The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away, which means the Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the anticipated day as buyers for the first time in several.
The Thunder (34-15) are in striking distance for the playoffs’ first seed and will almost certainly participate in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. While OKC likely will not make a massive change, it can upgrade its depth.
The biggest area of weakness for the Thunder is their rebounding. OKC is one of the worst rebounding teams in the league, ranking 28th in rebounding rate and 26th in rebounds per game.
Not having a traditional backup center on the roster likely plays a role in this, which means a backup big could be the type of player the Thunder target.
The Athletic’s NBA insider, Shams Charania, lends credence to this theory in a recent podcast appearance.
“I think everyone thinks the Thunder are in the market to use all their draft picks to go get a high-name, high-end player. I don’t think the Thunder’s trade deadline priority is getting a top-tier player,” Charania told Kenny Beecham on The Kenny Beecham Podcast. “I think they want to see this core. … They are deep, now the one thing they could use is size. I have heard that they are a team that will at least look into veteran big-man play. Now, who that is? We will see.”
This shouldn’t be a massive shocker. Under Thunder general manager Sam Presti, OKC has historically added help to contending rosters. This season fits under that. A backup big could provide the experience and size the Thunder desperately need.
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