There's been speculation all season long as to whether Sam Presti and the Thunder were going to make any groundbreaking, league-shifting moves with their seemingly endless stock of draft picks they've compiled over the last few years.
A bright young team, one of the best in the NBA thus far this season, who's in desperate need of a reliable rebounder who can also fit within the flow of the offense is certainly the archetype they're in need of – but as we know, Presti is not a general manager who will rush the process.
Longevity is what he'd preached in his preseason presser.
“I think in today’s day and age, it’s more constant that people take really hard stands with a very shallow amount of knowledge, and they just say it really loud," Presti said during his media availability on Sep. 27. "And that’s taken more seriously than basically saying, ‘I’m not sure about that.’
"I'd rather not be in the business of predictions."
And with the discussions looming around Oklahoma City's possible activity before the trade deadline this Thursday at 2 p.m. CT, the Thunder might just lean on what's been working for them all this time – looking ahead and trading imminent draft picks for a more lucrative return in the long run.
That's precisely what has been suggested by Yahoo Sports' Senior NBA Reporter Jake Fischer.
"The Bucks, along with the Sixers, are among several teams that have contacted the likes of Oklahoma City, sources said, attempting to trade future first-round pick swaps or packages of second-round picks to acquire extra first-round selections" Fischer wrote in an article on Tuesday.
If the Thunder were to make much noise before the deadline, this would be the move that many would bet on.
Harping back to last offseason, Oklahoma City hauled in a slew of future second-round draft picks – while also trading the worst of its 2024 first-round selections and the No. 37 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a top-five protected first-round pick in 2029.
This strategy has been cemented as an ingrained philosophy mastered by Presti throughout the duration of the Thunder's short-lived rebuild, and could be utilized again before Oklahoma City makes it's first visit to the playoff since 2020-21.
Don't expect the front office to make a huge splash, as that's been reiterated time after time this season. Longevity and cohesion are two pillars Presti stands on, and he and the team will continue to do so, even as one of the top teams in the West.
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