The NBA trade deadline is less than a week away, which means the Oklahoma City Thunder will enter the anticipated day as buyers for the first time in several.
The Thunder (34-15) are in striking distance for the first seed and will participate in the playoffs for the first time since 2020. While OKC likely won’t make a massive change, it can upgrade its depth.
The biggest area of weakness for the Thunder is their rebounding. OKC is one of the worst rebounding teams in the league — ranking 28th in rebounding rate and 26th in rebounds per game.
Not rostering a traditional backup center likely plays a role in this, which means a backup big could be the type of player the Thunder could target.
According to The Athletic’s NBA insider Shams Charania, he backs up this theory in a recent podcast appearance.
“I think everyone thinks the Thunder are in the market to use all their draft picks to go get a high-name, high-end player. I don’t think the Thunder’s trade deadline priority is getting a top-tier player,” Charania told Kenny Beecham on The Kenny Beecham Podcast. “I think they want to see this core…They are deep, now the one thing they could use is size. I have heard that they are a team that will at least look into veteran big-man play. Now, who that is? We will see.”
This shouldn’t be a massive shocker. Under Thunder general manager Sam Presti, OKC has historically added help to its contending rosters. This season fits under that. A backup big could provide both the experience and size that the Thunder desperately need.
