A quarter into the 2023-24 regular season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have established themselves as a serious threat.
The young Thunder are 15-7 and in sole possession of second place in the Western Conference standings. OKC also passes the smell test. It’s ranked No. 3 in net rating, No. 6 in offensive rating and No. 5 in defensive rating.
If the Thunder continue to win at their current pace, they’ll make the playoffs for the first time since 2020. That means OKC could be buyers heading into the 2024 trade deadline.
The Ringer’s Michael Pena recently wrote about a hypothetical trade the Thunder could make to fortify their rebounding woes. OKC is No. 29 in the league in rebounding rate at 46.9%.
A player who could shore up those issues is veteran center Andre Drummond, who is the backup big on the Chicago Bulls. The 30-year-old is averaging 6.9 rebounds — 3.8 on defense and 3.1 on offense — in 13.2 minutes.
Pena suggests a Drummond for Tre Mann and a second-round pick swap:
“One option, for a franchise that doesn’t like spending money, is dumping Drummond’s $3.4 million contract into one of two modest trade exceptions OKC currently has. For that to happen, the Thunder would have to clear a roster spot, which complicates things.
What about a straight swap of Drummond for Tre Mann and a second-round pick? That might be too rich for Sam Presti’s blood, but he should imagine a playoff series against the Lakers, Wolves, Nuggets, or Pelicans.”
The deal isn’t too bad for the Thunder. Drummond is a short-term commitment on an expiring salary and Mann is outside of OKC’s rotation with no real chance to move up.
If the Thunder are buyers this season, this is the type of low-risk move they could realistically make to provide immediate help for an obvious weakness.
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