What’s stopping OKC from trading for Giannis?

[ball_takes23]

4 max contracts isn't a thing anymore in this CBA. The Thunder are trying to maximize a 6+ year window. Adding Giannis would shorten that dramatically.

yeah gutting the depth to maintain 4 maxes seems like the worst of all options.
i would think any trade for giannis would have to include one of the max contracts - most likely Jalen Williams.

[Patches Perry]

People were pressing Presti to make a consolidation trade last year too. Markkanen was the target last season, which would have been a bad trade in hindsight.

I personally believe Presti has become a bit resistant "all in" trades over the years. I vaguely recall an interview where he compared that approach to betting your house on a single bet, and how it implies desperation.

Given OKCs current situation, their best moves will be trying to convert present value into future value before that present value gets too expensive to keep. Otherwise they'll likely lose several talented players for nothing in the next few years. Its tough though because you also don't want to mess with present value too much, or you risk your championship odds in the present.

[The Servant]

Wouldn't really want Giannis because the entire team chemistry, offence and everything they built would have to be redrawn and figured out. They just won and are still in their window with a great team. They have lots of depth they'd have to gut for Giannis and would go into cap/apron hell. It would likely be a successful team but its such a shake up for nothing guaranteed and it limits their window to a very small run.

If you have a small window + the need to redesign the offence and chemistry (probably not winning it year one when this team is assembled) your chance to compete is really like maybe two years. I like watching the home grown core win and compete. The idea sounds wild though, I get why it is very intriguing and if it happened I'd excitedly watch it. If it didn't work out the regret would be pretty big.

[Yoshun]

They just won the Championship, they've been the clear best team in the league so far, they're still missing one of their best players, and they have multiple 1st round picks in a really good draft.

[og15]

Why though?

Giannis is not a plug and play guy that just fits everywhere. SGA and Giannis aren't some seamless fit. OKC already has a great young roster, just won a championship, why would they mess with things just to do the NBA 2K type stuff?

You get Giannis, then your roster is too expensive to keep all those high paid guys and have any depth. The current apron rules are meant to make it unfavorable to build teams like this.

This would make sense if OKC didn't make it to the finals or win last season and then they were on attempt #3 and they say, maybe let's try something else.

[TheProfessor]

Because A fit and he costs too much, they need to play for guys like Brunson, JJ and Derrick White. Players that provide significant value while not being max players, also, OKC just needs to poach people off of the Memphis bench as well. They have a lot of super cheap studs.

EDIT: forgot guys like Deni and Algenuin as well.

[tribulations]

Why not just continue building with young talent or trading into future drafts?