Proposed trade lands Duke Blue Devils basketball star Cooper Flagg on the Oklahoma City Thunder
For the first time this season, the Oklahoma City Thunder are facing adversity.
The favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy for the bulk of their campaign, the Thunder find themselves down 2-1 in the Finals to the Indiana Pacers, who have erased the narrative of being a fun underdog story and are now on the brink of the franchise’s first championship.
Up Next – Chasing History: Thunder Bounce Back
The series is far from over, but would a stunning loss stunt the growth of this second golden age of OKC hoops?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has lived up to the MVP billing, but the lack of a true second star next to the Canadian phenom could cost the organization a banner.
Could club GM Sam Presti make the unprecedented move to cash in his war chest of picks and some young assets to go after a potential generational prospect?
In a recent piece highlighting ambitious trade targets for each franchise, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes pitched the idea that the Thunder should make a play for Cooper Flagg.
“Sources confirmed to ESPN that the Mavs will not entertain the possibility of trading away the pick they’ll use on Cooper Flagg at the top of the 2025 draft, but no team has the ability to make them think harder about that stance than the Thunder,” Hughes wrote. “OKC owns all seven of its own first-round picks and controls six other incoming future firsts. Pair all that with a bevy of valuable rookie-scale deals, and it wouldn’t be hard to put together a godfather offer.”
The package would likely have to include at least four unprotected firsts/swaps, plus either Jalen Williams or Chet Holmgren.
As if Dallas needs more bigs…
This mock trade would be a long-term move with the hope that Flagg can evolve into a top-ten player in the league and the Thunder can somehow raise their current ceiling.
Even if Oklahoma City loses in five games, a year of intense postseason battles would only improve their chances next season.
Nikola Topic would enter the fold, and Presti could operate around the margins and try to bring in one or two more solid bench pieces.
The Thunder would, albeit briefly, ponder this move, but the Mavs would almost certainly hang up immediately.
You know the rule: you’re only allowed to trade one generational superstar per calendar year
