The Oklahoma City Thunder have to make a move this summer to build on their sensational run to the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The youngest team in the NBA couldn’t compete in the Playoffs against a team led by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but it seems nobody in the West could. The Thunder have a phenomenal core, and they have to add some win-now pieces to it this summer instead of continuing to wait.

If there’s any star-level player who becomes available over the summer, the Thunder are inevitably going to be linked to them. There were already rumors floating about OKC possibly looking to bring Kevin Durant back to the team, or their exhaustive search for more guard options around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. There are a lot of top-tier names available on the market they could go after, such as Dejounte Murray, Darius Garland, or Trae Young.

Hitting on your ideal trade targets isn’t always going to happen, so the Thunder should prepare a list of other elite options who can add the final pieces OKC needs to be a legitimate contender instead of a young overachiever.

Trade Details

OKC Thunder Receive: Collin Sexton

Utah Jazz Receive: Josh Giddey, 2025 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2027 First-Round Pick (DEN)

We already listed the top guard names available on the market, but not all of those names would fit the Thunder with the presence of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Josh Giddey’s time with the franchise looks to be up while Cason Wallace showed in the series against the Mavericks that he needs a little bit more time before he can be a reliable contributor in the biggest moments. The Thunder need guard help and adding someone like Collin Sexton could be perfect.

Sexton averaged 18.7 points and 4.9 assists on the Jazz this season, quietly improving his stock after a rough ending with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sexton shouldn’t cost nearly as much as the star-level players and could be a perfect scoring complement to Shai in the backcourt. Sexton won’t need the ball in his hand at all times to be effective, something that can’t be said about other players available on the market.

The two first-round picks they’re including aren’t packed with value, with a top-five protected Nuggets pick with Nikola Jokic under a long-term contract and a pick bound to be in the late-20s next season. Giddey should convince the Jazz to accept the deal as a 21-year-old, who the Jazz could extract value. Those picks will further bolster Danny Ainge’s rapidly expanding treasure chest of draft assets.

Mikal Bridges

Trade Details

OKC Thunder Receive: Mikal Bridges

Brooklyn Nets Receive: Josh Giddey, Isaiah Joe, Kenrich Williams, 2025 First-Round Pick (OKC), 2025 First-Round Pick (MIA), 2027 First-Round Pick (LAC)

The Brooklyn Nets have no realistic path to improving their roster unless they start trading the valuable players on their roster. The franchise slumped to a 32-win season this year and conveyed their Draft pick to the Houston Rockets. Without a first-round selection coming into Brooklyn, the team is in desperate need of young assets to revitalize their team. The 28-year-old Mikal Bridges shouldn’t have to see his value plummet being played as a No. 1 option on a tanking roster, so the Thunder could save them from disaster.

The Thunder have a catalog of young players the Nets could extract value from, with Giddey being the most attractive as a versatile 21-year-old playmaker. While his scoring will have major question marks around it, he is still a developing player and could thrive in a backcourt with a natural scoring talent like Cam Thomas. Players like Isaiah Joe in this deal would add more offensive firepower to Brooklyn, who were the 23rd-ranked offense this season.