The Oklahoma City Thunder have picked up where they left off last year, opening the new season 4-0 as they look to defend their title.
They’ve also done it without a full roster. Jalen Williams is still recovering from offseason wrist surgery, while Isaiah Joe, Nikola Topic and Kenrich Williams also have yet to make their season debuts. Additionally, Alex Caruso has missed the past three games due to a concussion.
Oklahoma City's strong start and impressive depth have made it clear that if any team doesn't need to make a trade, it's the Thunder. Still, with a deep pool of young talent and extensive draft capital, the defending champions are well-positioned to make a blockbuster move if the right opportunity arises.
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Lauri Markkanen linked to Thunder
The Thunder have several bench players who would likely start elsewhere, and they could own as many as three first-round picks in the 2026 NBA Draft. With the Utah Jazz still seemingly in a rebuild, Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey named Lauri Markkanen a “realistic target” for Oklahoma City.
“It should be noted at the outset that the Oklahoma City Thunder don't need a trade. In fact, they're less in need of a deal than any other team in the league,” he wrote. “But if they wanted to put Isaiah Hartenstein's salary with another contract and a boatload of picks, they could beat just about any offer for Lauri Markkanen.”
From a salary standpoint, packaging Hartenstein with one of Luguentz Dort, Kenrich Williams, Aaron Wiggins, Caruso or Joe would be enough to make the money work. The Thunder also hold a vast collection of future first-round picks, including Utah's top-eight protected pick in 2026.
Adding Markkanen would be a major upgrade in the frontcourt. Chet Holmgren could slide to the five, forming a projected starting lineup of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Markkanen, Holmgren and either Dort or Cason Wallace.
The Thunder don't need to make a trade, but few teams are better equipped to pull off a blockbuster deal than Oklahoma City.
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