In the NBA cycle, star players asking out and demanding trades is a common phenomenon.
It seems that annually at least a couple of multi-time All-Stars request trades from their current teams in the ever-changing league.
With the offseason upon us, it feels only a matter of time before the next big name asks out. When that happens, teams with valuable draft capital usually get first dibs to acquire elite talent.
In a recent article, The Athletic named the Oklahoma City Thunder as the best-positioned team to trade for a star in the immediate future. It only makes sense. They own the most draft capital in the league with a long list of first-round draft picks in the 2020s. The only untradeable asset listed was Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is coming off a career season in which he was named to the All-NBA first team.
“It’s wild how well-positioned the Thunder are to trade for a star. They have a whole roster of attractive young players. Sure, Gilgeous-Alexander is off-limits, but Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren are still there as potential headliners to any deal. They have all of their future first-round picks, plus eight more from other teams, including two unprotected Clippers picks — not to mention swap rights with the Rockets or Clippers in 2025. If the Thunder wanted to go in on a star — though there is no indication they are in that place — who can beat general manager Sam Presti’s hand?”
The Thunder own $30 million in cap space this offseason, which among the most in the league. This means they could easily absorb most salaries in hypothetical trades.
But, as mentioned by Mike Vorkunov, the Thunder traditionally don’t go big star hunting and prefer to draft and develop their talent. With OKC’s young core continuing to grow, it’s unlikely it acquires an established star this summer.
The full article can be read here.
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