Facing a staggering luxury tax bill, Oklahoma City could package Aaron Wiggins with draft capital to climb the board, slash expenses, and secure a valuable trade exception.
The Thunder have a full roster under contract for next season and own the 12th, 17th and 37th overall picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. They are currently $48.3 million over the luxury tax threshold and project to receive a monstrous luxury tax bill of $208.2 million. Something has to give.
Declining Luguentz Dort’s team option is a possible outcome for the Thunder, but the front office could also create roster space and save money by salary dumping Aaron Wiggins. The former second-round pick fell out of the rotation this season and will likely struggle to change this reality given Oklahoma City’s depth. He does not play a position of need, either. Therefore, it may be time for both sides to part ways after a fruitful five seasons together.
The best Wiggins trade framework is attaching his contract to one of the Thunder’s first-round picks in order to move up slightly in the draft. For example, Oklahoma City could package Wiggins and 17th overall for 15th overall via Chicago. These teams have history from the Josh Giddey and Alex Caruso swap, and it’s a win-win-win trade.
The Bulls land a bench scorer on a quality long-term contract who may blossom in a new environment. Wiggins fits well next to Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis and potentially Caleb Wilson because of his outside shooting and transition scoring. Moving down two spots only makes their selection marginally worse, so it’s worth the cost.
The Thunder open up a roster spot and improve their draft positioning. It could be the difference between getting their guy and missing out. As for the financial benefits, Wiggins has a total of $25.3 million remaining on his contract over the next three seasons compared to about $16.1 million during the same span for the 15th overall pick. Although cutting approximately $3 million per year does not seem like much, it’s actually a worthwhile amount because of the multipliers on dollars that are well over the luxury tax threshold. This gap could save Oklahoma City about $10-15 million per year in luxury tax payments. Plus, it creates an $8.8 million trade exception that expires exactly one year after the transaction. This allows the Thunder to acquire a player via trade without sending anyone back if the player’s salary does not exceed $8.8 million. It’s yet another tool for Sam Presti.
Wiggins also goes to an up-and-coming team in the East that has a former teammate (Giddey) and plenty of meaningful minutes to offer. He can begin a new chapter and potentially earn a starting role and a sizable contract down the road.
Overall, the concept of packaging Wiggins with draft capital to move up in the 2026 Draft is the most logical trade framework for him. Oklahoma City can attach Wiggins to the 12th and/or 17th overall pick and add future picks, too. Presti has plenty of options to explore.
