The Oklahoma City Thunder have their treasure trove of young talent to thank for what looks like a set up for years of major success. Like any rebuild, the franchise revolved its blueprint around stacking youth and accelerating their development.
Without going into the numbers or great detail, it is quite easy to conclude that the Thunder have done an applaudable job of organically assembling a star-studded roster.
While teams scramble to adopt the same blueprint, they could have their eyes set on two names they would pursue if trade talks were to emerge. Are the Thunder in the dealing business? And if they are, what could they extract in exchange?
The most valuable of the Bricktown boys
When it comes to winning basketball games, Oklahoma City has a long list of players who helped them snatch 57 wins and the top seed in the Western Conference a season ago. But when it comes to trades, while the team hasn’t publicly demonstrated interest in getting involved with potential buyers, we can’t help but think about the return it could get for its top assets.
So, who are the Thunder’s most valuable assets in a potential trade? According to Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz, OKC has three “untouchable” players, and while the rest of the roster may be on the table, two names may especially interest other teams.
Swartz’ untouchable players are; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren. Not surprising, given that this is Oklahoma City’s star trio and the engine that will push this franchise back to glory. All are 26 or younger and trading any of these three would yield a powerful return multiple championships. But Swartz identifies these players as OKC's flashiest trade assets: Cason Wallace and Lu Dort.
“Wallace, 20, is already one of the better on-ball defenders in the NBA and made 41.9 percent of his threes as a rookie,” writes Swartz. “His raw stats won't wow anyone on a loaded Thunder team, but Wallace simply impacts winning. Dort is a bulldog of a wing who's worked himself into becoming a valuable two-way starter. He's under a great contract (three-year, $51.9 million) and shot a career-high 39.4 percent from three last season.”
Coupling their youth and immense upside, it isn’t difficult to see why these two are players a team would offer a significant package for. Dort, 25, is one of the NBA’s rapidly improving outside shooters and shot a career-high 39.4% from the perimeter in 2023.
Wallace, meanwhile, is only 20 years old, which could give him a larger price tag. As a rookie last season, he displayed his unique ability in virtually every area on the court. From his 41.9% shooting from the 3-point line to making his presence felt in the postseason, where he held Kyrie Irving — a former NBA champion and one of the game’s elite point guards — to just 8-of-23 shooting overall and 2-of-6 from the perimeter. Talent like that doesn’t grow on trees and is rarely seen in a rookie in postseason games.
That said, it is unlikely these two defensive aces will be traded, especially as the Thunder begin contending for championships. On top of their screaming potential, they have seemingly found a reliable niche on the court.
Related: Which players are the Thunder’s most desirable trade assets?
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