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The Thunder aren't expected to pursue a trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo this offseason
The Oklahoma City Thunder‘s quest to repeat as NBA champions officially came to an end on Saturday night, as the team suffered a crushing 111-103 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. Now, the Thunder will enter a pivotal offseason, as the team will certainly look to find a way to use their treasure chest of assets to level up their roster.
No move is off the table for Oklahoma City, even though it already features a very talented roster. One guy the team has quickly been linked to in the wake of its season-ending defeat is Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, but according to a new report, it doesn’t sound like OKC is very interested in bringing him to town.
The Thunder are not expected to show interest in Giannis Antetokounmpo, but they have shown interest in Evan Mobley, per @sam_amick
“League sources have long maintained that Oklahoma City would not take part in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes that will dominate the
The Thunder have one of the deepest rosters in the NBA, but it wasn’t enough to get them past the Spurs. With Jalen Williams battling a hamstring injury and Chet Holmgren being virtually useless against Victor Wembanyama, that placed a massive burden on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s shoulders, and he ultimately wasn’t able to get this team back to the Finals.
While Williams and Holmgren are great players, adding another de facto superstar who can consistently make Gilgeous-Alexander’s life easier could be something the front office wants to accomplish this offseason. While he only played in 36 games last season (thanks in large part to his ongoing feud with the Bucks), Antetokounmpo was still one of the best players in the league when he found his way onto the court this past season (27.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 5.4 APG, 62.4 FG%).
Antetokounmpo is going to get traded this offseason; it’s just a matter of which team wants to meet Milwaukee’s asking price. OKC has the assets needed to make an offer the Bucks couldn’t refuse, but it sounds like the team is more interested in pursuing a guy like Cleveland Cavaliers big man Evan Mobley instead of Antetokounmpo.
“League sources have long maintained that Oklahoma City would not take part in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes that will dominate the summertime conversation, but this sort of stunning finish is enough to re-spark that conversation.” Sam Amick of The Athletic reported. “Nothing should be off the table when the end goal wasn’t reached. There has long been chatter about the Thunder having interest in Cleveland big man Evan Mobley.”
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – OCTOBER 26: Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks is introduced before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers at Fiserv Forum on October 26, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
The Thunder’s flaws were exposed by the Spurs throughout the Western Conference Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander struggled with the extra attention San Antonio gave him, thanks largely to Williams’ inability to stay on the court and Holmgren’s ineffectiveness against Wembanyama. The Spurs aren’t going away anytime soon, so the Thunder need to come up with a new plan that will help combat Wembanyama’s otherworldly talent.
Antetokounmpo is one of the few players in the league who is capable of going toe-to-toe with Wembanyama, and after seeing what he did to Oklahoma City, his trade value will surely skyrocket. And yet, the Thunder don’t necessarily need to blow up their team just to bring Antetokounmpo to town, so while it looks good on paper, this isn’t the sort of move that the front office needs to make in order to find its way back to the Finals.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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