The NBA trade deadline is inching closer, with just a few hours until the close of the transaction window. While the Oklahoma City Thunder have already made one move this week, acquiring KZ Okpala from the Miami Heat, they are expected to be exploring moves today as well.
Once the deadline passes, no more trades will happen until the offseason. As such, this will be the final chance to make significant chances to the roster between now and the end of the 2021-22 season.
The InsideTheThunder.com team gives their predictions as we enter the final hours before the trade deadline.
Derek Parker
With Thunder GM Sam Presti at the helm, it’s anyone’s guess what Oklahoma City’s next move will be. But judging from past history, Presti is looking to leave the deadline with more draft assets.
There’s been several young prospects available for cheap, and he hasn’t pulled the trigger on any. Oklahoma City also likely won’t get the value they want back on their current veterans, so a salary dump looks to be the best option to get more capital. The most likely candidate will be LA’s Serge Ibaka, who both weakens Los Angeles but can offer OKC a variety of different packages.
Nick Crain
If the Thunder make a move today, it will likely be a deal in which they take on unwanted salary with an attached asset. There are plenty of teams around the league that will look to save money and potentially avoid the tax, meaning Oklahoma City could help.
With that in mind, if the Thunder do make a move, outside of Kenrich Williams who has interest from several suitors around the league, Ty Jerome is another name to monitor. He could be involved in a trade similar to the Hamidou Diallo deal last season in which OKC swaped young players to get a look at another prospect before committing longterm.
Sam Lane
The Thunder are in just about the best possible spot Sam Presti could have hoped for heading into the trade deadline this season. They should remain one of the first calls for any team looking to dump salary in exchange for attaching a draft pick, and have some trade chips of their own to deal if there’s interest.
Mike Muscala’s injury shortens that list, so It looks like if the Thunder are going to be parting with anyone it will be Kenrich Williams, who provides about as much versatility as you could ask for at a cheap price ($2 Million). I don’t see Oklahoma City making any drastic moves and trying to make a push for the play-in, so looking to make a shrewd move or two to continue adding draft capital seems like the likeliest thing to happen.
Ben Creider
For Oklahoma City, I’d expect Sam Presti to remain in asset accumulation mode. As great as it would be to package picks for proven players now, I believe Presti will wait for offers to come to him in the market. The most likely scenario may come from utilizing the group’s $24 million in open salary to take on a bad contract.
Recent reports have pegged OKC as a partner for Tobias Harris ’ colossal deal, but I would expect other players such as Tim Hardaway Jr. or Serge Ibaka to be more in the mix as both come at a much cheaper cost. If Oklahoma City goes on the attack, Kenrich Williams, Theo Maledon, and Ty Jerome are all names to consider as Kenny Hustle should fetch draft capital from contenders while multiple franchises could use a young point guard such as Theo or Ty, shipping frontcourt talent to Bricktown in return.
Chris Becker
Mo Bamba should be on the Thunder's list at the deadline. The Thunder need a true center and Mamba is in the midst of a breakout campaign. His youthfulness and size would be the ideal fit.
Although it might be unlikely that the Thunder make a move like that at this stage in their rebuild, he would be the ideal young candidate to target as the deadline approaches.
Ross Lovelace
While I would love for the Thunder to be active, this deadline seems like it could be more of Oklahoma City helping other teams out. OKC should be salary-dump spot this deadline and potentially a partner as a third team to hop in a trade.
I could see OKC making a move for a disgruntled young player like Marvin Bagley, but with the timeline set in stone, the moves made this week will be moves made for the future.
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