For shits and giggles, I tried to think of major trades that would theoretically fit the Thunder’s roster and timeline, and which the other teams might realistically consider, especially if their seasons start poorly or a star gets injured. MIA and GSW are in cap hell, BRK is stuck in mediocrity, Embiid could demand a trade, etc. All of these trades work from a salary perspective.

If you map out the OKC cap situation down the road, it gets really tough to pay everyone once Giddey, Jdub, Chet, and Dieng reach their extensions (and then Shai super-maxes the year after), so the most obvious move would be to accelerate the timeline by trading one of these pre-extension younger players for a better, older player making more money in the present. I put Giddey in most of these trades rather than JDub or Chet because I think he has the poorest fit with the core.

Also, because OKC is going to be strained just paying the players it has already drafted (Sam drafted TOO well), trading a lot of the future picks for a player who can contribute well before the 2027 cap crunch seems inevitable.

On the upside…just imagine this team with someone like Bam or Bridges!

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