The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to tie up the NBA Finals on Friday, as the team is down 2-1 to the Indiana Pacers after suffering a frustrating loss in Game 3 on Wednesday.
The Thunder boast one of the best rosters in basketball, and their core, led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-NBA forward Jalen Williams, and ascending center Chet Holmgren, will be a force to reckon with for years to come.
Though Oklahoma City is in a fantastic position to compete for championships for years to come, the franchise could take its roster to the next level and try to pull off a blockbuster trade for another star. The Thunder have a ton of future draft capital to work with and a few young players with trade value.
Fadeaway World’s Siddhant Gupta proposes a trade that would send Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown to Oklahoma City.
Gupta’s proposed trade package has the Thunder sending forwards Aaron Wiggins and Kenrich Williams, guards Isaiah Joe and Nikola Topic, and three first-round picks to the Celtics for Brown.
Paired with Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams in the backcourt, the Thunder would potentially create a matchup nightmare with this three-guard rotation. With Chet Holmgren gradually developing into a star-caliber big man as well, OKC would have an immensely potent lineup capable of blitzing an opposing team.
Brown’s presence on the perimeter, with Williams, and bench players like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso, would see the Thunder’s defensive rating skyrocket.
Boston may have to trade some of their core this offseason to get under the luxury tax and save some money. Though Brown is an essential part of their team, the 2024 Finals MVP is on a massive contract that the Celtics could look to move on from.
Oklahoma City would be an intriguing landing spot for Brown. The 28-year-old would slide in as the starting small forward for Mark Daigneault’s squad and provide exceptional play on both ends of the court. Brown has averaged over 20 points per game in each of the last six seasons.
Trading for the Celtic star would cost the Thunder a lot of draft capital and valuable rotational pieces, but it would be well worth it, as Brown is the third star Oklahoma City needs to become a consistent juggernaut. However, it’s still hard to envision a world where the four-time All-Star isn’t in Boston next year, though the franchise could be in for a down year due to Jayson Tatum’s injury.
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