The Oklahoma City Thunder are among the teams competing to take the Western Conference throne from the Golden State Warriors. While the Warriors appear to be a tier above the rest of the teams in the conference, many of the teams are one or two transactions away from making the jump to a true contender. OKC managed to shore up their bench in the offseason, acquiring both Dennis Schröder and Nerlens Noel. Schröder has played well, especially since taking over the starting point guard role after Russell Westbrook‘s reported knee injury.
Despite their additions, the Thunder are missing key components that can take them to the next level. At this early portion of the season, the team ranks near the bottom of the NBA in three point attempts, field goals and percentage. As we’ve seen over the last several years, outside shooting has become paramount for success in the current NBA. The Thunder have talented players, and are a formidable opponent (especially when fully healthy), but lack of shooting could be an Achilles heel in the long run.
The Thunder could also afford to add another low-cost perimeter defender. Andre Roberson was initially supposed to ready to return to form after suffering a torn patella tendon last season, but due to a reported setback, per a team spokesperson (h/t ESPN), his return was pushed back two months. That’s at minimum, and considering Roberson is one of the best defenders in basketball, replacing him with a similar player would help.
Here are three potential trade targets the Thunder could look to acquire, early in the season.
Next Up: #1
