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A surprise late-night trade has created ripples across the NBA landscape. News has broken that the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets have made a deal involving draft picks. The Hornets will receive a 2029 second-round selection, while sending a 2030 conditional second rounder to Oklahoma City, according to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel on X, formerly Twitter.
“Charlotte gets a 2029 second-round draft pick, originally belonging to the Suns, from the Thunder in exchange for a 2030 conditional second-round draft pick originally belonging to the Nuggets,” posted Siegel on the social media site. “Why? Who knows…”
It's an intriguing trade to say the least. Usually, these types of trades are precursors to something larger. Is that the case when it comes to what the Hornets and Thunder might be planning? OKC is currently the best team in the West at 39-9, while Charlotte is 12-35. Both franchises are heading in opposite directions. By the time these picks convey, who knows where each franchise will be. For the moment though, this trade serves a yet unknown purpose.
Thunder, Hornets have different 2025 goals, trajectories
The Thunder hope to make it further than last season. All-Star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is gotten even better. The cast around him, built by GM Sam Presti and curated by coach Mark Daigneault, is strong and diverse. This could be the season that a Presti built team finally wins the big one. That quest might be thwarted by another contender, as the NBA's trade market has thrived so far this season. The recent Luka Doncic/Anthony Davis blockbuster was just the tip of the iceberg. NBA insider Marc Stein discussed the deals that have been made so far.
“This is the NBA's nine trade since Dec. 15,” posted Stein on X, formerly Twitter. “We'll hit double digits with ease before Thursday's 3 PM ET NBA trade deadline.”
As Oklahoma City looks to make it back to the postseason, Charlotte has had a tough go of it. Organizational changes before the season and injuries have hurt the club, and they could once again have a pretty high draft pick in June. While this trade doesn't help them now, it could help them in another deal that could further their rebuild along. If that's the case, then great. If not, then a return to contention might be even farther out of reach than before.
