New Giannis, Evan Mobley Trade Rumors Emerge on Thunder's Pursuit Following Loss to Wemby, Spurs

The Oklahoma City Thunder fell short of their goal of back-to-back championships thanks to Saturday's loss to Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals, but they could be back with even more notable players next season.

"League sources have long maintained that Oklahoma City would not take part in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes that will dominate the summertime conversation, but this sort of stunning finish is enough to re-spark that conversation," Sam Amick of The Athletic reported Sunday. 

"Nothing should be off the table when the end goal wasn't reached. There has long been chatter about the Thunder having interest in Cleveland big man Evan Mobley as well, but Cavaliers general manager Koby Altman insisted in an end-of-season news conference that Mobley wasn't going anywhere."

Oklahoma City has the Nos. 12 and 17 picks in the first round of this year's NBA draft. It also has a handful of additional first-round picks in the coming years, which gives the front office plenty of trade capital should it decide to pursue such a blockbuster move.

Perhaps Chet Holmgren will also be included in a potential offer for Antetokounmpo, as there was already speculation about his future in the immediate aftermath of Saturday's loss.

Spurs-Thunder Highlights

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Some combination of the 24-year-old Holmgren, draft picks and another player or two could be intriguing for the Milwaukee Bucks, who will surely be entering rebuilding mode if they do trade Antetokounmpo. Holmgren was an All-Star, All-NBA Third Team selection and All-Defensive First Team selection this season and could be a long-term building block in Milwaukee.

As for the Thunder, there may be some concern about Holmgren's ability to match up with Wembanyama after he averaged just 10.7 points per game in the Western Conference Finals and attempted a mere two shots from the field in the decisive Game 7. 

Trading for someone like Antetokounmpo could be seen as a move to capitalize on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's wide-open championship window and a counter to a Spurs team that seems destined to compete for titles for years to come.

Mobley could also be an intriguing addition and one that may cost less in return than Antetokounmpo would for the Thunder.

That could allow OKC to keep more of its future assets and add another impact defensive player to its frontcourt in an effort to counter Wembanyama and other bigs in the Western Conference moving forward.

Mobley was the Defensive Player of the Year just last season and a double-double threat every time he steps on the floor. He could work in pick-and-pops with Gilgeous-Alexander on the offensive side and is just 24 years old compared to the 31-year-old Antetokounmpo.

The Cavaliers forward could match up with the Thunder's timeline with a 27-year-old SGA, 25-year-old Jalen Williams, 23-year-old Ajay Mitchell and 22-year-old Jared McCain and make them even more formidable in the immediate future.

Perhaps the Oklahoma City front office will take a more measured approach after Saturday's loss and assume it would have been different had Williams and Mitchell been healthy. But there are some headline names the team could pursue this offseason if it wants to be aggressive.