Already decimated by injuries and offseason departures, it’s no secret the Thunder could use some additional help.

Jalen Williams (dislocated ankle and fractured fibula) and Cason Wallace (torn labrum) are already out for most, if not all of the regular season with devastating injuries. To make matters worse, late last week the team announced that Chet Holmgren would miss eight to 10 weeks due to a small patellar tear in his right knee. Alex Caruso is currently out with an ankle sprain, too.

Injuries have wreaked havoc on teams across the league to kick off the new season. Oklahoma City has seen the worst of it, though. Especially after Luguentz Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe all departed over the offseason due to financial constraints.

Thanks to general manager Sam Presti’s moves over the years, the Thunder have plenty of assets that can be used in the trade market to fill gaps this year. The tricky part is the increasingly expensive roster which already led to the exit of some players that could help right now—Dort specifically. According to Spotrac, OKC is currently under the dreaded second apron by $6.9 million. Presti could make a move that takes the Thunder into the second apron, which then limits many roster-building mechanisms.

With back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s massive extension kicking in next year, the team is already headed in that direction. No team wants to go there, though, which makes the Thunder an incredibly intriguing team come trade season. Will they go big-game hunting and deal with the repercussions that come with the second apron? Or will Presti try to thread the needle and get some help while staying below the threshold?

No matter the path Presti chooses to take, he has options. And he might not need to do anything. Should he decide to, though, here’s a look at some players he could target during the season to give his depleted roster a boost:

The Pelicans guys: Trey Murphy III and Herb Jones

The Pelicans’ wings will hear their names in trade rumors until New Orleans finally deals one of them. The front office of Troy Weaver and Joe Dumars has shown a reluctance to move Murphy or Jones thus far, but maybe this season is the time for the Pels to cash in.

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported that Murphy and Jones were possible targets for the Thunder if Presti decides to make a move. Murphy makes much more than Jones this season, but Murphy is under contract for one less season than Jones. That matters in the sense of OKC maintaining the little flexibility it still has. Bringing in either player would be a big commitment, though, with Murphy under contract through the 2028-29 season where he will make $31 million.

Adding either would be a burden financially, but one of the Pelicans’ wings would help the Thunder considerably on the defensive end. If Murphy is brought in, which would have to be for a considerable trade package, he’d add some serious offensive juice as well.

Derrick Jones Jr., Los Angeles Clippers

Jones, the veteran forward, makes much more sense for the Thunder contract wise. He’s on an expiring $10.5 million deal and will become an unrestricted free agent once the season is over. OKC could trade for Jones and steer clear of the second apron by sending out a smaller salary player like Nikola Topić. The Thunder already declined Topić’s option for next season, which will make him an unrestricted free agent.

A move like this gives the Clippers some leverage. They would do the Thunder a solid by sending a key rotation player that would help OKC avoid the second apron. In exchange, Los Angeles would get a flier on a young player looking for a change of scenery and potentially a second-round pick or two. Presti wouldn’t give up any serious trade assets for a rental, but he may have to pay a higher than normal price considering his team’s current situation.

Basketball wise, Jones would fit seamlessly. He’s a lengthy wing who plays solid defense and can knock down three-pointers. He’s not as good of a defender as Wallace or Dort, but he’d help on that end. Kris Dunn is another good defender on an expiring contract with the Clippers who could be a possibility for OKC.

Anthony Black, Orlando Magic

Orlando is another team right near the second apron, even closer than Oklahoma City, which could force some tough decisions. Black, the sixth pick in the 2023 draft, didn’t get a rookie scale extension over the summer and he’s headed for restricted free agency in the offseason. The Magic may not be able to keep him with Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, Desmond Bane and Jalen Suggs all locked down on considerable deals.

If they can collect some assets for a player they may not retain and avoid what could be a messy restricted free agency situation, why not? Black’s salary is similar to Jones’s so the Thunder could make it work, but they’d likely have to give up much more in a potential deal. Black is only 22 and he can make plays, play solid perimeter defense and he’s shot the ball well to start the year. If Presti is only open to trading a player like Topić or Thomas Sorber, he’d likely have to add some serious draft capital. And reaching a new deal with Black over the summer could get tricky, which makes that a tough sell for OKC.

There is a world where Orlando lets him go for less than expected if the franchise already thinks he will be gone over the summer. If that happens, the Thunder could pounce and Black could help the team down the stretch even if he signs an offer sheet that isn’t matched and ends up with another team next year.

Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns

Dunn may not be the flashiest target, but he’d help the Thunder a lot defensively. He’s fallen out of the Suns’ rotation and doesn’t bring much of anything on offense, but he’s an incredible defender, which is OKC’s biggest need. The Thunder still have Gilgeous-Alexander, ya know. Not to mention Ajay Mitchell, Jared McCain and Holmgren once he returns around the new year. Dunn has a small contract the Thunder could easily make work and he’d enter as a depth piece who could go in and take the top defensive assignment for a few stretches. Not a big move, but it’s the reality the team is in with its current cap sheet and a roster that’s only getting pricier.

How about the free agent route?

The Thunder have an open roster spot, so they could just go and sign a free agent to a veteran minimum and add some depth that way. Oklahoma City planned to sign Ochai Agbaji, but then held off to re-evaluate the open spot with Holmgren’s injury. Maybe they go back to Agbaji later on or another free agent, but the open market is bare bones during the season. Aside from Agbaji, players like Bruce Brown, Julian Phillips, Amir Coffey and John Konchar are available. None of those names jump off the page, but the free-agent market is a possibility to add low-cost depth.

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