OKC Thunder Trades and Transaction Thread

[Dadouv47]

I still think a bigger move is coming but those recent news from Woj don't show that Presti is going for it but was just trying to solve the Giddey problem.

[slick_watts]

I still think a bigger move is coming but those recent news from Woj don't show that Presti is going for it but was just trying to solve the Giddey problem.

solving the giddey problem requires an outside acquisition.

[bbms]

i don't want presti to move back caruso

i would love this guy to be on this team. it's like my yearns of a championship winning experience vet were granted



now just need to go and get lbj

[cjmcallist]

Glad that Giddey is getting a shot that he wanted and that it ended well here. Lots of ways this could have gone sideways.

Anyone have thoughts on a Caruso extension? I'm a little unclear on the maximum extension he can get. I have the number at roughly 4 additional years for $61m max. Is that right?

[slick_watts]

Glad that Giddey is getting a shot that he wanted and that it ended well here. Lots of ways this could have gone sideways.

Anyone have thoughts on a Caruso extension? I'm a little unclear on the maximum extension he can get. I have the number at roughly 4 additional years for $61m max. Is that right?

it would be about 4 years, $79 million. the same deal that malik monk just agreed to. the thunder could roll-over some cap space into the regular season though if they want to frontload it.

[cjmcallist]

Shooting my off the wall shot:

Cason, #12, all the 2025 FRP (that's four: MIA, UTA, HOU/LAC, OKC, PHI)
for
LaMelo

[Kizz Fastfists]

Shooting my off the wall shot:

Cason, #12, all the 2025 FRP (that's four: MIA, UTA, HOU/LAC, OKC, PHI)
for
LaMelo

Why would you want a max contract player who hasn't shown any ability to stay healthy? You think OKC can carry 4 max players? If LaMelo continues to play 30ish games a year you are stuck with him and probably going to be letting JDub or Chet go when they hit RFA. Please explain your thought process for this?

[Dadouv47]

Shooting my off the wall shot:

Cason, #12, all the 2025 FRP (that's four: MIA, UTA, HOU/LAC, OKC, PHI)
for
LaMelo

Why would you want a max contract player who hasn't shown any ability to stay healthy? You think OKC can carry 4 max players? If LaMelo continues to play 30ish games a year you are stuck with him and probably going to be letting JDub or Chet go when they hit RFA. Please explain your thought process for this?

I wouldn't do this trade but the fact that Lamelo is gonna get paid a lot of money is not an issue. I would take any good young player if he increases our odds to win a title in the next two years while Chet and JDub are still on their rookie deals. After that, we can still trade Lamelo or any other player that has a big salary for some value.

I just don't get why we would trade for a guard that needs the ball in his hand though. Need to spend those 30+ millions on good off ball PF or SF that could play PF.

[Dadouv47]

We are one trade away from being the best team in the West by a decent margin so I don't care if it's gonna cost 2 or 4 FRPs but Presti needs to pull the trigger. We can afford to overpay if needed, our title window is now.

[Kizz Fastfists]

We are one trade away from being the best team in the West by a decent margin so I don't care if it's gonna cost 2 or 4 FRPs but Presti needs to pull the trigger.

I think my best case scenario right now might be Wendall Carter Jr at the start of FA. It is looking like LAC is going to let PG13 and Harden walk and Orlando is rumored to be looking to sign PG13. By my calculations Orlando needs to clear about $10M to give him a max. A pick package with maybe Joe or Wiggins included for Carter Jr could be on the table. Orlando would clear their needed salary and get picks to continue to add players going forward. OKC gets their other big man. OKC would still have the room to pursue another decent big man to come off the bench or save the cap space for an in-season trade.

I'm under the assumption that Lauri isn't getting traded. I'm having a hard time coming up with a better plausible option than Carter Jr. They would have to trade #12, Kenrich and Dieng to clear the space for LeBron and I don't see them flipping them for future assets or 2nd round picks, although it is possible. That would require LeBron's agent already telling Presti that LeBron wanted to come to OKC. I could see LeBron doing that as it is his best chance at more rings before he retires, but I'm not sure how Presti would feel about LeBron and making that work.

