Prior to the trade deadline, it’s safe to say that the Oklahoma City Thunder had plenty of assets to make a major roster move this season. However, given that they hold the top seed in the West, it also made sense for Sam Presti and the front office to stay put at the NBA trade deadline. Besides, it might just hurt the team to fix what isn’t broken.
Unfortunately, staying pat also meant that the team would be living with the shortcomings of its current roster. Although the team has been establishing itself as a Western Conference threat, it doesn’t mean that they’re flawless. In fact, the Thunder’s fatal flaw that must be fixed after the 2025 NBA All-Star break is their three-point shooting struggles.
A quiet NBA trade deadline this season
Although the best team in the Western Conference has been getting the job done with a 46-11 record, the team still has some concerns to address. One of which is three-point shooting. As a team, the Thunder have shot only 36.2% from beyond the arc, which is ranked 13th in the NBA. While it’s still a decent shooting percentage, their shooting clip was a drop compared to last season’s 38.9% clip, which led the NBA.
The trade deadline would’ve been a tempting avenue for Sam Presti and the front office to make some moves. But instead of engaging in some head-turning deals, the Thunder chose to stay quiet. In fact, they only made two moves prior to the deadline. One of which saw them swap second-round picks with the Charlotte Hornets. On the other hand, Oklahoma also got Daniel Theis and a second-round draft pick from the New Orleans Pelicans, with Theis being waived shortly after.
None of the moves moved the needle. It remains to be seen whether it was the right decision to stay put at the deadline. However, anyone would agree that an additional championship piece like a veteran shooter would’ve been a huge shot in the arm for Oklahoma’s title hopes.
Chet Holmgren’s return
It’s safe to say that the absence of Chet Holmgren naturally results in the team shooting worse. Holmgren’s size and ability to space the floor were missed, but not too much with the way the Thunder has secured the pole position in the West. However, his return should give the Thunder some hope to recapture their three-point shooting, making them a more dangerous team once Holmgren reverts to full health.
This year, Holmgren is averaging 15.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game while hitting 39.6% from beyond the arc. But given that the Thunder are in a great position to secure the top seed in the West heading into the playoffs, it’d be wise to slowly break in their 7-foot-1 center. The Thunder center has already started to fill up his injury history despite being only 22 years of age.
Nonetheless, Oklahoma should hope for a fully healthy Holmgren once the playoffs roll by. With the way the team is constructed, SGA and crew will have their lives so much easier in the playoffs if Holmgren is consistently on the floor. His ability to play the perimeter is invaluable to a young, up-and-coming team like the Thunder that’s looking to finally win a championship.
Ajay Mitchell, Branden Carlson signings
Although the NBA trade deadline was uneventful on paper for Oklahoma, the Thunder did take a step in the right direction once the buyout market came into play. The release of Theis paved the way for the team to convert Ajay Mitchell into a standard NBA contract. The team reportedly inked Mitchell to a long term deal. It was easily a no-brainer given that Mitchell brings in some much needed two-way play to supplant SGA’s MVP rise.
In 34 games, Mitchell is averaging 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game while shooting 50.6% from the field overall. But more importantly, he’s also shooting 43.1% from downtown, ranking third in the team. Converting Mitchell into a standard NBA contract allows him to become playoff-eligible, meaning the Thunder should be able to enjoy his services in the games that matter the most.
After the move, the Thunder were able make room for the signing of Branden Carlson to a two-way contract. Carlson is a solid 7-foot-0 center, averaging 2.8 points per game. He currently leads the team in three-point shooting, converting 45.8% of his shots from rainbow country.
His signing should give the Thunder enough buffer time to safely break-in Holmgren back into the rotation. Moreover, his presence should also help address the Thunder’s three-point shooting woes as they come closer to the final stretch of the regular season.
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