The Oklahoma City Thunder have built a complete roster of young, well-rounded talent who currently have the team sitting first in the Western Conference. With the franchise’s eye on a championship, it may be tempting for OKC to fish through the trade market to see if there are any other improvements they can make before the trade deadline. However, Kevin Garnett believes the 31-6 Thunder need to stick with what they have.
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The co-hosts were informed that Oklahoma City boasts the best defense and net rating in the NBA over the last 15 games and that the team possesses a 19-2 record with Isaiah Hartenstein in the lineup. When a mention of the February 6 trade deadline came up, KG quickly jumped in, saying “Don’t touch it.” The Big Ticket was adamant that the Thunder keep their core together, and it’s perfectly reasonable considering the team’s immense regular-season success over the past two years.
The Thunder have had their hat in the ring as arguably the league’s best team all season. Their starting lineup is perfectly balanced and built for destruction on both sides of the ball, while the team’s bench provides several cost-effective talents. Until the team’s close 129-122 defeat at the hands of the 33-4 Cleveland Cavaliers, the Thunder were on a scorching 15-game winning streak.
When discussing a possible pivot the team could make, Paul Pierce threw out the idea of OKC sending the injured Chet Holmgren and five first-round picks to the Milwaukee Bucks for Giannis Antetokounmpo.
The 2008 NBA Champion explained how Milwaukee’s core is aging and the team could decide on a rebuild, with his proposed trade kicking it off nicely. KG smiled at the pipe dream trade proposal but still insisted that the Thunder keep their current squad together.
The Thunder have been connected to trade candidates before
Even though Garnett doesn’t think Oklahoma City needs to make a move, that doesn’t mean the team won’t look around and see if there’s a way to strengthen their roster. The franchise’s Gordon Hayward experiment failed miserably last season, but that doesn’t mean the young Thunder should shy away from taking another swing at a veteran acquisition.
The team was reportedly in talks to acquire Cam Johnson from the Brooklyn Nets, but the buzz has notably died down as the Thunder would struggle to add Johnson’s salary without parting ways with a key piece that has a salary to match. If Oklahoma City does make a move, it will likely be a small addition to refine the edges of what is already a supremely built roster. The Thunder’s plans should become clearer as the trade deadline approaches.
