7 Biggest Trades in Oklahoma City Thunder History, Ranked

The Oklahoma City Thunder have made many moves to give them a better shot of winning games and improve their championship basketball odds at a sportsbook.

The Thunder have never made good on their short NBA championship odds, but they did get to the 2012 NBA Finals.

With that said, what are the seven biggest trades in Thunder history since the franchise moved from Seattle in 2008? Let’s find out.

7 Biggest Oklahoma City Thunder Trades in Team History

1. Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, Five First-Round Picks, and Two Pick Swaps

The Thunder got a haul for Paul George in 2019, landing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Los Angeles Clippers.

Gilgeous-Alexander has developed into one of the most efficient scorers in the league, mirroring Michael Jordan with many of his midrange moves while averaging over 30 points per game and locking in defensively.

SGA will be a fixture in MVP discussions for years to come, and the Thunder will likewise be heavily featured in championship conversations.

2. James Harden, Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, Two First-Round Picks, and Second-Round Pick

The Thunder simply messed up by breaking up the Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden, as they got to the NBA Finals before all of them even hit their primes.

Harden was dealt to the Houston Rockets in October 2012, and he went on to average 30-plus points three times and won MVP in 2018. Meanwhile, he was relegated to a Sixth Man role in his three years in OKC.

3. Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis for Paul George

The Thunder got their Durant replacement when they landed George in a trade with the Indiana Pacers in 2017. 

George finished third in MVP voting during the 2018-19 season, as he averaged a career-high 28 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.2 steals per game.

Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis developed into All-Stars in Indiana, but this trade worked out just fine for OKC.

4. Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul, Two First-Round Picks, and Two First-Round Pick Swaps

Westbrook is arguably the most beloved player in Thunder history, especially how he put on for OKC after Durant left for the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

The 2017 MVP averaged a triple-double in each of his last three seasons with the Thunder before being dealt to Houston in 2019 to team back up with Harden. He’s the only player to average a triple-double in multiple seasons and became the first since Oscar Robertson in the 1961-62 season.

Paul helped the Thunder get to the playoffs in his one season with the franchise before getting traded to the Phoenix Suns in 2020.

5. Serge Ibaka for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and Domantas Sabonis

Serge Ibaka was a fan favourite given his thunderous blocks and tenacious defence.

If it wasn’t for this trade with the Orlando Magic in 2016, SGA may not be wearing a Thunder uniform today.

6. Jeff Green, Nenad Krstić, and First-Round Pick for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson

In February 2011, the Thunder traded a promising young scorer in Jeff Green to the Boston Celtics for Kendrick Perkins, who proved to be an enforcer for OKC during their run to the Finals in 2012.

7. Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and Second-Round Pick for Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony helped the Thunder form a Big 3 alongside Westbrook and George after being traded from the New York Knicks in 2017.

However, Anthony lasted just one year in OKC, as he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks for Dennis Schröder in 2018.