The Oklahoma City Thunder are the defending champions, and they've followed up their NBA Finals victory with a 21-1 record to start the season. The team has won 13 straight games and look completely unstoppable, especially now that Jalen Williams has returned to the fold. Despite how great the Thunder are now, they are better set up for the future than any other team, too.
They have tons of depth, recent draftees, and future draft capital. Their two most recent first-round picks, Thomas Sorber and Nikola Topic, haven't even suited up yet. When it comes to draft picks, the Thunder have 13 future first-round picks and 16 more future second-rounders. The team thrives at evaluating and developing talent, so they will continue replenishing the roster with impact players on rookie contracts.
However, Oklahoma City also has more firepower to outbid anybody else for a star player via trade. Giannis Antetokounmpo, one of the best players in the NBA, is the most recent megastar to hit the trade market. He and the Milwaukee Bucks are reevaluating his future with the team, and this situation could very well lead to a trade. So, should the Thunder do what they so easily could do and trade for Antetokounmpo, despite the fact that they already have the best record in the NBA.
Thunder trade proposal for Giannis Antetokounmpo
Thunder receive: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Bucks receive: Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, Nikola Topic, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick (via 76ers), 2026 first-round pick (via Jazz), 2030 first-round pick, five second-round picks
If the Thunder wanted to trade for Antetokounmpo, they could send a package to the Bucks littered with future draft picks. In this deal, the Thunder would sent four first-rounders and five second-round picks. Nobody else in the league could compete with that package. The Bucks are more likely to seek a rebuild than a retool if they do trade Antetokounmpo.
Therefore, adding three 2026 first-round picks that could immediately kick off a new era would have to be intriguing for Milwaukee. Even the surplus of second-rounders would benefit the Bucks more than almost any other team in the NBA because Milwaukee lacks depth and future draft capital.
Furthermore, the Thunder could send Topic, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Lu Dort. Topic is a jumbo facilitator who is currently recovering from testicular cancer. He missed all of his rookie season because of an ACL tear, and although the start of his career hasn't gone according to plan, the Serbian was a recent first-round pick who has loads of potential. Dort is one of the premier point-of-attack defenders in the NBA, and Hartenstein has proven in recent years to be a reliable center who can score inside and collect rebounds.
Reports suggest the Bucks are going to respect Antetokounmpo by listening to where he wants to be traded, rather than sending him off to the highest bidders. Trading him to the Thunder would certainly set themselves up best for life without the Greek Freak, though.
Should the Thunder actually trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo?
While sending Antetokounmpo to Oklahoma City would make sense for the Bucks, it might not make sense right now for the Thunder. The Thunder might not want to mess up what they have going. While Antetokounmpo is still an MVP-caliber player, and he'd most likely thrive in Oklahoma City's system, he isn't a cut-and-dry perfect fit.
The Thunder thrive in part because everyone on the team passes the ball well and hits 3-pointers. Antetokounmpo is more of a ball-dominant player who drives into the lane with reckless abandon and uses his size and physicality to score inside. His jump shot is questionable, and reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the Thunder's heliocentric superstar.
The Thunder can trade for a superstar whenever they want due to their draft pick surplus, but they should try to repeat as champions with their current core. If the team fails to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy this year, then they can consider a blockbuster move in the offseason.
Of course, Antetokounmpo could be on the move by then, but teams may be scared off from trading for him in the time being because he suffered a calf injury in his last game, just hours after news of his trade interest came out. The injury will keep him sidelined for up to a month, so at the bare minimum, the Thunder have a few weeks to ensure that their winning ways don't end. If something drastically changes from now to the time that Antetokounmpo is ready to return to action, then perhaps the Thunder can make this trade. For now, there is no need to fix something that isn't broken.
