Deal done: by signing him, the OKC Thunders impressed me once more.

Deal done: by signing him, the OKC Thunders impressed me once more.

With crucial games against rivals in the Western Conference positioned between the NBA Trade Deadline and All-Star Break, the Oklahoma City Thunder have had a hectic week building up to the break. Here we have a summary of everything that has transpired during the last week, as usual. Time for some Thunder News, please!

The Thunder faltered somewhat last Tuesday night in Utah, falling 124-117 after blowing a lead. The debacle continued on Saturday when the Dallas Mavericks, with a new look, defeated the Thunder 146-111. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams combined for 70 points in a 127-113 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday, helping Oklahoma City bounce back.

This past Thursday at the NBA Trade Deadline, the Oklahoma City Thunder made two moves. In the more significant one, they traded for former All-Star Gordon Hayward and let go of Tre Mann, Davis Bertans, and Vasilije Micic. Actually, the only player moved before the deadline who had previously made an All-Star team was Hayward.

Their second deal involved trading a draft pick for a future unprotected pick with the Dallas Mavericks, which might earn them a lottery pick (or, in the best-case scenario, as high as the No. 1 pick if things completely fall apart in Dallas). The original 2024 pick was expected to land in the late 20s.

We would also grade the pick-swap with Dallas a “A.” We considered the Hayward move as a win both on the court and in terms of freeing up future cap space.

Other NBA analysts had equally good things to say. An ‘A-‘ was given to the Gordon Hayward deal by Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale and the popular podcast Hardwood Knocks, while a ‘A’ was given to the selection swap. Zach Harper of The Athletic rated OKC a “B” for adding Hayward and a “C” for the selection swap, while Kevin Pelton of ESPN gave the Thunder a “A” for the Hayward trade. Sporting News’ Stephen Noh rated the agreement with Charlotte a “A-.” Finally, SB Nation’s Ricky O’Donnell rated Oklahoma City a “A-” for adding Hayward.

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