Through the first 25 games of the NBA season, the Oklahoma City Thunder looked unstoppable. They had lost only one game, falling to the Portland Trail Blazers in a game without Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. Then, on December 13, they played the San Antonio Spurs and were handed their second loss of the season.

Since that NBA Cup showdown, the Thunder are 3-4. Three of those losses came against the Spurs, who beat them in Las Vegas, in San Antonio, and in Oklahoma City. The Thunder, record-wise, are still the best team in the league, although the Spurs are in the race.

The Thunder previously had the most untouchable roster in the NBA despite their massive stockpiles of draft picks. With three losses to the Silver and Black, however, the armor seems to be getting thin.

The Spurs have been linked to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Lauri Markkanen, and Trey Murphy III in rumors, although until their current roster proves they can't get the jkob done, any move would be rash. The Thunder seem to be at that point.

Fadeaway World's Fran Leiva floated three possible trades the Thunder could make to add a Victor Wembanyama-stopper: Ivica Zubac, Kristaps Porzingis, and Jock Landale.

"When the Thunder try to play their usual 'swarm, rotate, recover' defense, Wembanyama turns the paint into a no-fly zone and still punishes you as a roller, a lob threat, or a pop guy," reasoned Leiva.

"That’s why this isn’t just a 'bad night' thing for the Thunder. They need a real counter. Not another wing defender. Not more shooting. They need a center they can actually throw at Wembanyama in a playoff-type setting, someone who can survive in space, protect the rim, and not get erased by size."  

The thought behind his trades is that Isaiah Hartenstein and Chet Holmgren have both proven they can't hang with Wemby. It's a sound theory, as the Spurs seem to be OKC's only threat, although none of the three players mentioned solves any of the Thunder's problems.

Zubac is a better defender than Hartenstein, although their playstyles are very similar. While Zubac has dominated Wembanyama on the boards, he doesn't really stop him from scoring with ease. Porzingis, meanwhile, is a worse and more unreliable version of Holmgren, so adding him at the expense of Hartenstein doesn't make much sense, either.

Finally, Landale is a floor-spacing center with added physicality, although he is a career reserve or third-stringer who would get more playing time against Bismack Biyombo than Wembanyama.

This season, the Thunder are playing to repeat as champions. The Spurs, clearly, are their biggest threat. If there is a true desire to add a Wemby-stopper (good luck with that), then someone like Antetokounmpo or another proven star is the Thunder's best bet. They have the assets to land him.

Plus, while Wembanyama sliced the Thunder up in their first matchup, he wasn't particularly dominant in any of their other meetings. The Thunder, it seems, don't have to answer the Wemby question; they have to answer the Spurs question. Based on San Antonio's 23-8 record, it's a problem the rest of the league has, as well.