Three Offseason Targets for the Oklahoma City Thunder – Basketball Insiders

The Oklahoma City Thunder have an extremely bright future. Despite being eliminated in the second round of the NBA playoffs by the Dallas Mavericks, the Thunder have shown that they will be a force to be reckoned with in the coming years. They finished with the one seed in the Western Conference going 57-25. With free agency coming up, the Thunder have plenty of cap space (around $35 million) to lure a key role player to the team this summer. There are at least three players who would fit strongly with this current Oklahoma City Thunder squad.

Three Offseason Targets for the Oklahoma City Thunder

Nic Claxton

Nic Claxton should be the first name on the Thunder's big board of potential offseason targets. The Thunder's lack of size was magnified in their series loss against the Dallas Mavericks. Oklahoma City finished 27th in rebounding rate this past season. If there's one place they have to deal with, it's the back door. Nic Claxton will alleviate many of these concerns on the glass as he is grabbing 9.9 boards per game. Not to mention that he'll fit in with the 25-year-old and serve as a defender as he averaged 2.1 blocks per game this past year. This will also allow Chet Holmgren to thrive in the faceoff game at the forward position and showcase his abilities as a big man.

Buddy Hield

A team like the Thunder could always use a veteran three-point shooter like Buddy Hield. He will be a low-maintenance player who can fit into almost any rotation. Hield showed his durability this past season playing in 84 total games (remember, he was traded at the trade deadline to the Philadelphia 76ers). Playing with cutters like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams will result in more career openings for the 40.0 percent three-point shooter. Oklahoma City could give Buddy Hield a much-needed boost after he struggled to get into a rhythm in Philadelphia.

Isaiah Hartenstein

After the season he had, Isaiah Hartenstein will garner plenty of interest on the open market. During the playoffs, Hartenstein averaged 8.5 points, 7.8 total rebounds, and nearly a block per game. Simply put, Hartenstein is a big, hard-working man. An institution that makes its presence felt even outside the box. Especially about hustle games. He showed this playoff that he is serious about making a winning play, even if he doesn't always score the basketball. A guy like Isaiah Hartenstein would be a great fit for the Oklahoma City Thunder.