Primary Trade Needs For OKC Thunder Identified In Latest Report

Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints recently dropped a big roundup of NBA trade rumors across the league. The Thunder were not omitted from exclusion.

Siegel wrote: "Of course, teams are watching the Oklahoma City Thunder closely due to Sam Presti's abundance of draft assets. Since the Thunder are well below the first apron and the tax line, they can realistically pull off any trade they want. It is unlikely that OKC would look to include Luguentz Dort and valuable assets in trade talks unless a true superstar was on the block."

While the Thunder await the availability of a worthwhile superstar trade for their abundance of draft capital, they may look to upgrade a key part of their roster.

Siegel continued: "Expect the Thunder to make a change to bolster their frontcourt between now and the deadline, potentially buying low on a center. Not that they have shown interest in him, but a guy like Nick Richards from the Charlotte Hornets, who is available on the trade block and makes $5 million, would fit this description of the type of buy-low player the Thunder would want to pursue."

With the Thunder still awaiting the return of Chet Holmgren from a right iliac wing fracture, boosting the frontcourt depth would be a wise move.

The addition of Isaiah Hartenstein this past offseason was a clever one that is paying dividends for Oklahoma City. However, considering they were a team that struggled mightily against size last season, continuing to shore up that weakness is a luxury they can afford given their trade equity.