Their seasons ended less than 24 hours ago, but the Thunder and Pacers will have significant roster decisions to make in the coming days, and executives around the NBA are keeping an eye on both teams to see how they’ll handle them, writes Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The Thunder have the ability to essentially run it back with their same roster, since 13 of their players are on guaranteed deals for next season, while the team holds cost-effective options on the other two. However, Oklahoma City also has multiple first-round picks at No. 15 and No. 24 and could be facing a roster crunch.
According to Scotto, rival executives believe the Thunder may either trade the No. 24 pick for a future first-rounder or use it to select a potential draft-and-stash prospect like Hugo Gonzalez or Noah Penda. Execs also view former lottery pick Ousmane Dieng as a possible trade candidate as he enters the final year of his rookie scale contract, Scotto notes.
Meanwhile, with Tyrese Haliburton potentially sidelined for all of the 2025/26 season after tearing his Achilles, people in league circles are wondering if the Pacers and team owner Herb Simon are still prepared to go into luxury-tax territory in 2025/26 to re-sign Myles Turner and keep their roster intact, says Scotto. There’s an expectation that rivals will inquire this summer on the trade availability of role players like Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker, Scotto adds.
Here’s more from Scotto:
- Although a Sacramento Bee report over the weekend indicated that the Kings haven’t yet engaged in trade discussions about Malik Monk, Scotto hears from sources that the team has gauged the market on both Monk and Devin Carter as it seeks a potential first-round pick and a point guard upgrade. Sacramento was unwilling to move Carter when the club talked to the Nets about Cameron Johnson prior to the trade deadline, Scotto writes, but Scott Perry has replaced Monte McNair as the Kings’ head of basketball operations since then and may not be as attached to last year’s No. 13 overall pick.
- According to Scotto, the Raptors have continued to gauge the trade market for forward RJ Barrett. The former No. 3 overall pick hasn’t come off the bench since his rookie year in 2019/20, but could be the odd man out of Toronto’s starting five with Brandon Ingram set to make his Raptors debut this fall.
- Rockets head coach Ime Udoka, who spent a season with Kevin Durant in Brooklyn, was in favor of the Celtics trading for Durant during his time in Boston and advocated for Houston to acquire the star forward this summer, per Scotto. In addition to reuniting with Udoka, Durant will be teaming up again with friend and fellow Texas alum Royal Ivey — the Rockets assistant interviewed for the Suns‘ head coaching vacancy and turned down interest from the Grizzlies and Spurs for assistant coaching positions, Scotto reports.
- In addition to being concerned about Durant’s lack of enthusiasm for Minnesota, the Timberwolves didn’t want to lose Rudy Gobert, a Suns target in trade talks, which is why the Wolves didn’t end up beating Houston’s offer for the 15-time All-Star, Scotto explains. Giving up Gobert and potentially having Durant play alongside Julius Randle in their frontcourt wasn’t considered an “ideal pairing defensively” for the Wolves, Scotto writes.
OKC taking a draft and stash or rolling back by trading for a teams 2028-2031 pick. They need to keep the chest full and don’t need any more young players yet.
OKC could dominate the league indefinitely, or at least until Presti retires
Only thing stopping them is if they make the rules more fair like they did with Harden and keep the game from rewarding floppers.
If they don’t we are going to see games with 50 free throws per team and and hour of dead time per game. People noticed how OKC played.
The NBA tied the mark at 21.7 for lowest FTA per game in history during the regular season and OKC was 26th in the league in FTA.
Need to keep the chest full ? Do billionaires need to pinch pennies ?
Draft chest has nothing to do with owners and billionaires. Players get older either they move on or the team does so the draft picks are future replacements.
Even Suns aren’t stupid enough to take Randle. I’d rather have Gobert than 1-year of KD. But Randle and Donte and the 17 for 1-year of KD would’ve been interesting.
Why would RJ come off the bench. It’s Barnes, RJ, BI, Poetle and IQ, with Dick being your 6th guy
That may be the way the go, but Dick’s skill set makes more sense next to the other four guys, IMO. More overlap with Barrett alongside Barnes and Ingram.
But Dick gets punished defensively, he shouldn’t start.
I wonder if raptors would pursue Markkanen or Sabonis.
Knicks should trade for that 24th pick. There is 4 there for them ……
With the 15th pick Thunder can find a C there (Beringer) young upside …….
Barrett should start at SG. And just leave him be. Ingram and Scottie play same position. Terrible team constructing.
I’m still taking Indiana in 6