The Thunder still have the kind of depth most teams would kill for, but the bench looks different now than it did during the last two seasons. Aaron Wiggins is gone after averaging 9.4 points and shooting 35.6% from three last season.
Isaiah Joe, who was probably their best pure shooter, also left after posting 11.1 points and hitting 42.3% of his threes. Luguentz Dort was technically a starter, but his departure still changes the mix, pushing Cason Wallace into a bigger role and removing another elite wing defender from the group.
Even so, Oklahoma City is hardly short on bodies. Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain, Nikola Topic, Jaylin Williams, Kenrich Williams, Thomas Sorber, Aday Mara, and rookie Bennett Stirtz are all still in the picture. The real question is whether Sam Presti wants a few more proven playoff options instead of leaning so hard on young players, especially with Jalen Williams having played only 33 games last season.
There’s no need for a blockbuster here, and I wouldn’t mess with the main bench core. But there are a few smaller moves that could address three different needs: a scoring wing, a more physical backup center, and a stretch big.
The cleanest scoring upgrade would be Saddiq Bey.
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Saddiq Bey
New Orleans Pelicans receive: Kenrich Williams, 2030 second-round pick (via Minnesota), 2031 second-round pick
Bey would give the Thunder something they lost when Wiggins and Joe left: a veteran bench scorer who can get his own looks without everything running through Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Last season, Bey averaged 17.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field and 36.7% from three in 72 games. At 6-foot-8, he can handle both forward spots, and if Jalen Williams misses time again after appearing in only 33 games last year, Bey is a much safer answer than asking a rookie to suddenly soak up 28 minutes.
For New Orleans, the appeal is straightforward if the season goes sideways again. Bey is on an expiring $6.4 million salary, and flipping him for two second-round picks plus Kenrich Williams, who is also on an expiring $5.0 million deal, gives the Pelicans real value instead of letting Bey walk for nothing.
For Oklahoma City, the price is manageable. The Thunder still have plenty of draft capital, and Bey could slide right into one of the first three spots off the bench. He would give Mark Daigneault another 6-foot-8 scorer for playoff lineups.
If the Thunder want to change the look behind Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, Goga Bitadze makes sense.
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Goga Bitadze
Jaylin Williams is a useful player, but this would be more about adding a different kind of center. Bitadze is 6-foot-11 and 250 pounds, and even in just 15.2 minutes per game last season, he put up 5.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 67.6% from the field. His per-36 numbers - around 13.6 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks - show what he can do when he gets real run.
The Magic’s frontcourt situation makes him movable if his role stays this small. Wendell Carter Jr. is at $18.1 million, Nikola Vucevic is back on the roster, and Bitadze is entering the final year of his $7.6 million deal. Jaylin Williams, though, is younger, makes $7.8 million, passes better, and shot 38.3% from three last season, so Orlando would not just be giving away a player for nothing.
For Oklahoma City, Bitadze would be a matchup answer. He does not need to play every night, but having another 250-pound body for Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, Ivica Zubac, or another massive frontcourt could matter later. The salaries line up almost perfectly, which makes this the simplest trade on the board.
The last idea is more about using guard depth to solve a different problem.
Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Noah Clowney
Brooklyn Nets receive: Nikola Topic, 2032 second-round pick
This is less about veteran help and more about turning surplus into fit. Topic is only 21, but it would be hard to carve out real minutes for him with Shai, Wallace, Mitchell, McCain, Caruso, and Stirtz all in the mix.
Clowney brings something the roster does not have enough of: a stretch big with size and versatility. The 6-foot-10 forward-center started 60 games last season and averaged 12.3 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.7 blocks.
He also took 5.9 threes per game, even while making 32.9%, so defenses have to account for him in a way they do not with a standard backup big. His size, defense, and switchability would also give the Thunder a different kind of stretch option than Jaylin Williams.
The Nets could use a move like this too. Their frontcourt already includes Julius Randle, Day’Ron Sharpe, Moritz Wagner, Joshua Jefferson, and other young forwards, while Topic would add another true young point guard to the group. Both players are making $5.4 million, so the deal works cleanly from a salary standpoint.
For Oklahoma City, Clowney could fit next to Chet, next to Hartenstein, or even as a small-ball five. That kind of flexibility is exactly why he stands out here. Topic might become the better player down the road, but the Thunder have enough guards to take that swing.
In Other News...
Thunder May Be Fixing Shai's Biggest Long-Term Concern
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has spent much of his rise as the center of Oklahoma Citys offense, but the longer-term question around his game has been less about talent than wear and tear. Heavy usage and a steady diet of isolation possessions can be a burden over time, especially for a player expected to carry a contender year after year, and the Thunder have every reason to think carefully about how they manage that load.
One encouraging sign is that the offense does not have to stay frozen around one creator. Oklahoma City can lean more on Jalen Williams and Isaiah Hartenstein to shoulder some of the self-creation and distribution, which would ease the pressure on Gilgeous-Alexander and make the attack harder to predict. If the Thunder can keep widening that support system, they may be addressing one of the biggest concerns that has hovered over their stars future. [Read more 🡒]
Ajay Mitchell Looks Ready To Break Out If One Problem Stops
Ajay Mitchells second NBA season gave the Thunder another intriguing young guard to watch, and he looked more and more comfortable as the year went on. He averaged 13.6 points, 3.6 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game, production that helped push him into fifth place in Sixth Man of the Year voting and put him squarely on the radar as a possible breakout candidate for next season.
The issue, as it often has been for Mitchell, is simply getting enough uninterrupted run to build on it. Injuries have kept trimming his momentum, and the list has included turf toe, a hip contusion and a calf strain that each slowed him at different points. For a player whose ceiling is starting to look real, the Thunders next step with Mitchell may be less about skill development than about finally letting his health hold. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder Face Real Cason Wallace Pressure As Extension Deadline Nears
Cason Wallace has put himself in a strong position with the Thunder after a breakout third season and a meaningful playoff role, which is exactly why his next contract has become such a delicate item on Oklahoma Citys docket. The sides are in extension talks ahead of the deadline for players from the 2023 draft class, and the front office is trying to fit Wallace into a payroll picture that already includes several major commitments.
The challenge is finding a number that reflects how far Wallace has come without forcing the Thunder to distort their long-term team-building plans. No agreement is in place yet, and if the two sides do not land one before the deadline, Wallace would be on track to keep moving toward restricted free agency in 2027, leaving this as one of the more consequential decisions hanging over the franchises next few days. [Read more 🡒]