Why The Oklahoma City Thunder Do The Deal 

This deal may not be met with open arms in Oklahoma City. Some fans will be outraged. Gilgeous-Alexander is their best player, and he’s only 24. What are the Thunder doing here? 

Tanking. Isn’t that what the Thunder have been doing for some time? 

In all likelihood, they won’t make this move if Gilgeous-Alexander is patient. If the organization has the impression that he’s committed to their long-term vision, they’ll likely prefer to hold onto him. At the same time, it’s hard to imagine that SGA is content to continue sitting for long stretches whenever the Thunder are at risk of making the play-in tournament. 

If so, this deal allows them to continue on their preferred course. We don’t mean to malign tanking here – we understand that for the Thunder, the goal is to eventually build a championship contender.

LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder & Indiana Pacers Updates

Here, they maximize their odds of landing a franchise player in a loaded 2023 draft instead of hanging onto a player who, while immensely talented, is unlikely to ever crack the league’s top 5. 

Why shouldn’t the Pacers choose the same route?