Toronto Raptors Receive: G Shai Gilgeous Alexander
Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: G Malachi Flynn, No. 4 pick, 2023 first-round pick
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be the player going back to the Toronto Raptors. He is coming off his best statistical season of his career but was limited in the number of games that he plays due to injury.
Standing at 6-foot-5, Gilgeous-Alexander would fit well next to Fred VanVleet and give the Raptors that solid backcourt that is needed to compete. Toronto would also have the option of moving on from VanVleet in a separate trade to further balance out the roster.
The Thunder have loaded up on assets in recent years and this could be another trade to help that notion. They would receive the fourth-overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, which would give them four first-rounders overall. Could this be enough to move up to No. 1 overall to take Cade Cunningham?
In this particular NBA trade scenario, Oklahoma City would also receive Malachi Flynn, who wouldn’t be a major difference-maker but would at least provide depth for the future.
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It would not be an easy choice to move on from Gilgeous-Alexander given he is still just 23-years-old. However, he is set to earn a major contract extension after his rookie deal expires. In fact, he’s eligible for a five-year, $168 million extension that would run from 2022 and expire in 2026.
Of course, much of this decision making would come down to the value the Thunder would receive. Do they feel as though one of the top five prospects in this class is a better value on a rookie deal than Gilgeous-Alexander will be on an extension?
Let’s take a closer look and see how this NBA trade scenario centered Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would impact both the Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder.
