Fatal flaw Thunder must fix at 2025 NBA trade deadline

01/14/2025 12:20 AM

The Oklahoma City Thunder have arrived, as if that wasn’t obvious enough already. They are arguably the favorite to win the Larry O’Brien trophy this season, and for good reason; they have a ton of playoff-ready players in the rotation, and their best player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, has only been hardened by their playoff exit to the Dallas Mavericks last season. Most importantly, their defense ranks the best in the association, and by a healthy margin. And as the old adage goes, defense wins championships.

But if there was ever a franchise that knows now to take championship windows for granted, it’s the Thunder. They of all teams would know what it feels like to fumble a great team that was on the precipice of getting over the hump. And considering the current CBA landscape, it’s not too often that an opportunity to put together as stacked of a roster as one can comes around.

Nonetheless, there is something to be said for maintaining roster harmony; everyone on the Thunder roster like one another, and they have been on a roll, losing only one (or two, if one would count their loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Final of the 2024 NBA Cup) game since the third of December.

This Thunder roster has no fatal flaws; Sam Presti can take pride in the fact that he’s built a roster that’s as close to complete as there is. But it’s fair to wonder if there’s something they can to do up their championship odds even further without it coming at the cost of anything that would change the fabric of how the team is constructed.

Should the Thunder rest on their laurels or not?

As the old adage goes, if something isn’t broken, then why bother doing anything to fix it. There is nothing broken about the Thunder roster. Despite not having the best record in the association (although they’re not too far behind the 33-5 Cleveland Cavaliers with a 32-6 record of their own), they have the league’s best net rating at +12.7 — showing that they’re the most dominant team in the NBA in terms of margin of victory.

The Thunder also have one of the best offenses in the league, as they rank sixth in the NBA in offensive rating, which is more than good enough to carry their historically-great defense to a near 70-win pace. And across all positions, they have more than enough depth.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may draw all the headlines, but he has the ideal supporting cast; he has a top-tier shot creator on the wing in Jalen Williams, who is no slouch on the defensive end. The Thunder can then boast an incredible defensive trio on the wing in Luguentz Dort, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace — three players who can clamp up even the best scorers in the association. And then they addressed their biggest weakness over the offseason (rebounding) by adding Isaiah Hartenstein, who’s only lost three games (including the NBA Cup Final) since returning from injury.

Opposing teams are already quaking in their boots just imagining how elite of a defense the Thunder will be boasting on a nightly basis when Caruso and Chet Holmgren put their injury problems in the rearview mirror. One factor that can define a championship-winning team is its ability to shapeshift, and OKC can definitely match up well with any team.

But one would have to wonder just how much room there is left for improvement for this excellent Thunder team. Perhaps they could use another 3-and-D player that they can rely on in crucial moments; Caruso will be dared to shoot when it matters the most — will he make enough shots to make defenses pay? Will the likes of Aaron Wiggins and Wallace come up with huge buckets? Can Isaiah Joe survive on defense to warrant heavy minutes as the designated sniper in the rotation of a championship team?

All signs point to the answers to those questions being yes. But the Thunder could very well have one insurance move to make to boost their title odds.

Will OKC pull off a Cam Johnson trade?

Cam Johnson continues to be one of the most appealing trade targets for contending teams. Johnson may have some injury concerns attached to him, but he is playing the best basketball of his career, and as a featured option for the lowly Brooklyn Nets, no less. He’s currently averaging 19.5 points per game on an elite true shooting percentage of 67 percent thanks to his excellent 43 percent marksmanship from deep.

Johnson’s 6’8″ size will not make him a target for opposing teams on pick and rolls, making him quite the add for the Thunder should they pursue this route. But will Sam Presti pull the trigger on a deal that will cost them Aaron Wiggins at minimum, in addition to whatever picks the Nets ask from them?

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