Despite a stellar record, the Thunder's offense falters. Discover two ideal trade targets who can unlock scoring and create opportunities before the deadline.
Oklahoma City is coming off a championship and owns a 31-7 record this season despite dealing with significant injuries. There should be minimal concern based on this factual summary. However, the Thunder’s play since its NBA Cup loss to the Spurs has been extremely underwhelming and justifiably fuels conversations about potentially making a trade.
Defense has not been the problem. Oklahoma City comfortably leads the NBA in defensive rating and also forces turnovers at the highest rate. The unit should be absolutely elite this postseason assuming health.
On the other hand, the offense is predictable, sluggish and inefficient when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is not directly involved. Adding another playmaker who can create quality shots and attack gaps off the dribble would be a boon. It doesn’t hurt to acquire an elite three-point shooter, either.
The NBA trade deadline is on Feb. 5, so Sam Presti has 14 more Thunder games to assess the roster. It’s important to note that Oklahoma City is $1,017,436 under the luxury tax according to Spotrac. If it makes a trade at the deadline and crosses this threshold, then it will face the repeater tax one year sooner in the future. This expensive consequence means Presti will very likely seek to match salary in any potential trade.
Without further ado, here are two trade targets that could help address the team’s weaknesses.
Ayo Dosunmu
The former second-round pick is averaging 14.3 points, 3.4 assists and 1.2 turnovers per game on 50/44/86 shooting splits. His efficiency probably drops a tad as the season progresses, but Dosunmu is certainly above average in this department. Over half of his two-pointers are self-created, and he ranks 16th across the NBA in unassisted rim attempts per 75 possessions (min. 500 minutes, per Basketball Index).
His defense is not great, but he’s 6-foot-5 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan and plays hard. It should not be difficult for Oklahoma City to incorporate him into the mix without losing its defensive identity.
As for other favorable factors, he is used to coming off the bench and would likely fit into the Thunder’s culture. Building a trade package is also simple. The Thunder can exchange Ousmane Dieng and either a handful of second rounders or a low quality protected first rounder for Dosunmu’s expiring $7.5 million contract while staying under the luxury tax.
Overall, acquiring Dosunmu would be a small yet impactful move at the trade deadline that could provide a much-needed boost to the offense.
Trey Murphy III
If Sam Presti wants to make a seismic move, then Trey Murphy III is the ideal target. The Pelicans wing is averaging 21.3 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.9 turnovers per game on 49/38/90 shooting splits.
Defenses are currently ignoring most of Oklahoma City’s supporting cast in order to pack the paint – this would not be viable with Murphy on the roster. He’s an elite play-finisher who would immediately open up the court upon arrival due to his deadly off-ball shooting and transition scoring.
Murphy is 6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan, so he adds size to a team that loves to play a ton of guards. His defense is also solid and perhaps may even be good next to the Thunder’s elite defenders.
In terms of trade logistics, the most logical structure is sending Luguentz Dort, Ousmane Dieng and around three to four first-round picks for Murphy. That may seem like too much, but he’s only 25 years old and signed through the 2029 season at around 16% of the salary cap. Acquiring a wing as good and young as Murphy on a team-friendly contract will not be cheap.
If Presti pulls the trigger on this trade, then Oklahoma City should be favored over the field to win the championship barring injuries.