How This Trade Impacts Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder would have to do a lot of vetting before agreeing to this deal. Chief among them would be figuring out how legitimate the rumors of Kyrie Irving retiring should the Brooklyn Nets trade him.
If there is truth to that, there is no way Sam Presti agrees to this trade, especially with draft picks being traded away. Should Irving decide that he is not retiring, the Thunder would then have to feel out the potential of staying long-term.
Irving has a lot of power in this situation should he be traded. He has a player option for next season. If he is traded somewhere he doesn’t want to be, he can simply decline the option and select his new team in free agency again.
It is hard to imagine him buying into the idea of joining the Thunder. However, Oklahoma City has managed to get much closer to the NBA play-in tournament so far than contend for a top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Oklahoma City does not have the same mandate in place that New York City has, so Irving would be eligible to play right away.
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The package they are sending to Brooklyn isn’t steep. Luguentz Dort and Kenrich Williams aren’t close to the level of player that Irving is. He would be a big upgrade talent-wise, giving the Thunder one of the best backcourt duos with him and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The first-round picks wouldn’t even put a dent in the war chest that Oklahoma City has stockpiled. If they can get assurances from Irving that he would play, the Oklahoma City Thunder might be willing to swing a deal and start putting themselves back on the map.
