OKC=UTA, 4 players + picks

[SkyHook]

Thunder trade
Topic
Jones
FRP, 2025 UTA (top-10 protected, 2026 top-8 protected, or nothing)
SRP, 2028 UTA (unprotected)
SRP, 2028 MIL (unprotected)

Jazz trade
Eubanks
George

Why for OKC?
Scoring depth in the backcourt + insurance at the 5 for their championship pursuit this season.

Why for UTA?
Drastically reduced production this season in exchange for a redshirted future floor general. Flexibility with their highly-unlikely-to-convey FRP returned. Restock diminished SRPs.

[Devilanche]

Is that keyonte George ? Why would Utah trade him .

Edit - Utah probably value him higher than topic and OKC probably want more of a sure thing if we are giving up this much miscellaneous assets .

[wemby]

Keyonte George? I don't think he'd be part of their rotation in a playoff series, and I'm not even sure he's a better prospect than Topic. Eubanks is an end of the bench big at best. If the Thunder want some big man insurance just send the Blazers a SRP for Duop Reath or something. But if this is about the Jazz getting Topic (recent lottery pick, nothing has changed since he was drafted since they knew he wouldn't play this year) then I think you'd have to look at Kessler rather than Eubanks, that is, if you really want him (I don't think so, Jazz passed on Topic in favor of Cody Williams, who I don't particularly like).

[Texas Chuck]

I see no reason for OKC to give up that much value for a guy who, as Wemby points out, is not in OKC's playoff rotation. And the guys who are are all under team control long terrm so its not like well lets grab this guy for the future because we can't afford some other guys.

For Utah if the team is as high on George as the OP seems to be, they shouldn't do this either. They shouldn't be trading a young guy they believe could play a key role on a contending level team for a couple of mystery boxes.

[SkyHook]

I see no reason for OKC to give up that much value for a guy who, as Wemby points out, is not in OKC's playoff rotation. And the guys who are are all under team control long terrm so its not like well lets grab this guy for the future because we can't afford some other guys.

For Utah if the team is as high on George as the OP seems to be, they shouldn't do this either. They shouldn't be trading a young guy they believe could play a key role on a contending level team for a couple of mystery boxes.

I suppose it depends on how much value one assigns to the 2025 UTA FRP. I don't think the the Jazz braintrust intends for it ever to convey—it certainly doesn't look like it will this season and it becomes absolutely worthless to the Thunder if it falls in the top-8 in 2026.

[Texas Chuck]

I mean I have Topic, a maybe 1st and 2nds too much to give up for a guy you aren't going to play, right? And there is no real argument to be made he plays ahead of their current guys. I'm not saying its necessarily an unreasonable price for George in a vacuum. I think he's just not a target that makes sense for OKC really at all so I wouldn't pay anything really.

[Devilanche]

I see no reason for OKC to give up that much value for a guy who, as Wemby points out, is not in OKC's playoff rotation. And the guys who are are all under team control long terrm so its not like well lets grab this guy for the future because we can't afford some other guys.

For Utah if the team is as high on George as the OP seems to be, they shouldn't do this either. They shouldn't be trading a young guy they believe could play a key role on a contending level team for a couple of mystery boxes.

I suppose it depends on how much value one assigns to the 2025 UTA FRP. I don't think the the Jazz braintrust intends for it ever to convey—it certainly doesn't look like it will this season and it becomes absolutely worthless to the Thunder if it falls in the top-8 in 2026.

It’s not like OKC get anything of value here.

To us topic+ jones probably worth about George and Eubanks .

So OKC is paying 2 seconds to give up something absolutely worthless ? We might as well just wait until 2026 draft and let it be nothing then.

[SkyHook]

I see no reason for OKC to give up that much value for a guy who, as Wemby points out, is not in OKC's playoff rotation. And the guys who are are all under team control long terrm so its not like well lets grab this guy for the future because we can't afford some other guys.

For Utah if the team is as high on George as the OP seems to be, they shouldn't do this either. They shouldn't be trading a young guy they believe could play a key role on a contending level team for a couple of mystery boxes.

I suppose it depends on how much value one assigns to the 2025 UTA FRP. I don't think the the Jazz braintrust intends for it ever to convey—it certainly doesn't look like it will this season and it becomes absolutely worthless to the Thunder if it falls in the top-8 in 2026.

It’s not like OKC get anything of value here.

To us topic+ jones probably worth about George and Eubanks .

So OKC is paying 2 seconds to give up something absolutely worthless ? We might as well just wait until 2026 draft and let it be nothing then.

Okay. Thanks for the feedback.

[babyjax13]

I think Utah should be looking to trade one of its future picks to have its own pick unencumbered. Something like the worst of UTA/LAL/CLE/MIN 1st in 2027, or worst of UTA/CLE/MIN 1st in 2029. OKC can punt that asset forward, Utah doesn't have to worry about losing a lottery pick in 2026. Seems like a reasonable cost for that protection.

[BigGargamel]

SGA, Dort, Wallace, Caruso, Joe, Williams, Wiggins - George wouldn't play over any of those guys. They have the deepest guard rotation in the NBA.