The Oklahoma City Thunder had one of the better offseasons of any team this year. When you thought Sam Presti might be done making moves, think again. With all of the draft capital and assets at their disposal, the Thunder still popped up in a new trade rumor. According to Clutch Point’s reporter Brett Siegal, he labeled the Thunder as real suitors for Lauri Markkanen.
“There is nothing indicating that this is currently on the minds of the Thunder’s front office, but this organization as a whole always keeps their plans tight. If league personnel are discussing the possibility of Oklahoma City pursuing Markkanen ahead of becoming extension-eligible in just over two weeks, perhaps there is some truth to this narrative,” Siegel said at Clutch Points on Monday.
The Thunder trading for Lauri Markkanen would shake the whole NBA landscape. However, with what it would cost the Thunder to make this move, is it worth it for the Thunder? While it might be a perfect fit on paper, it could hurt the Thunder more than help them. Today, we will examine why the Thunder shouldn’t make this move.
Why The Thunder Trading For Lauri Markkanen is a Bad Idea
Adding Markkanen Will Make the Thunder Lose Depth
The Thunder trading for Lauri Markkanen would hurt the Thunder’s depth quite a bit. Markkanen’s cap hit is $18 million for next season which the Thunder would have to match in any trade. This means Lu Dort’s $16.5 million contract would have to be in this trade for it to work financially. To go along with that, it will also likely take other role players and multiple first-round draft picks to make the deal happen.
Losing Dort will significantly hurt their defense as he is one of their best perimeter defenders. However, the addition of Alex Caruso will help negate the loss of Dort but will still hurt them. Losing Dort and other depth players could make the Thunder unable to utilize lineups they could before. Right now with the roster they have, they can match any team. If you want to go big they can do that, if you want to go small they can do that. Anything another team throws at them, the Thunder would be able to answer that. If the Thunder do trade for Lauri Markkanen, they may not have the ability to do that.
Hindering the Development of Chet and Jalen
As well as losing depth, adding Markkanen could severely hinder the development of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. The Thunder have a great order where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the guy and Holmgren and Williams or 2A and 2B to him. With the other players being great role players alongside those three players. Adding a player like Markkanen would take away opportunities for Holmgren and Williams on the offensive side of the ball.
The potential for those three to continue to develop and grow with one another would be hindered by adding Markkanen. It wouldn’t hinder Shai that much as he will still be the main guy for the Thunder. However, it would affect Chet and Jalen much more with them losing opportunities on the offensive end that could hinder their growth. However, it is not 100 percent guaranteed that it won’t work. Holmgren, Williams, and Markkanen could find a way for it to work. Nevertheless, the Thunder shouldn’t rely on that working out and trust that the three can continue to grow and develop with each other.
Not Enough Money for Everyone
Finally, adding Lauri Markkanen will severely hurt their cap flexibility. Markkanen only has one year left on his deal and is looking for a new extension. In which he is expected to get a max contract from whatever team he plays for. So, the Thunder would have to give him a max the trouble is they will likely be giving Shai the supermax later this summer and will have to extend Holmgren and Williams soon. There isn’t enough money to have four max contract players on your team, especially in this day and age in the NBA.
That is why they only gave Isaiah Hartenstein a three-year deal, to not hinder their ability to re-sign players like Chet and Jalen when they are due. Nevertheless, Hartenstein’s contract is a hefty AAV of $28 million further adding to the complications of a Markkanen trade. The Thunder will be better served by using that money on other players like Caruso, or Cason Wallace to keep those players around. Even if they are able to sign four guys to a max contract. They will significantly hurt their depth even more and have to let guys walk.
The Last Word
With these three reasons, it just makes sense for the Thunder to not trade for Lauri Markkanen. With how perfect the addition of Markkanen to the Thunder sounds on paper it will most likely hurt them more than it will help them. The Thunder should continue to trust and develop the core players they have, and not try and ruin it by trading for Markkanen.
