If you haven't caught on quite yet, the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the midst of a rebuild. A long rebuild, in fact: the team is currently made up of young talent and undeveloped prospects looking to make it to the league. Sam Presti is looking at the long-term game here, as he'll try to amass a treasure trove of picks that he can use when they need it.

The Thunder are doing well so far, keeping their young stars such as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort, and Josh Giddey intact while taking a flyer at other young guns in the league. Despite that, though, there are still some players that they can jettison for more draft capital. This is the player the Thunder must trade once the offseason starts.

1 player Thunder must trade in 2022 NBA offseason

As stated above, the Thunder's roster is currently made up of some elite young talent and a bunch of other unproven young guys. This puts them in a rather odd scenario: they obviously can't trade any of their building blocks like Dort or SGA, but most other guys aren't exactly going to fetch a premium price from teams.

However, there is one particular player that doesn't fit the Thunder's timeline AND can still be valuable on other teams, making him an enticing trade chip.

Derrick Favors

Once upon a time, current Thunder big man Derrick Favors was one of the better big man prospects in the league. He seemingly had it all: the size to hang with the bulky big men, and the post moves to dominate in the league. However, as the league shifted further and further away from the hoop, Favors became a dinosaur, one that was outdated in the league.

However, Favors found a niche as a reliable back-up big man, as well as a center that can take other team's bulkier frontcourt options. There's plenty of value in a guy like Favors, who is also a decent roll threat and an excellent rebounder. However… that value doesn't lie in Oklahoma City.

Favors is turning 31 years old next season, which for a rebuilding team isn't ideal. He also doesn't project to be a big factor in OKC's long-term goals. If the Thunder find a suitable trade partner, they should try and trade Favors for a bunch of picks and young players. Something to note, though, is that Favors has a player option for next season for roughly $10 million. He's more than likely going to pick up that option, but if he doesn't, the Thunder might lose him for nothing.

Honorable Mention: Mike Muscala

Muscala, like Favors, doesn't fit the team's rebuilding timeline. At 30 years old, his development as a player has likely peaked. And since he isn't exactly a star, there's no real point in keeping him on the team if you can get assets for him.

Therein, though, lies the problem: you likely can't get enough assets if the Thunder does trade him. His skillset is a floor-spacing big man with limited defensive potential. Not many teams are looking for that, and they certainly aren't going to give up premium assets for a player of that caliber.

There's also the fact that Muscala can help this rebuild in other ways. A veteran presence is always welcome on the floor, and Muscala fits that bill. In addition to that, his floor-spacing capabilities allow the Thunder young guns to work on their game without getting pressured too much by defenses.

If Presti finds a good haul for Muscala, the Thunder should definitely pull the trigger on a trade. However, there's also merit in keeping him around until his contract expires after next season.