1 trade Thunder must make to fix biggest flaw seen in NBA Cup loss to Bucks
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While the Oklahoma City Thunder (20-5) remain atop the Western Conference, could their 97-81 NBA Cup final loss to the Milwaukee Bucks signal a potential trade down the road? Amid All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams’ offensive struggles, the Thunder’s offense went ice-cold against the Bucks. Could trading for another scorer be the final piece to Oklahoma City’s championship-building roster?
For Thunder GM Sam Presti, it’s worth watching between now and the NBA trade deadline. Suppose teams such as the Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, and Washington Wizards continue to plummet toward the bottom of their respective conferences. Will Cam Johnson, Anfernee Simons, and Kyle Kuzma be available? All three are intriguing options as secondary scorers to Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams’ leading offensive production.
It could prevent the Thunder from repeating their season-low 81-point game against the Bucks this season while strengthening the team’s depth ahead of Chet Holmgren’s return in 2025.
Is Cam Johnson an ideal trade target for the Thunder?
Amid the best season of his six-year career, Brooklyn Nets’ Cameron Johnson makes a lot of sense for the Thunder’s style of play. He’s a 3-and-D wing shooting 43.3% from deep while averaging a career-best 18.6 points a game on 48.4% shooting. Johnson’s deal is signed through 2026-27. However, matching his $22.5 million contract won’t be easy for the Thunder, per Spotrac.
With plenty of draft capital to sweeten a packaged deal, Presti could attach one or two future first-round picks with Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins to land Johnson. Or a packaged deal centered around Joe or Wiggins combined with two additional players, such as Cason Wallace, Kenrich Williams, or Ousmane Dieng, to match salaries. However, any deal involving Joe or Wiggins must wait until January 14 due to their contract extension restrictions.
Washington Wizards’ Kyle Kuzma rakes in the same salary as Johnson’s $22.5 million. The same trade package would be enough to swing a deal. However, Johnson is the better option for Oklahoma City. He offers more upside on defense and would adapt naturally to the Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault’s offense with his outside touch.
As intriguing of an option as Trail Blazers’ Anfernee Simons is for the Thunder, it’s difficult to envision the Trail Blazers giving up on their franchise pillar in only their second campaign in the post-Damian Lillard era. Also, his $25.8 million salary is likely too steep for the Thunder’s best offer without sacrificing one of their core players.
With a roster talented enough to compete for an NBA title this season, giving up too much could sabotage the Thunder’s continuity. At the same time, one significant tweak could secure their seat in the 2025 NBA Finals.
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