The Oklahoma City Thunder boast one of the most promising young cores in the league, coupled with a substantial amount of draft assets, placing them in a highly favorable position to compete for a championship in the near future.
As Shai Gilgeous-Alexander blossoms into a bona fide superstar and Chet Holmgren lives up to the hype right from the start of his career, supported by impressive reinforcements such as Jalen Williams and Lu Dort, the Thunder could find themselves in a position to contend for the NBA title as early as this season.
They could achieve this by leveraging their extensive draft capital and assets through strategic trades.
For the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft, the Thunder are set to possess a minimum of three first-round selections and one second-round pick.
Overall, their draft haul from 2024 to 2030 is anticipated to comprise 37 picks, with 15 in the first and 22 in the second rounds. However, the exact numbers are still subject to change based on the stipulations of their pick protections.
Given that each NBA team can only have a maximum of 15 roster spots, the Thunder won't be able to utilize all their draft picks effectively. They'll likely engage in trades to strengthen their lineup by leveraging some of their abundant draft assets.
3 Trades Oklahoma City Thunder can make to become title contenders:
1. DeMar DeRozan
Given their youth movement, the Thunder could benefit from the experience and leadership of veteran players. At just 25 years old, Gilgeous-Alexander already ranks as the fifth oldest player on the team, and notably, they don't have any players born in the 1980s.
DeRozan is still a highly effective player at 35 years old, and the Bulls may be looking to offload him as they go through a rebuilding process.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard could take the load off Gilgeous-Alexander on the offensive end and provide buckets when needed.
2. Pascal Siakam
This trade is a bit of a risk for the Thunder as Siakam is set to hit free agency in the upcoming summer, but if they manage to convince the Cameroonian to sign an extension after acquiring him, this transaction may be very well worth it.
The 29-year-old is a seamless fit behind Holmgren down low, and his multi-faceted game will help the team get over the hump and become title contenders.
3. Lauri Markkanen
Markkanen is one of the hottest assets in the league today, with many teams in win-now mode highly interested in the 7-foot forward after he turned into an elite player for the Utah Jazz last season, making his first NBA All-Star Game and winning the 2023 NBA Most Improved Player award.
The Finnish player's game is a perfect fit for almost any team in the league, as he is an excellent off-ball and plug-and-play type of player who does not require a lot of touches to be effective. He is also on a relatively cheap contract until the end of the 2024-25 season.
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