Reunite elite defenders and sharpshooters. Imagine Ibaka anchoring the paint with Holmgren, or Grant adding dynamic scoring.
Oklahoma City won 68 games and its first championship last season, and the team is off to a 35-7 start this season. There are a few weaknesses here and there that could be addressed at the trade deadline, but do not expect Sam Presti to rock the boat.
With that being said, which former Thunder role players would be perfect additions to the current roster? Any players that made an All-Star team in their respective careers were excluded from the exercise.
Serge Ibaka: He was an extremely athletic 6-foot-11 power forward who made the All-Defensive First Team from 2012 to 2014. Ibaka averaged 3.1 blocks per game during this stretch, but he was far more than a shot-blocker. The former 24th overall pick crashed the glass, scored inside the paint and developed a dangerous three-point shot once the Warriors fundamentally changed the game.
Overall, Ibaka was ahead of his time and would be a perfect stretch-big in today’s NBA. His pairing with Chet Holmgren is especially fascinating to imagine. Both of them are versatile, dominant defenders and capable of fluctuating between power forward and center.
Jerami Grant: The 2019 version of Grant is ideal. He averaged 13.6 points per game for the Thunder and shot 39.2% from beyond the arc on 3.7 attempts per game. Grant was also a quality, switchable defender, and he played his role well.
Although Grant was not close to Ibaka from a defensive perspective, he would still be a valuable two-way power forward with a bit more scoring juice.
Steven Adams: Big Kiwi’s play from 2018 and 2019 was his peak as an all-around player. He had a quality jump-hook, bullied opponents on the glass and occasionally facilitated possessions as a passer. Adams remains the strongest player and best offensive rebounder in the NBA today, but his individual scoring talent has declined.
Oklahoma City’s current roster has enough size and length when healthy, but Adams is another animal. He would give the Thunder another option to throw at the likes of Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama.
Dennis Schröder: The veteran finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting in 2020 and arguably should have won the award. During this season, he averaged 18.9 points and four assists per game while shooting just above league average in effective field goal percentage and true shooting percentage. The three guards lineups with Schröder, Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander were especially fun.
Schröder would be another ball handler and creator off the bench for the 2026 Thunder, which has been a weakness from time to time.
Danilo Gallinari: During his lone season with Oklahoma City in 2020, Gallinari produced 18.7 points per game and shot 40.5% from deep on 7.1 attempts per game. His poor defense would significantly reduce his role for the current roster, but Gallinari’s spacing and off-ball shooting complement the Thunder’s rim pressure.