Oklahoma City Thunder: Looking Ahead At 2022

Nearing the halfway point in their 2021-22 campaign, the Oklahoma City Thunder have put together a better than expected season. Entering the year 2022, they had a record of 13-22, which was on pace for a 31-win season.

Following a successful 2021, which took Oklahoma City one step closer to sustained success in its rebuild, the year 2022 could be one of the most important in the history of the franchise. With major decisions to be made, this year could be looked back upon as a pivotal one.

Let’s look ahead at some of the key milestones for the Thunder in 2022.

Trade Deadline

This season’s trade deadline is on Thursday, Feb. 10 and will be one of the busiest times of the season. For some teams, this will be an opportunity to improve their roster by adding quality players. For others, this will be a time to offload players to acquire assets.

The Thunder will likely be sellers at the deadline, as they’re still not to the point where they’re wanting to expedite their rebuild. This season, it’s all about developing young talent and ensuring a top pick in the upcoming draft.

Some of the players that could be on the move include Mike Muscala, Kenrich Williams and Ty Jerome. For contenders that need role players down the stretch and into the postseason, sometimes smaller moves can make a big impact.

Remainder of 2021-22 Season

After the trade deadline, Oklahoma City will have less than 30 games remaining in the 2021-22 season. Typically for teams that are projected near the top of the lottery, the deadline is a turning point in which prioritization of young talent really starts to become a focal point.

For reference, following last season’s trade deadline the Thunder went 3-25 the rest of the way. This was the worst record of any team during that stretch. This season, it wouldn’t be surprising to see several teams struggle late as they give more minutes to inexperienced prospects.

2022 Lottery and Draft

During last season’s draft lottery, the Thunder struck out. After being positioned to potentially land two top-five picks, OKC ended up with zero in that range. Either way, Thunder GM Sam Presti still made a spectacular pick in the lottery, taking Josh Giddey at No. 6 overall. Early in his career, he looks like a potential franchise-altering talent.

This time around, Oklahoma City will hope for better luck in the lottery. Following the conclusion of the regular season, the draft order will be set on May 17. Just over a month later on June 23, the 2022 NBA Draft will take place. Both of these nights could ultimately expedite or slow down the Thunder’s rebuild as they look to get back to being a consistent playoff team.

The Offseason

Oklahoma City has been extremely active over the past few offseasons. In fact, they’ve been part of deals that have moved players like Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Chris Paul, Al Horford, Kemba Walker and more. Anything Presti can do to ensure a successful rebuild will be on the table this summer during the offseason.

With as much future draft capital that the Thunder has, they have the opportunity to cash in for a rising star via trade if the opportunity becomes available. They could also be active in free agency, targeting young talent.

While Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander seem to be locked in as part of the core in Oklahoma City, they still need to fill out the frontcourt of the future.

Start of 2022-23 season

Late in the year 2022, a new season will begin. Assuming the league calendar stays consistent, the 2022-23 season will kick off in October, as the Thunder will debut their new-look roster. Following an entire offseason and yet another draft with multiple picks, the team will still be young but look different than it does today.