If you’re an NBA fan, there’s a good chance you’re jealous of the Oklahoma City Thunder. If you’re a Thunder fan, you are feeling good. Your team is currently fourth in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, that’s not even the best part of the Thunder’s situation. The Thunder control the league’s trade market. They don’t just have a good collection of future first-round picks.
They’ve got the most draft capital that an NBA team has ever had. If the Thunder want a star, they can get him. Should they want a star? That’s a little bit subjective.
The Thunder could justify simply hanging onto their assets and letting their young core grow. With that said, if they preferred to make a major move, they could really make a leap in the standings.
Could they acquire Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz?
NBA Trade Proposal
Utah Jazz Receive: F Davis Bertans, 2024 First-Round Pick (LAC via OKC), 2025 First-Round Pick (Top 6 Protected – PHI via OKC), 2026 First-Round Pick (Top 4 Protected – HOU via OKC)
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: F Lauri Markkanen
In some respects, the Jazz are in a similar situation. They have a solid slice of the league’s draft capita; pie in their own right. They could trade for a star if they wanted to. Yet, there are significant differences between these teams as well.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander represents the most significant difference. The Thunder have got an unqualified franchise player. Gilgeous-Alexander is likely to factor into the MVP race for years to come. Do the Jazz have their franchise player?
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lauri Markkanenm, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Well, if they do, it’s Lauri Markkanen. Yet, it doesn’t feel like Markkanen is the type of player who will lead a team to an NBA title. On the other hand, he could make for an elite secondary offensive option.
Should the Thunder acquire him to fill that role?
Why The Oklahoma City Thunder Do The Deal
The Thunder are going to have to make a trade eventually. If they used every first-round pick that they have in their future, they would clear the luxury tax several times over. This team will have to consolidate. It’s simply a matter of when they should do that, and who they should consolidate for.
It doesn’t have to be an MVP candidate. The Thunder already have one of those. Instead, they should be looking for their second offensive option.
Ideally, that will be a player who can space the floor and create his own shot. If he’s got plus positional size, that would help as well – that’s something that the Thunder seem to covet.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lauri Markkanenm, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
In other words, Markkanen is a perfect target. By making this deal, the Thunder could take a leap toward true title contention. That’s worth the cost of three first-round picks.
Should the Jazz really move Markkanen for draft capital?
Why The Utah Jazz Do The Deal
The Jazz may not want to rush into this deal. Instead, they may want to see if they can turn their season around. Still, if they can’t, they’ve got to entertain some difficult truths. This team isn’t built for the present – it’s built for the future.
After all, the Jazz have an impressive collection of draft capital. They’ve got some solid young talent, too. In all likelihood, the best thing that they could do is tank for a couple of years, draft their franchise player, and then begin trading draft picks like we’ve got the Thunder doing.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Lauri Markkanenm, Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder Updates
Three picks feels like a good return for Markannen. Granted, two of these picks are protected, but they’re both highly likely to convey. The Jazz would do well to add them to their collection – they’d be seizing a lot of control over the NBA’s trade market.
