{"id":575555,"date":"2026-02-01T18:18:19","date_gmt":"2026-02-01T18:18:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/575555\/"},"modified":"2026-02-01T18:18:19","modified_gmt":"2026-02-01T18:18:19","slug":"4-centers-potentially-available-for-okc-at-the-trade-deadline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/575555\/","title":{"rendered":"4 centers potentially available for OKC at the trade deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"

For the first time in two years, the Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly active before the trade deadline<\/a>. Dealing with a slew of injuries, the defending champions are in the market for a center to alleviate their shortcomings in the frontcourt. While still leading the league with the NBA\u2019s best 38-11 record, Oklahoma City is 8-6 in its last 14 games.<\/p>\n

Still, the thought of watching the Thunder make a splash ahead of this year\u2019s deadline is still a head-scratching move<\/a>, as Brian Windhorst noted, per ESPN\u2019s The Hoop Collective.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve actually heard the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a>\u2019s name in some trade chatter, and you look at this team, and you say, wait a minute, this team is, you know, 66 wins or whatever they had last year, champions, when they\u2019ve been healthy this year, they\u2019ve been unstoppable,\u201d Windhorst said.<\/p>\n

The Thunder will look to trade for a center who can help with rebounding and rim protection ahead of the trade deadline, as points in the paint and cleaning the glass have been OKC\u2019s kryptonite throughout its last three losses in four tries. Here are four viable centers who could be available via trade, and would help the Thunder right away.<\/p>\n

\"JazzRob Gray-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Jazz gets:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ousmane Dieng
\n2026 second-round pick<\/p>\n

Thunder gets: <\/p>\n

For many reasons, Jazz center Kevin Love would be an ideal fit for the Thunder. The 17-year veteran can still impact winning in a secondary role, averaging nearly six rebounds per game, and remains a 3-point shooting threat. Adding him to coach Mark Daigneault\u2019s frontcourt would give him another useful weapon to help clean the glass and score.<\/p>\n

Love is averaging 6.9 points on 39.2% shooting, including 35.6% from deep, and 5.8 rebounds in 17.8 minutes per game this season with the Jazz. While a change of scenery in Oklahoma City would allow Kevin to compete for a championship in the twilight years of his career, he\u2019d also join a tight-knit locker room to adapt to.<\/p>\n

Most of the Thunder players are young enough to say they watched Love and the 2016 Cavs become the only team to come back from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals amidst their teenage years. Plus, Love\u2019s newfound identity on social media should also resonate with Thunder\u2019s TikTok savants Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams.<\/p>\n

\"TrailTroy Wayrynen-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Blazers get:<\/p>\n

Kenrich Williams
\nOusmane Dieng<\/p>\n

Thunder gets:\u00a0<\/p>\n

While some can\u2019t fathom watching a Thunder fan-favorite in veteran Kenrich Williams, who\u2019s in his sixth season in Oklahoma City, shipped off ahead of this year\u2019s deadline, the upside of adding Blazers\u2019 Robert Williams III is worth it. Rather than tack on a future second-round pick, the Thunder would have to add Ousmane Dieng to make the deal work. However, it\u2019s a solid two-for-one swap for the Blazers\u2019 frontcourt.<\/p>\n

Given the fact that Williams III hasn\u2019t played more than 35 regular-season games since 2022-23, it\u2019s a risky move for the Thunder, considering his injury-plagued career. However, this is the first season he\u2019s on pace to eclipse that mark. It\u2019s the healthiest he\u2019s been in years. Williams is averaging 5.9 points on 73.7% shooting, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 16.3 minutes per game this season.<\/p>\n

This is the kind of production the Thunder can get from consolidating two bench players who often fall out of coach Mark Daigneault\u2019s rotation when his team is healthy. Another rim protector who\u2019s averaging over six rebounds a night, and has plenty to prove as the former Celtics center who started in the 2022 NBA Finals on an expiring contract.<\/p>\n

3. Nets center Day\u2019Ron Sharpe\"NetsWendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

Nets get:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Ousmane Dieng
\n2026 second-round pick<\/p>\n

Thunder gets:\u00a0<\/p>\n

Nets center Day\u2019Ron Sharpe is a versatile defender who could help with the Thunder\u2019s pick-and-roll defense, while the opposite bigs can stay in drop coverage or vice versa. Sharpe\u2019s evolution as a defensive center over the years has made him an ideal, versatile big man for the defending champions.<\/p>\n

In his fifth season with the Nets, Sharpe is averaging career highs in many statistical categories, including points (8.0), assists (2.3), field-goal percentage (60.7), and steals (1.1) per game. With the Nets in position for some of the best odds to win this year\u2019s draft lottery, Oklahoma City could pull off this deal by sending Ousmane Dieng along with a second-round pick.<\/p>\n

The Thunder could use a healthy young big man<\/a> they can rely on who defends at a high level. At the same time, the defending champions prepare to finish out the end of the regular season ahead of an anticipated deep playoff run.<\/p>\n

Pelicans get:<\/p>\n

Ousmane Dieng
\n2026 second-round pick<\/p>\n

Thunder gets:\u00a0<\/p>\n

The two-time Warriors champion signed with the Pelicans after spending the first decade of his NBA career with the only team he\u2019s ever played for. However, Kevon Looney has fallen out of the Pelicans\u2019 rotation and would take on a backup role with the defending champion Thunder.<\/p>\n

Looney would be a defensive spark off the bench. With a knack for doing the dirty work, a championship pedigree, and a selfless, team-oriented approach, Looney undoubtedly fits in with the Thunder culture. In his limited role with the Pelicans, averaging 13.9 minutes per game, he\u2019s also averaging 5.1 rebounds.<\/p>\n

Amidst the Thunder\u2019s injuries, Looney\u2019s rebounding and high energy would be a fitting role for an 11-year veteran ahead of the trade deadline. It is an excellent opportunity to join a title-contending team for the first time since his championship run with the Warriors in 2022.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"For the first time in two years, the Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly active before the trade deadline.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":575556,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3783],"tags":[7,2299,1678,2967,6,1286,310,475,179,3966,3965,2144,13399,312],"class_list":["post-575555","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-basketball","tag-dayron-sharpe","tag-kevin-love","tag-kevon-looney","tag-nba","tag-nba-editorials","tag-oklahoma","tag-oklahoma-city","tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","tag-oklahomacity","tag-oklahomacitythunder","tag-reporting","tag-robert-williams-iii","tag-thunder"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/115996755443946766","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575555","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575555"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/575555\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/575556"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575555"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=575555"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=575555"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}