When it comes to making trades in the NBA, no team has more assets to move than the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Ever since the team started “tanking” by trading Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, general manager Sam Presti has been on an asset-acquiring rampage. As a result, the Thunder now hold more draft picks than any team in the NBA by a pretty healthy margin. If an opposing team wants to bet against their future, Oklahoma City has picks from all over the NBA that they can package together in a potential deal.
And yet, after trading away Josh Giddey, the Thunder don't really have a “blue chip” prospect that they can use in the pursuit of a difference maker, which is unfortunate because the Utah Jazz reportedly want to add a promising player alongside picks in any trade for Lauri Markkanen.
Still, the Thunder aren't a team devoid of talented young players, even if they let a few go like Tre Mann in the pursuit of a steady veteran like Gordon Hayward this past season. There are still options the Thunder have when it comes to trade talks, and they could put together a very good offer built around both players and picks that may prove too fruitful for the Jazz to turn down, even if it isn't the “perfect” deal.
The key to such a deal might not be Luguentz Dort, but a recent first-round pick from Villeneuve-sur-Lot, France, with a very interesting offensive game.
Thunder high on Ousmane Dieng
At 6-foot-10, Ousmane Dieng came to the Thunder from the New Zealand Breakers, where he played professionally from 2021-22. He was originally selected 11th overall by the New York Knicks in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Although he didn't play much for the Thunder over his first two NBA seasons, where he averaged just 13 minutes per game over 72 contests, Dieng did earn a fan in none other than Presti, who told reporters after the season that he loved what he saw from the 21-year-old power forward.
“I think the last couple months of the Blue season were huge for him. Playing in those types of games, carrying that kind of responsibility. He also — he cranked it up developmentally during the postseason for us where he was — we flipped his summer program and got it going early because we thought he's going to be potentially playing for the national team so we need to get as much done with him as possible. But I was very pleased with how he ended the season. I was very pleased with how he ended the season,” Presti told reporters, via Inside The Thunder. “Like every young player, he has so many things to work on. When we drafted him, he was almost like a year young for that draft.
“We kind of knew that his timeline and his pathway would maybe be different, certainly from Dub (Jalen Williams) because Dub was somebody coming in that we thought could get on the court sooner. But Ous has responded pretty well. I'm pleased with him. I think he's made some big strides here.”
With Mann and Giddy now gone, and 2024 first-round pick Nikola Topić expected to miss all of 2024-25 after suffering a partially torn ACL, Dieng might just be the most interesting player on the Thunder. Should Oklahoma City want to add high-upside players who can contribute now and into the future, especially large power forwards who fit the Markkanen mold, then Dieng might just be a $5 million throw-in that could make or break a trade alongside Dort.
Is Lauri Markkanen the right player for the Thunder?
The Thunder have Dieng, an interesting young player that they could trade, plus Dort is viewed as a valuable asset across the league due to his defensive-minded approach. It is possible that he could be viewed as a player that could potentially be flipped again ahead of the 2025 NBA trade deadline. The only real question to be asked is if the Thunder should actually target Markkanen as one of the big swings they've been building towards for years.
Gilgeous-Alexander is locked in as the Thunder's top ball handler. Williams serves as the team's change-of-pace driver, a similar role to that of James Harden back in the day. Chet Holmgren is now locked in as the team's core big man moving forward. All the Thunder need to add are players who can shoot, players who can defend, and players who have size on the court in order to compete with teams like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Dallas Mavericks.
Markkanen is seven feet tall and shoots 39.5 percent from 3-point range. He also has a knack for picking rebounds off of the glass. The best part about pursuing the Jazz forward is that his $18 million cap number is extremely valuable. The addition of Markkanen would ensure that the Thunder always have a super-sized sharpshooter who is impossible to guard on the outside. This creates unique matchup options that few teams would be able to counter.
Factor in the presence of Alex Caruso, who is like Dort with a better outside shot, and the timing feels right for the Thunder to add a one-of-one player like Markkanen. By giving Dort, Dieng, and a plethora of draft assets to the Jazz, the Thunder would instantly become the favorites in the Western Conference.
Follow Us
Subscribe