Kofi Inkoom
Following an impressive season where they secured the top seed in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to bolster their roster with a dominant big man before the 2024/25 season begins.
They’ve been linked to centers like Isaiah Hartenstein of the Knicks and Cavs Jarrett Allen, but both players are unlikely to be available this offseason.
Instead, Colin Cowherd of Fox Sports (Via The Herd) suggests the Thunder should target Anthony Davis of the Lakers.
Thunder: receive: Anthony Davis
Lakers receive: Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, 4 First-Round Picks@ColinCowherd explains his blockbuster trade proposal pic.twitter.com/2a8wLDOD3d
— Herd w/Colin Cowherd (@TheHerd) June 21, 2024
Cowherd explained, “This roster… is not built for JJ Redick. What is an organization with a ton of draft capital [and] a bunch of good young players? The Lakers have nobody in their prime except [Anthony Davis], and it’s a late prime. The Lakers need shooters [and] wing defenders… The Lakers have a huge hole.”
Regarding potential trade scenarios, Cowherd proposed a blockbuster deal:
Thunder receiving Anthony Davis in exchange for Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace, and multiple first-round picks.
He emphasized, “Anthony Davis with Chet Holmgren, [Luguentz Dort] and [Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is immediately — along with Boston and Denver — a favorite to win the title. That is a great team.”
Meanwhile, discussing what the Lakers need, Cowherd highlighted the talents of Jalen Williams and Cason Wallace, as well as the value of acquiring multiple first-round picks.
He noted, “The money doesn’t work with this, you have to add a third team… [Anthony Davis] would fetch you what you haven’t had [in] forever — young, ascending players in their prime.“
The Lakers, who finished with a 47-35 record and were ousted in the first round of the playoffs, are looking to reshape their roster under new head coach JJ Redick.
Conversely, the Thunder made a deeper playoff run, reaching the Western Conference semi-finals before bowing out in six games against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Thunder have already made one trade this summer, surprising everyone by sending Josh Giddey to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for Alex Caruso. While there were rumors about Giddey being available on the market, the trade was unexpected.
A move like acquiring Davis is unlikely but not out of the question. The Thunder are aiming to win now, and if the right opportunity arises, Sam Presti is known to take advantage of it.