Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes proposed two trades that involved the Oklahoma City Thunder in his latest article that lists surprising potential offseason trades for lottery teams.
The first of the two includes the Thunder trading up to first overall by sending the Orlando Magic the second and 12th pick in exchange for the first and 32nd pick.
“The Orlando Magic have the No. 1 pick and should have their sights set on Jabari Smith Jr. The sweet-shooting Auburn forward’s perimeter stroke and defensive versatility would complete one of the best young frontcourts in the league alongside Wendell Carter Jr. and Franz Wagner.
Meanwhile, Chet Holmgren’s rim protection and draft-best upside should make him the Oklahoma City Thunder’s top priority. OKC picks second, which you’d think would remove any intrigue.
Orlando should still put the squeeze on, hemming and hawing as if it isn’t sure Smith is its perfect fit. This deal hinges on the Magic bluffing and the Thunder wanting Holmgren so badly that they decide it’s not worth the stress of calling them on it.
Oklahoma City shouldn’t leave anything to chance, and its hoard of draft assets means it can easily afford to skip the staring contest with Orlando by paying a fee to move up from No. 2 to No. 1.
Thanks to the Thunder’s war chest of picks, this hypothetical trade could take several forms. Oklahoma City could offer a heavily protected future first in any of the next several drafts (and probably wouldn’t even notice it was missing), but the easiest route might be giving the Magic No. 2 and No. 12 (via the Los Angeles Clippers) and calling it a day. We’ll even throw OKC a bone with Orlando’s 2022 second-rounder, which will be No. 32.
Orlando gets the player it wanted all along, plus another asset, while the Thunder land their man as well.
Everybody wins.”
This is an intriguing trade to propose. On one hand, if the Thunder truly believe Holmgren is a franchise type of player, then parting with the 12th pick should be an easy decision. But on the other hand, this is sounding like a two-man draft between both players, so the Thunder ending up with Smith Jr. is an extremely nice consolation prize — if it can even be called that. Unless Holmgren becomes the clear best prospect, the Thunder should stick to their guns and pick whichever of the two is available.
