A 3-for-1 swap! The Thunder propose a trade, targeting a gritty power forward.

The Thunder, who finished first in the West and the whole league at 64-18 during the regular season but fell short of the Finals, are once again seeking the benefits of rookie-scale contracts...

Top journalist Spears disclosed on a recent talk show:The Thunder are actively pursuing an upward trade, potentially combining two first-round picks and one second-round pick to acquire a top-ten pick.

In the upcoming draft, Oklahoma City possesses the 12th, 17th, and 37th selections.

ESPN college basketball analyst Sean Farnham commented on this:The Thunder have shown interest in Michigan's championship-winning forward, Moari Johnson.

Born on January 25, 2006, this player stands 2.06 meters tall with a 2.22-meter wingspan, playing as a power forward/center. His most distinctive trait is "gritty blue-collar frontcourt." During his sophomore NCAA season, he averaged 13.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting an impressive 62.3% from the field.

The Thunder's projected salary for next season is $250.5 million, far exceeding the second luxury tax apron, which would result in a luxury tax bill exceeding $200 million. To ease the salary burden, they may decline the team option on starting center Hartenstein's $28.5 million salary for the 2026-27 season. Therefore, as mentioned above, securing a cheap and reliable big man to replace him in this summer's draft is of utmost importance.

Of course, simply letting go of Hartenstein won't fully relieve the Thunder's salary pressure, so a trade may also be inevitable.

The huge max contracts for the second star, J-Dub, and the third star, Chet, are about to kick in; both signed five-year, $239 million deals last summer.

J-Dub is the most likely core member to be traded by the Thunder. His injury situation last season was extremely severe, showing signs of being injury-prone. He played only 33 regular-season games, averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 1.2 steals, shooting 48.4% from the field and 29.9% from three. In this year's playoffs, he played just five games, averaging 14.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1 steal, with shooting splits of 51.8% and 41.7%.

In summary, the Thunder, who won their first franchise championship just last year, are now not only seeing their dynasty dream shattered but also facing a harsh reality of a major roster shake-up.