The Oklahoma City Thunder have the biggest collection of draft capital in NBA history. Let that sink in. Not one of the most impressive collections of all time. The Thunder have the most picks a team has ever assembled. It isn’t even close.
Frankly, we’re not sure what they’ll do with them all. Oklahoma City could never use every pick that they’ve got at their disposal to simply draft players.
It would get too financially complicated. The Thunder would have too much talent to carve out a reasonable rotation. At some point, this team is going to have to consolidate all of that draft capital. Could they start by acquiring DeMar DeRozan from the Chicago Bulls this summer?
The Trade Proposal
Chicago Bulls Receive: F Davis Bertans, G/F Victor Oladipo, 2024 First-Round Pick (Top-4 Protected – HOU via OKC), 2025 First-Round Pick (PHI via OKC)
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: G/F DeMar DeRozan
With that said, a team could have all of the draft capital in the world. If they don’t have their own picks, they can run into problems.
Luckily, the Thunder don’t have that concern. They control their own draft as well as owning picks from teams all over the NBA. One last time for the people in the back: this is the most impressive collection of draft capital in NBA history.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMOR: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
On the other hand, the Chicago Bulls know how it feels to surrender a good drat pick to someone else. This summer, they handed the Orlando Magic the 11th overall pick. That was a consequence of their trade to acquire Nikola Vucevic. Obviously, that didn’t work out – the Bulls handed the Magic the 11th overall pick. Is it time for them to start retooling?
Why The Chicago Bulls Do The Deal
Well, that’s the question the Bulls are facing this summer. Recently, some reports have suggested that they’re considering keeping their current core. In the wake of a disappointing 2022-23 season, that’s surprising. What’s the ceiling for this group?
Somehow, we don’t think it’s very high. DeRozan is aging, and so is Vucevic. What’s the end game here? Why would the Bulls fare better in 2023-24? Logic dictates that this team needs to make some changes.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMOR: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
This would be quite the change. In all likelihood, DeRozan will net the Bulls a single first-rounder in most scenarios. Here they’re getting two because they’re taking on a bad contract, and not getting much value from the incoming players. If the Thunder are interested enough to make this offer, the Bulls have to take it. Should the Thunder make this offer?
Why The Oklahoma City Thunder Do The Deal
Some Thunder fans may question our wisdom here. If this team has a pressing issue, it’s floor spacing. How does DeRozan help?
He doesn’t. Instead, the Thunder are doubling down on their strengths. DeRozan is a positionally versatile player and a plus playmaker. That seems to be the Thunder’s type. He’d fit right into this team’s philosophy.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMOR: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls & Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
More broadly, he’s a very good player. The Thunder were competitive in 2022-23. This team may be ready to take a step forward. If so, they should be willing to spare some picks for DeRozan – after all, they’ve got quite the collection of them.
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