CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - DECEMBER 02: Jonas Valanciunas #17 of the New Orleans Pelicans shot is defended ... [+]
In exactly two weeks, yet another significant milestone will take place on the NBA calendar. Just days following the 2024 NBA Draft, NBA free agency will officially begin, as teams are able to start negotiating with players at 6 p.m. ET on June 30.
Although historically the Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t been a popular free agent destination — nor a team that has viewed free agency as a top priority in adding talent — things could be different this summer. Sure, Oklahoma City is a small market that should be patient. But this is a team with one of the brightest futures in the NBA is has some of the most cap space to leverage during the offseason.
With a real opportunity to push for a championship next season, the Thunder has every reason to acquire talent in free agency, even if the franchise hasn’t done so historically. That doesn’t mean impulse decisions should be made, but this is a unique situation with two years of significant financial freedom before the upcoming contracts of Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams are projected to kick in as those extensions loom.
As he always does, Thunder GM Sam Presti will run his due diligence to see who could help the roster and be signed to a contract that makes sense. If there’s a player the front office believes in that can be had for a fair price, don’t be surprised if OKC makes a move and leverages the more than $30 million in cap space the team has to work with.
Who could make sense to target in free agency for the Thunder?
Jalen Smith
Smith has a player option worth roughly $5.4 million for the upcoming season with the Indiana Pacers that he must make a decision on before the start of free agency at the end of the month. If he does opt out of that final year of his contract to sign a new, longer-term deal, he should be one of the more underrated players on the market.
The former lottery pick stands at 6-foot-10 with a sturdy frame and floor spacing upside. At 24 years old, he would fit Oklahoma City’s system and timeline perfectly, and could ultimately end up being a big piece of what the Thunder wants to do moving forward.
Jonas Valanciunas
Ironically enough, the Thunder eliminating the New Orleans Pelicans in the first round of the playoffs ended officially Valanciunas’ contract. He officially became a free agent at that point, making him one of the more interesting bigs on the market. His last contract was worth roughly $15 million per season, so it will be interesting to see what he demands this summer.
Valanciunas is more of a traditional center, but would provide a different type of punch for Oklahoma City. Now 32 years old, he’s pulled down an average of 10.7 rebounds per game over the past five seasons. He does occasionally step out beyond the arc and take a triple, but it certainly isn’t something he’s known for relative to some of the other centers around the league.
Nicolas Claxton
At 25 years old, Claxton will hit the market with a blend of youth and the ability to help a team now as a starter. As such, the defensive-minded big is expected to earn a huge payday this offseason, especially relative to the roughly $9.6 million he made last season with the Brooklyn Nets.
Given how expensive he will be, Oklahoma City will need to feel very comfortable with Claxton playing alongside Chet Holmgren for significant minutes in the frontcourt. If he is viewed as more of a backup on the Thunder roster, even an important one, his expected contract will be much too rich.
Klay Thompson
Now that his max contract has come to an end, the 34-year-old will hit free agency and potentially play for a team outside of the Golden State Warriors for the first time in his career. Thompson is not worth anywhere near the $43.2 million he made last season, but can still be a valuable veteran in the right role at the right price.
It’s unclear if the Thunder would even entertain the idea of signing someone like Thompson, but he’s one of the greatest shooters in the history of the sport and has an absurd amount of playoff experience. As a high-volume shooter off the ball in a secondary role, he can absolutely elevate a playoff team in the upcoming season.
Tobias Harris
Similar to Thompson, Harris appears to be on the decline of his career but still can provide value in the right role. He’s about to turn 32 and is coming off of a long-term contract that paid him north of $39 million last season with the Philadelphia 76ers.
If he’s open to signing a team-friendly deal on a contender, Harris will have significant interest around the league. He’s a sturdy combo forward who can provide a scoring punch and is also a solid rebounder. Whether it’s as the starting power forward or as a key reserve off the bench, Harris would be fascinating in Oklahoma City at the right price.
OG Anunoby
It’s almost certain that Anunoby will sign a huge deal to remain with the New York Knicks after they acquired him via trade in the recent season. The 26-year-old forward is one of the most dynamic defenders in the league and will be worth every penny.
If he ends up being open to talking with other teams in free agency, Oklahoma City should have a ton of interest. He was someone the Thunder did due diligence on before he was traded in December, which makes sense given his age and skillset. This would be the home run signing of the summer of OKC pulled it off, but don’t expect anything other than him going back to New York.
Patrick Williams
Since being drafted by the Chicago Bulls with the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, Williams has struggled with injuries and finding his way in the league. He’s shown flashes of greatness — especially on the defensive end — but has only appeared in 213 regular season games over four years. Despite how his career has started, he’s still just 22 years old and will likely get a very lucrative contract in free agency this summer as a restricted free agent. It may not be the max contract he wanted this time last year, but could be fairly close to it.
Whether it’s a large offer sheet or a sign-and-trade situation, Oklahoma City should be checking on what it would take to acquire Williams. In a new system, he could legitimately blossom into the fourth-best player on this contending team one day with his floor spacing and defensive upside as he comes off of his rookie scale deal.
Again, the Thunder doesn’t have to sign anyone in free agency. Despite having significant cap space, signing free agents isn’t the only way to use it — and generally has never been for Oklahoma City. Even then, this seems to be a pivotal offseason in which the norm could be challenged.
