The vibes are immaculate in Oklahoma City right now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder exceeded all expectations this season to get themselves just one win away from a playoff berth. A first-round matchup against the top-seeded Denver Nuggets would have been a huge boon regardless of the result, but being right at the doorstep after facing two 2022 playoff teams in the Play-In Tournament was an accomplishment in and of itself.

After a stellar season of growth for OKC's young core, the team must be ready to take the next step. Moral victories won't cut it anymore as the team sets its sights on becoming a legitimate playoff contender. The moves they'll be making this offseason are sure to be ones to help the team compete, which likely means using some of the team's draft capital in order to acquire a difference-maker or two.

The team may not be prepared for an all-in move just yet, but adding the right veteran to an emerging core could easily take the Thunder to the next level.

Here are three (3) early trade targets for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2023 NBA offseason:

#3 – Thunder trades with Hawks for Clint Capela

OKC needs a legitimate center. Every Thunder fan who watched all 48 minutes of their season-ending defeat at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves can confirm that to be the case. The T-Wolves pounded the Thunder in the interior all night and owned a +28 edge in points in the paint.

Rudy Gobert looked like an offensive force, finishing with 21 points and 10 rebounds on the night. Karl-Anthony Towns punished OKC's frontcourt with 9 of his 11 buckets coming in the paint, including three And-1s on Jaylin Williams and Aaron Wiggins.

The Thunder were in the bottom-three in defensive rebounding rate and allowed the most second-chance points in the NBA during the regular season. Clint Capela just so happens to be one of the best defensive rebounders in the game.

He's a menace on the glass and is somehow still just 28 despite a decade worth of NBA experience under his belt. Capela is a low-maintenance option to start at center as OKC eases in Chet Holmgren to eventually grab that spot. He also offers grown-man size and strength to combat some of the bulkier behemoths across the league that Holmgren may not be ready for just yet.

The asking price may not be too steep either, as the Atlanta Hawks may want to let loose their young stud off the bench in Onyeka Okongwu. The Thunder would gladly take Capela off their hands for a pick in return.

#2 – OKC acquires Bobby Portis from Milwaukee

If there's a big man from the Bucks that the Thunder should be interested in – aside from Giannis, of course – it's Brook Lopez. But after a borderline All-Star campaign for BroLo that saw him named as a Defensive Player of the Year finalist, Milwaukee will do everything in its power to keep him. With the stiffer punishments for luxury tax offenders, the Bucks may eventually be forced to trim their roster especially if they lock up Lopez to a sizable new deal.

Like Lopez, Bobby Portis has also been a valuable member of their rotation, but he's far from untradeable. If the Thunder dangle one of its many first-round picks along with cap relief for the Arkansas product, the Bucks front office may have to consider.

He may not have the same level of board control as Clint Capela, but Portis has turned into a respectable rebounder in Milwaukee, garnering back-to-back career highs of 9.1 and 9.6 boards per game over the last two seasons.

Portis, who is right in his prime at 28 years old, has polished his offensive game in his three seasons with the Bucks. He's a 49.6 percent shooter from the field and is also a legitimate floor-spacer at 40.2 percent from beyond the arc across 208 regular season games since joining the club in 2020. He'd be an invaluable piece to add onto the Thunder frontcourt.

#1 – Thunder takes a swing at Pascal Siakam

While both Clint Capela and Bobby Portis address the Thunder's issues at center, Pascal Siakam could potentially be an even bigger ceiling-raiser for OKC.

After a quick exit in the Play-In Tournament, Masai Ujiri and the Raptors are probably regretting not blowing the team up for assets at the trade deadline. If they pull the trigger this offseason, Siakam would be a massive trade target for the Thunder to acquire.

Pascal Siakam is a two-time All-Star who brings length and playmaking ability at the power forward spot. He averaged just shy of six assists this past season while also serving as the first-option for Toronto to the tune of 24.2 points per game on 48.0 percent from the field. Imagine what he could do as the second option alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

He also brings a championship pedigree and 10 playoff series worth of experience under his belt. For a team whose most seasoned playoff performer is SGA with two first-round exits to his name, adding a proven veteran and All-Star to the mix would elevate them to level.