Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: John Wall, 2023 First-Round Pick (HOU), 2024 First-Round Pick (BKN), 2026 First-Round Pick (BKN)
Houston Rockets Receive: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, C Derrick Favors
The other trades in this article are based on rumors. This scenario is more of a flight of fantasy. There may still be some logic in it.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are moving on from SGA here for two reasons. The first is the emergence of Josh Giddey. Armed with two plus-sized ball-handlers, they may feel the Canadian sensation is expendable. Secondly, they may wish to prologue their remarkable tank job. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be forgiven if he’s grown tired of that team-building strategy.
In that event, the Thunder flip their star player for a bad contract and a ton of draft capital. That 2023 pick is especially valuable: given the state of the Houston Rockets, who knows where it might land.
Meanwhile, the 2023 draft looks loaded with talent. Rest assured that Sam Presti has already revised his big board more than once: he’d love more than one crack at the lottery.
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In fact, the class is so stacked that the Houston Rockets may refuse to part with their selection. At the same time, they may jump to land a star like SGA. Rather than trying to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder at their own tank-and-draft game, the Rockets may look to jump-start their rebuild.
They are in a bigger market: a 35-win season built around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander alongside Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr. and Alperen Sengun could attract free agents and disgruntled stars with lists of preferred trade destinations alike.
Both of these teams are built for the future. If this trade were to happen, it could change the course of each club’s dramatically with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander teaming up with Jalen Green.
