Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- A bold three-team trade proposal could reshape the Oklahoma City Thunder's approach to defending Victor Wembanyama next season.
- The hypothetical deal would address Boston's frontcourt needs while giving Toronto valuable shooting and draft assets.
- The Thunder's front office faces a pivotal decision about balancing financial flexibility with the urgency of a potential championship window.
The Oklahoma City Thunder fell short in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. In reality, Sam Presti should not (and will not) panic. OKC was missing its second- and fourth-best players. Chet Holmgren went M.I.A. on Saturday night in very uncharacteristic fashion, but that was a direct result of facing Victor Wembanyama, who is a unique beast. That's a problem every team will be struggling to solve for the next decade.
Presti has mapped out the next several years of Thunder basketball and he won't let a single, narrow loss in the conference finals — again, at well below full strength — compromise those plans. But, if there's a way to free up the cap sheet a bit and perhaps take a different approach to tackling the Wembanyama problem next season, who's to say he wouldn't listen? Let's have some fun...
3-team trade sends Chet Holmgren to Celtics, Derrick White to Thunder
Realistically, does this happen? Probably not. But OKC has the assets to will just about any player into existence if Sam Presti is motivated enough. Boston addresses its frontcourt problem, the Raptors add shooting (and picks), and the Thunder attempt to balance on the financial high wire while planning for an eventual rematch with San Antonio.
What OKC gets out of this trade
Thunder receive: Derrick White, Collin Murray-Boyles, Baylor Scheierman, 2028 first-round pick (via SAS), 2032 first-round pick (via BOS)
Thunder give up: Chet Holmgren, two 2026 first-round picks (12, 17)
Dylan Harper has put up numbers on this Spurs run that we haven't seen from a rookie since Magic Johnson. That has somewhat overshadowed the improbably excellent performance Collin Murray-Boyles put up in Toronto's first-round loss to Cleveland.
CMB averaged 14.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.1 blocks in 27.3 minutes, shooting 65.6 percent from the field. Murray-Boyles was FanSided's No. 3 prospect in the 2025 draft; he didn't put up the guady numbers of Kon Knueppel or VJ Edgecombe, but Murray-Boyles is a remarkably adaptable and forceful defender, with uncommon footwork, touch and vision attacking the rim offensively.
Chet Holmgren finished second in DPOY voting this season. He has anchored the NBA's best defense for a couple years running now. The Thunder needn't abandon ship on Chet or the idea of Chet as a championship-caliber No. 3 in their lineup. Last season serves as proof.
However, if the Thunder are worried about the damage to Chet's psyche from this series — or the burden of his $41.5 million annual max contract — this trade allows them to install a new defensive workhorse and complementary scorer on a super-cheap rookie deal. CMB has the low center of gravity, brute force and preternatural anticipation skills to actually give Wemby problems.
Derrick White is more than salary filler, of course. He's such an obvious Thunder guy on the surface. If OKC can work out another trade or two further clear up the books (Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins all feel like potential casualties here), it won't be hard to find minutes for White. He fits into the Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace vein, but OKC can't have enough of those guys. And White is probably the best of the bunch. He has the positional size, length and skill flexibility to fit into practically any lineup configuration.
Baylor Scheierman is more than a toss-in, too. He's a deadeye movement shooter with legitimate size on the wing. OKC can successfully hide Scheierman on defense while benefitting from his stretchy gravitational pull off-ball. We saw what Jared McCain's shooting did to open up OKC's offense down the stretch.
What Boston gets out of this trade
Celtics receive: Chet Holmgren
Celtics give up: Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Baylor Scheierman, 2026 first-round pick (27), 2028 first-round pick (via SAS), 2032 first-round pick
Boston has clear and present needs in the frontcourt. Chet Holmgren just made All-NBA third team and All-Defense first team in his third NBA season. He's now due $239.3 million over the next five years, which is a lot. But Holmgren earned it. Let's not retroactively say he didn't earn it based on a single disasterclass performance in Game 7.
Postseason performances carry a special and specific weight, and as a longtime student of the Ben Simmons 76ers, I am aware that Holmgren's brand national-stage embarrassment can reverberate for a long, long time. But Holmgren is 24 years old. He's a top-five defender on the planet and he's 7-foot-1, shooting 36 percent from deep. He is not only worth the money. He can dramatically transform a team's ceiling.
The Celtics would love to transform their ceiling after a disappointing first round exit. Holmgren can serve as their Kristaps Porzingis replacement, with more youthful legs and an even more smothering presence on the defensive end. The Celtics can toggle Holmgren between the four and the five, hoping to feed him open 3s and easy lobs off of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown drives.
The Celtics give up meaningful shooting (Hauser, Scheierman) and creation (White) in this trade, but Brad Stevens has proven that he's adept at filling gaps on a budget. Payton Pritchard can step into a more sizable role in the backcourt. Holmgren, Tatum and Brown becomes the best trio in the East by a comfortable margin when everyone is healthy.
What Toronto gets out of this trade
Raptors receive: Sam Hauser, three 2026 first-round picks (12, 17, 27)
Raptors give up: Collin Murray-Boyles
Realistically, this is probably where this trade falls apart. Boston would happily "buy low" on Holmgren and get off of White as he ages into his mid-30s. OKC will balk at any Holmgren offer initially, but CMB, White and Scheierman is compelling enough to at least keep Presti on the line.
Is Toronto really going to trade CMB, their second-best player in that Cavs series as a rookie? It would take a lot. There's no pressure on the Raptors to give up on a recent top-10 pick whom the front office has expressed every confidence in.
The Raptors need shooters, though. Hauser is up there with the best wing shooters in basketball, hitting 39.3 percent of his 6.5 attempts per game last season. Hauser stays in constant motion, booking it around screens, floating into open space, and burning lax defense with a super quick trigger. Toronto would benefit a ton from Hauser's very niche, but very fine-tuned skill set. He's also a better defender than he gets credit for.
If a starting-caliber wing and three first-round picks in a loaded class — including two top-20 picks — isn't enough to get Toronto to relinquish CMB, maybe nothing is.
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