The Oklahoma City Thunder are the most exciting young team in the NBA. Sam Presti’s heist of the Clippers that netted Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the foundation of this rebuild.
OKC is primed to be in contention for years to come and fans could be watching the early stages of a dynasty.
Presti is arguably the best general manager in the NBA, but even he makes mistakes. Whether it is failed draft picks, free agent misses, or trades that do not go as planned, nobody is perfect in talent acquisition. The Thunder take multiple bites at the apple and always have a backup plan for this reason.
Oklahoma City loves to add talent, but getting too much can mean parting with a player before they fully blossom. This list examines one player at each position gone too soon since the Thunder moved to OKC in 2008.
PG: James Harden
Presti drafted Harden with the third overall pick in 2009. They were ready to contend with Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, which put The Beard as their sixth man.
Harden quickly became a key part of their rotation. He helped the Thunder make the conference finals in 2011 and the NBA Finals in 2012. OKC could not beat LeBron James and the Heat, but they were clearly one of the best in the world. The Beard was entering the final year of his rookie contract and things quickly soured for both sides.
The Thunder traded Harden to Houston in Oct. 2012. He instantly became the Rockets’ star and helped them get into contention. The Beard won MVP in 2018 and made Houston an annual threat. His Rockets never won a championship, but Harden became a legend after leaving Oklahoma City.
The Thunder never made it back to the NBA Finals. If they were willing to offer Harden more money and prioritized him, OKC may have had the best Big 3 of this era. It certainly would have changed the landscape of the league, but the Thunder left Harden leave far too soon.
SG: Victor Oladipo
It is easy to forget how good Oladipo was before the injuries piled up. The 6’3 guard was the second overall pick in 2013 and showcased plenty of potential in Orlando. He spent three seasons with the Magic before being traded to Oklahoma City with Domantas Sabonis and Ersan Ilyasova for Serge Ibaka.
Oladipo averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 33.2 minutes per game in his lone season with the Thunder. Kevin Durant left for Golden State, but Oladipo helped Russell Westbrook pilot the OKC to the playoffs. Vic was their second-leading scorer, but the Thunder traded him and Sabonis to get Paul George.
The 6’3 guard broke out in Indiana. In his first season with the Pacers, Oladipo won Most Improved Player, led the league in steals, was an All-Star, made third-team All-NBA, and was first-team All-Defense at just 25 years old. Oladipo looked destined for superstardom, but things quickly went south.
He was an All-Star in 2019, but has not played more than 42 games in a season since. There was just no avoiding the injury bug. Oladipo is only 32 years old, but just cannot seem to stay healthy.
Things may have been different if he stayed in Oklahoma City, and the Thunder certainly missed out on his best season.
SF: Alex Caruso
Caruso went undrafted out of Texas A&M in 2016 and signed his first NBA contract with the Thunder. He was waived before opening night but spent the entire season playing for the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League. The 6’5 wing filled a key role and helped them reach the semifinals. The Thunder did not keep Caruso as the Lakers stepped up with a two-way contract in the 2017 offseason.
It was not long before things took off. He was a key role player on the Lakers 2020 championship squad and just kept improving. LA actually chose Talen Horton-Tucker over him in 2021, so Caruso departed for Chicago. He has blossomed into one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and has made the All-Defensive team two straight years for the Bulls.
The Thunder traded Josh Giddey to get Caruso back in June. They wanted a stout defender and floor spacer to round out units as they chase championships. Caruso is nearly the perfect role player because of his defense, playmaking, and shooting. He is happy to do what is asked to help his team win.
The Oklahoma City Thunder gave up way too soon. They spent one year seeing what Alex Caruso could do in the G League, but never gave him a serious shot in the NBA. He blossomed into a crucial role player and now Oklahoma City traded an important young talent to get him back. The Thunder could have had Caruso the entire time.
PF: Jerami Grant
Grant was drafted by the 76ers in the second round in 2014, but he quickly found his way into their rotation. Adding a 6’7 forward with a versatile skill set who is capable of guarding multiple positions is difficult. Grant had struggled to make shots, but the Thunder jumped at the chance to give up Ersan Ilyasova and a first-round draft pick to acquire him in 2016.
He blossomed into a starter in 2019 as he found his jumper. Grant averaged 13.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.0 assist, and 1.3 blocks in 32.7 minutes per game as he shot 49.7 percent from the field and 39.2 percent on his threes. OKC lost to the Blazers in the opening round of the playoffs and decided to tear things down after that.
Grant was traded to the Nuggets for a first-round pick. He immediately helped Denver reach the conference finals before becoming a 20-point per-game scorer over the next four seasons. The 6’7 forward can fill several roles, including being his team’s number one option.
Jerami Grant is back on the trade market, and the Thunder may try to bring him back. If he is willing to take a lesser offense role, he could be the perfect piece for Oklahoma City as a versatile defender, floor spacer, and scoring option when things break down.
The Thunder failed to get his best years because they wanted to rebuild. Their retool worked but created some missed opportunities along the way.
C: Domantas Sabonis
The 11th overall pick in 2016 was sent from Orlando to Oklahoma City in a draft night trade. It brought Sabonis to the Thunder, but he was playing behind Steven Adams and Enes Freedom in the frontcourt. The 20-year-old rookie averaged 5.9 points and 3.6 rebounds in 20.1 minutes per game over 81 contests, but there was plenty of potential still to unlock.
It did not happen in OKC as the Thunder traded Sabonis and Victor Oladipo to get Paul George in the 2017 offseason. Sabonis kept improving in Indiana and was an All-Star by his fourth season. The Pacers traded him to Sacramento where Sabonis has taken another step forward. He has now twice been on third-team All-NBA and led the league in rebounds per game.
Domantas Sabonis is an All-Star big man and excels in an area of weakness for the Thunder. Oklahoma City would have loved to have Domas at the five last season. His playmaking, scoring, and rebounding would have been a fantastic addition as the Thunder chased the top seed in the Western Conference.
Giving up a future four-time All-Star after one season is never easy, but the Oklahoma City Thunder jumped at the chance to trade for Paul George in his prime. It is impossible to blame them, but the franchise certainly let Sabonis go too soon. He was not the only one.
