25 games, Hayward has averaged 14.5 points on 48.6% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He has shot 36.1% from 3 on 2.4 attempts. He is on an expiring $31.5 million salary.

Health is an issue. He hasn’t played since Dec. 26. Hayward is inching closer to a return; he was recently designated as questionable for the Hornets.

Let’s look at some of the best reactions to the trade from X, formerly known as Twitter.

Report: Thunder acquire Gordon Hayward from Hornets

Report: Thunder acquire Gordon Hayward from Hornets.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have acquired veteran forward Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, Davis Bertans and two second-round picks, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The two second-round picks are in 2024 via the Houston Rockets and 2025 via the Philadelphia 76ers. The Thunder also sent out cash considerations to the Hornets.

This is a nice deal for OKC. It doesn’t give up anything serious: Mann and Bertans seldom played this season. Meanwhile, Hayward has an expiring $31.5 million salary, so there’s no long-term commitment.

In 25 games, Hayward has averaged 14.5 points on 48.6% shooting, 4.7 rebounds and 4.6 assists. He’s shot 36.1% from 3 on 2.4 attempts. Nearly all of his 3-pointers resulted in assists (95.5%), so he’ll be a nice catch-and-shoot option for OKC.

Health is an issue. He hasn’t played since Dec. 26, but Hayward is inching closer to a return. He was recently began to be designated as questionable for the Hornets.

The Thunder can afford to be cautious with the 33-year-old. They’ll likely ask him to be a backup wing off the bench who can score. His immense playoff experience is a valuable commodity for the young Thunder.

Meanwhile, Mann gets a fresh start and has the next 1 1/2 seasons to earn a second NBA deal. In three seasons, he’s averaging 8.5 points on 39.7% shooting, 2.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists.

Editor’s note: This article was updated following the announcement of Micic and draft compensation to the deal. It was originally reported as just Mann and Bertans.

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The argument for, against Thunder trading away Josh Giddey

The argument for, against Thunder trading away Josh Giddey.

The Oklahoma City Thunder enter the 2024 NBA trade deadline as buyers for the first time in several years. The Thunder (35-16) will be in the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

More importantly, it’ll be the first playoff trip for OKC’s young core. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has blossomed into an MVP candidate. The emergence of Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren has created one of the best trios in the league. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault has turned into one of the best head coaches in the league.

Even though OKC is fighting for first place, the elephant in the room in its successful season has been Josh Giddey.

The 21-year-old has struggled through his worst season yet, averaging career lows in both traditional stats and advanced metrics. In several stretches of the season, he has sat out crunch time and played few minutes due to opposing defenses ignoring him.

It has made for an awkward situation. The Thunder have to overcome his deficiencies, and Giddey is put in a bad spot where his strengths as a ball-handler aren’t being utilized.

Off the court, Giddey has also dealt with investigations by California police and the NBA regarding allegations of being in an inappropriate relationship with an underage girl.

The Newport Beach Police closed their investigation due to a lack of evidence. The NBA is still conducting its own.

There are strong arguments to be made on both sides related to whether the Thunder should cut ties with Giddey and move him by the trade deadline. Let’s examine both sides and make a final decision on what they should do with the third-year guard.

Rumor: OKC Thunder could acquire draft picks as contenders reach out

Rumor: OKC Thunder could acquire future draft picks as contenders reach out.

As the 2024 NBA trade deadline nears, expect contenders to make moves to help them win now along with possibly refortifiying their draft pick stock.

According to Yahoo Sports NBA reporter Jake Fischer, several teams, including the Milwaukee Bucks and Philadelphia 76ers, have contacted the Oklahoma City Thunder about acquiring first-round picks this year in exchange for future picks.

“The Bucks, along with the Sixers, are among several teams that have contacted the likes of New Orleans and Oklahoma City, sources said, attempting to trade future first-round pick swaps or packages of second-round picks to acquire extra first-round selections. Phoenix, you may recall, dealt two future first-round swaps (2024 and 2030) to Memphis for three seconds before this season began. Now it seems like several teams are trying to deal those same assets for an even more meaningful return.”

The Thunder own four 2024 first-round picks; the lowest is being sent to the Toronto Raptors. OKC owns its own pick, the LA Clippers’ pick, the Houston Rockets’ top-four protected pick and the Utah Jazz’s top-10 protected pick.

Considering how rich the Thunder are with young talent, they likely will not add three rookies to their roster this offseason, which means they have 2024 draft picks to shed.

The Thunder can either use those picks to acquire win-now players before the deadline or to kick the draft can down the road once again by acquiring a contender’s first-round draft pick deep in the future.

In return, contenders such as the Sixers and Bucks would have a chance to add immediate cost-control young talent to their expensive rosters. They could also package 2024 draft picks to acquire win-now players.

If that happens, OKC enriches the quality of its draft pick capital without sacrificing the quantity. It might not move the needle for the fan base, but this would be smart asset management that can pay dividends down the road.

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2024 NBA trade deadline: Feb. 7 OKC Thunder rumor updates

2024 NBA trade deadline: Feb. 7 OKC Thunder rumor updates.

The NBA trade deadline is a little over a day away, which means the Oklahoma City Thunder could soon welcome new additions to their roster.

The Thunder (35-16) are tied for the first seed as the All-Star break approaches. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played like an MVP candidate; Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams help carve out an impressive trio.

The Thunder likely won’t make any drastic moves by Feb. 8. If OKC makes a deal, it’ll likely be to strengthen its depth and help fix some of its rebounding woes.

Entering the deadline, the Thunder are wealthy in trade capital — they have several young prospects they could trade and a rich supply of draft picks.

As of Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 7 — with the trade deadline a little over 24 hours away — let’s round up recent rumors related to the Thunder.

Ranking the top 5 Thunder targets ahead of trade deadline

Ranking the top 5 Thunder targets ahead of trade deadline.

The NBA trade deadline is a little over a day away, which means the Oklahoma City Thunder could soon welcome new additions to their roster.

The Thunder (35-16) are in the thick of the race for the first seed as the All-Star break approaches. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has played like an MVP candidate; Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams help carve out an impressive trio.

This means this will be the first deadline OKC will be viewed as buyers in quite some time as it prepares for its first playoffs since 2020.

Odds are, the Thunder won’t make any drastic moves to the roster by Feb. 8. If OKC makes a deal, it’ll likely be to strengthen its depth and help fix some of its rebounding woes.

Entering the deadline, the Thunder are wealthy in trade capital — they have several young prospects they could trade along with an unending supply of draft picks.

If the Thunder wanted to, they could outbid anybody in the league for someone’s services.

Thunder Wire is ranking the top five trade targets for the Thunder as the trade deadline approaches:

3 backup bigs that make sense for Thunder at trade deadline

3 backup bigs that make sense for Thunder at trade deadline.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the Feb. 8 trade deadline as buyers for the first time in several years.

Sitting at 32-13 and in first place in the Western Conference standings, the Thunder hope to make a run at the playoffs for the first time since 2020.

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.

The biggest weakness for the Thunder is their rebounding. OKC’s 47.7% rebounding rate and 41.2 rebounds per game both sit at 28th in the league. Outside of Holmgren, the Thunder doesn’t possess a traditional center.

This will likely be the top priority for Thunder general manager Sam Presti heading into the trade deadline. Adding a backup center with no long-term money committed could provide a boost to the roster.

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 big options OKC could add.