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Oklahoma City Thunder Somehow Overlooked in Trade Speculation for NBA Star

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By JH Kubicek | Last updated Apr 24, 2025 11:39 AM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder, this season, where the best team in the NBA and it wasn't even close. On top of that, their future is bright, as they have plenty of young talent and more future draft picks than anyone else in the NBA.

Sam Presti has long been assumed to be stockpiling those picks to go all-in on a superstar, but as offseason trade rumors pick up, the Thunder are overlooked, even when it comes to an ideal superstar to pair with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

If Giannis Antetokounmpo loses in the first round for the third year in a row, he could demand a trade, and the Thunder would be in a prime spot to make a move.

The San Antonio Spurs, Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, and even Golden State Warriors have all been included as possible landing spots for the Greek Freak should he ask out, but the Thunder could offer a bigger trade package than any of those teams.

In theory, OKC could offer Isaiah Hartenstein, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Joe, and as many draft picks as needed to land Antetokounmpo. Keeping his massive salary on the books while eventually extending Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams would prove to be an enormous task, but a lineup with SGA, Giannis, and either Holmgren or Williams would prove to be a title contender for the next several years.

Of course, the Thunder could simply stay the course. They've run into a similar problem before, when it came to paying James Harden, Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka, and Harden ended up being the odd man out.

Still, until Antetokounmpo is dealt away, the Thunder should certainly be considered in the running to land one of the best players in the world.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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