Take one of Edey, Ware or da Silva at #12. Trade for Carter Jr. and sign CP3 to a reasonable deal would be a great off-season. CP3 could finish his career in OKC where it started. CP3's rookie season was the season NOLA played in OKC.

[cjmcallist]

Shooting my off the wall shot:

Cason, #12, all the 2025 FRP (that's four: MIA, UTA, HOU/LAC, OKC, PHI)
for
LaMelo

Why would you want a max contract player who hasn't shown any ability to stay healthy? You think OKC can carry 4 max players? If LaMelo continues to play 30ish games a year you are stuck with him and probably going to be letting JDub or Chet go when they hit RFA. Please explain your thought process for this?

Why would you want a max contract player who hasn't shown any ability to stay healthy?
Injury concerns are valid. However, I consider CHA one of the worst run franchises. I don't trust their staff to manage LaMelo or his injuries well. So, I expect that a move to a better franchise like OKC would improve his chances of being on the floor.

You think OKC can carry 4 max players?
I do.

If LaMelo continues to play 30ish games a year you are stuck with him and probably going to be letting JDub or Chet go when they hit RFA.
I do not think you have to do this. You trade LaMelo.

Please explain your thought process for this?
The main motivation for this move is to raise our ceiling above everybody else's. I don't know that there's another reasonably available player that would do this like Lamelo, other than KD.
We need another creator. LaMelo is a second offensive engine that can shoot well enough off-ball and passes well. He's under team control. He's 6'7" with a +1 wingspan which is close to the profile that we want. He may never be a great defender but I expect his defense will improve with new coaching and in a more competitive situation. He's under team control for a long time as well.

It's for sure a wild idea - maybe too wild but Presti never does what I think he'll do.

[cjmcallist]

We are one trade away from being the best team in the West by a decent margin so I don't care if it's gonna cost 2 or 4 FRPs but Presti needs to pull the trigger.

I think my best case scenario right now might be Wendall Carter Jr at the start of FA. It is looking like LAC is going to let PG13 and Harden walk and Orlando is rumored to be looking to sign PG13. By my calculations Orlando needs to clear about $10M to give him a max. A pick package with maybe Joe or Wiggins included for Carter Jr could be on the table. Orlando would clear their needed salary and get picks to continue to add players going forward. OKC gets their other big man. OKC would still have the room to pursue another decent big man to come off the bench or save the cap space for an in-season trade.

I'm under the assumption that Lauri isn't getting traded. I'm having a hard time coming up with a better plausible option than Carter Jr. They would have to trade #12, Kenrich and Dieng to clear the space for LeBron and I don't see them flipping them for future assets or 2nd round picks, although it is possible. That would require LeBron's agent already telling Presti that LeBron wanted to come to OKC. I could see LeBron doing that as it is his best chance at more rings before he retires, but I'm not sure how Presti would feel about LeBron and making that work.

WCJ would be awesome, but I can't figure out why ORL would trade him.

[Kizz Fastfists]

I still think a bigger move is coming but those recent news from Woj don't show that Presti is going for it but was just trying to solve the Giddey problem.

That also raises the question of if Presti pursued this or if Giddey's agent put it together as a win-win so his client could go become an all-star and OKC got a useful piece. Giddey is younger than multiple players projected to go in the top 15 and has already posted a 16-8-6 season on 48% shooting so him becoming a 20-10-8 player on 50% shooting isn't hard to imagine with some minor improvements.

Did Presti initiate this or did it fall in his lap with him feeling he had no choice because he knew Giddey wanted out? If Presti felt he had to trade Giddey in the same way he felt he had to trade Harden then there could be no more moves coming. He could also treat Caruso like he did KMart as a one year rental and letting him walk making it clear to everyone he is repeating the same mistakes as before. We all hope that isn't the case, but there is some argument to be made that Presti hasn't changed a bit and isn't looking to go for it, but is enjoying the spin that the media is putting on it doing his PR work for him even if it might not be deserved.

[slick_watts]

That also raises the question of if Presti pursued this or if Giddey's agent put it together as a win-win so his client could go become an all-star and OKC got a useful piece.

i only think there are two possibilities. 1 ) giddey was always gone (because sam presti wanted him gone) and everything else is window dressing, 2 ) sam presti offered the backup role to josh giddey and josh giddey didn't want it and asked for a trade.

the idea that josh giddey and his agent made this happen or had any sort of agency in this situation that sam presti didn't provide them himself is a hilarious thought that is not aligned with reality. this guy just got benched in the playoffs, man. by the thunder! only the third time that has happened. giddey had no bargaining power whatsoever.

