The Oklahoma City Thunder appear to be on the up and up. In fact, the Thunder have been blasting through their expected rebuilding timeline. Through 45 games in the 2022-23 campaign, they have already matched their win total two seasons ago in 72 games (22). These improvements from the Thunder have come even without one of the crown jewels of their rebuild in Chet Holmgren, who has not made his NBA debut just yet after suffering a Lisfranc injury in the offseason.
And they have Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to thank for this unprecedented turn of events. Gilgeous-Alexander has unquestionably been OKC's best player for the past three seasons. Through his crafty offensive game and nifty shot creation tools, SGA has averaged 24.2 points per game over the past two seasons on solid efficiency. But he has taken his game to the next level in 2022-23.
In 41 games this season, the 24-year old combo guard has averaged 30.5 points. 4.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on 50.1 percent shooting from the field and a stellar 90.8 percent from the charity stripe on incredible volume.
Simply put, he has become a marvelous offensive force who has shown the capability to function as the best player in a playoff team – which the Thunder could be as soon as this season should they continue their strong play.
And with Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, the nascent rookie Jalen Williams around as promising, supporting pieces (Giddey in particular has been on a tear as of late), not to mention Chet Holmgren's eventual return, the Thunder might be poised to make some noise in the playoffs sooner than one might think. Nevertheless, with plenty of draft assets coming their way, OKC might need to clear out a few roster spots in preparation for their leap into playoff contention.
Here are two players the Thunder could stand to benefit from moving in a trade with the trade deadline fast approaching.
Darius Bazley
It's unclear just how much attention Darius Bazley would draw in the trade market should the Thunder make him available. Drafted 23rd overall by the Thunder in 2019, Bazley just hasn't been able to translate his considerable physical tools and size to consistent production even with OKC having given him every opportunity to do so.
Now in his fourth season, Bazley is averaging his least minutes per game for his career, at 16 a night. In fact, there are some nights when head coach Mark Daigneault doesn't even call upon him. Bazley just has not been able to match the growth of his teammates, resulting in the worst season of his young career thus far.
However, Bazley is only 22 years old, and he won't be turning 23 until mid-June. His game may have been uninspiring, but a team with nothing to play for could look at him as a worthwhile reclamation project given his size and defensive potential. Bazley, a 6'8 combo forward, has a 6'11 wingspan, and he has shown a penchant for blocking shots, averaging a block a game for the past two seasons. And given his proximity to free agency, it may not take more than a second-round pick to pry him away from OKC.
Tre Mann
Drafted with the 18th overall pick in 2021, Tre Mann has shown flashes of being an incredible scorer, and he has been especially impressive on nights where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and/or Josh Giddey are out with injury. However, Mann hasn't shown much improvements in his sophomore season, and the Thunder even thought that short G-League stint would do the 21-year old a whole lot of good. But with OKC still in the business of developing young players, Mann definitely could have a future with the franchise if he polishes his offensive efficiency.
So why should the Thunder trade Mann?
With the core of the Thunder built around Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – two ball-handling guards – it's unclear just how big of a future Mann has in this team. Mann needs the ball in his hands to be able to play his game and yet he has given no indication just yet that he's ready for such a role.
If Tre Mann was qualified for the leaderboards, he would rank second-worst in the entire league in true shooting percentage at 48.2 percent, only ahead of Killian Hayes, not exactly someone who's a bastion of efficiency. Mann is young, and he may come good yet, but if the Thunder find a suitable trade to acquire cost-controlled talent that fits better around Giddey and SGA built around Mann, that move could very well be worth doing.
The rest
Mike Muscala and Kenrich Williams are two players that don't necessarily fit the Thunder timeline. However, as the Houston Rockets have shown, having capable veterans around to rein the young guys in is necessary for the team's development. Thus, it makes no sense for OKC to trade them away, even if they (Williams, in particular) could help another team compete now.
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