3 teams who should be prepping trade offers for Giannis Antetokounmpo
2. Oklahoma City Thunder should prep trade offer for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the verge of making serious noise in the Western Conference. That starts with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a genuine top-10 NBA player who only recently turned 25 years old. His emergence will define the Thunder's timeline. Sam Presti has been remarkably patient with his rebuild, but OKC doesn't have the roster space to use all of its first-round picks over the next few years and SGA is ready to win now.
Giannis and SGA would immediately become the best duo in the NBA. It's not the most natural fit on paper — one's natural inclination is to pair Giannis with a 3-point bomber, and that's not Gilgeous-Alexander — but not unlike the Zion pairing, there's simply too much natural talent to go wrong.
The best NBA players create advantages. Few are better at it than Gilgeous-Alexander. He's unstoppable in isolation, constantly shifting speed and direction before using his Stretch Armstrong reach to finish around the rim or shoot over the top of his defender. SGA understands intuitively how to compromise his defender.
Giannis is more of a battering ram. He's too big, too strong, and too fast to stop in the paint. Once he gets a head of stream, Giannis is the most intimidating physical force in the NBA. The Thunder would do a lot of damage scoring in the paint. Meanwhile, the shooters on the roster would get a ton of clean looks from the perimeter. Both Gilgeous-Alexander and Antetokounmpo will make the extra pass.
OKC is also blessed with young talent at virtually every position. Sam Presti has 16 first-round picks between 2024 and 2030. The Thunder also boast Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, and Josh Giddey, all of whom are under 23 years old with genuine All-Star potential. Cason Wallace was a lottery pick. Lu Dort is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA. The trade chips are endless.
The Thunder can make an unbeatable offer for Giannis without stripping the roster dry. In theory, such a young team could get better around Giannis as he starts to decline, which should increase Antetokounmpo's competitve window. OKC isn't the world's flashiest market, but if Giannis is truly focused on winning, it's hard to imagine a better place.