[Devilanche]

I still think a bigger move is coming but those recent news from Woj don't show that Presti is going for it but was just trying to solve the Giddey problem.

That also raises the question of if Presti pursued this or if Giddey's agent put it together as a win-win so his client could go become an all-star and OKC got a useful piece. Giddey is younger than multiple players projected to go in the top 15 and has already posted a 16-8-6 season on 48% shooting so him becoming a 20-10-8 player on 50% shooting isn't hard to imagine with some minor improvements.

Did Presti initiate this or did it fall in his lap with him feeling he had no choice because he knew Giddey wanted out? If Presti felt he had to trade Giddey in the same way he felt he had to trade Harden then there could be no more moves coming. He could also treat Caruso like he did KMart as a one year rental and letting him walk making it clear to everyone he is repeating the same mistakes as before. We all hope that isn't the case, but there is some argument to be made that Presti hasn't changed a bit and isn't looking to go for it, but is enjoying the spin that the media is putting on it doing his PR work for him even if it might not be deserved.

More post like this please.

We can bash Presti after the draft and after free agency.

Another possibility is that role was discussed for next season and extension as well and the 2 of them were just far apart for Presti to try and make it work. So with the money on the table and the bench role for him… giddey wanted to try see if he can make it elsewhere and Presti moved to trade him.

Question is, if he was going to be moved to the bench, who slots into that starting 5 spot ?
Thats the big move that Presti would get a pass from me or get criticised again for not making a move (ie Caruso slotting in or Dieng will win the role etc etc)


My favoured move as of today is to get IH in as C and then we have 48 minutes of good C play for a somewhat undersize team. IH would play between 24-26 mins and probably not in the closing lineup unless we are facing a much bigger team.


So that gives like 4-6 mins that Chet is playing at PF.

[Devilanche]

That also raises the question of if Presti pursued this or if Giddey's agent put it together as a win-win so his client could go become an all-star and OKC got a useful piece.

i only think there are two possibilities. 1 ) giddey was always gone (because sam presti wanted him gone) and everything else is window dressing, 2 ) sam presti offered the backup role to josh giddey and josh giddey didn't want it and asked for a trade.

the idea that josh giddey and his agent made this happen or had any sort of agency in this situation that sam presti didn't provide them himself is a hilarious thought that is not aligned with reality. this guy just got benched in the playoffs, man. by the thunder! only the third time that has happened. giddey had no bargaining power whatsoever.

I think they talk role and contract moving forward and presti just moved him thereafter.

Still fits in with Presti never let his rookie scale contract go to RFA , hence wiggins getting extended or traded next.

[Clav]

Simple concept

POR receives [#12], 2025 ATL second round pick
OKC receives [#14], Reath

any takers ?

[kdthunderup]

Caruso is a massive upgrade for this team. You're getting an All-NBA defensive guy who can shoot from 3 and also playmake a little for a guy who was a traffic cone defensively and couldn’t shoot. We do lose a bit of size but that only mattered on the boards since Giddey didn’t use his size much on the defensive end. This team is built to be disruptive defensively and get out in transition a lot and this move takes that up another notch:

I would still like us to add a backup C and a larger wing but we have enough assets and cap space to make those moves this off-season.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Simple concept

POR receives [#12], 2025 ATL second round pick
OKC receives [#14], Reath

any takers ?

Counter offer:

Portland receives #12, worst OKC 2025 FRP, Dieng
OKC receives #14, #34, #40 and Reath

[Clav]

Simple concept

POR receives [#12], 2025 ATL second round pick
OKC receives [#14], Reath

any takers ?

Counter offer:

Portland receives #12, worst OKC 2025 FRP, Dieng
OKC receives #14, #34, #40 and Reath

I think Portland will like this more, as Dieng does provide a pairing with Sharpe [who missed a lot of games last szn] on the wing, and it already has a good start to the backcourt. POR, if stubborn, may push for 2nd worst 2025 first [likely PHL's], but it is more than fair, and I would say yes to this for OKC. Nice.