Why OKC Does This Trade:

• The Thunder go all in on winning a championship while still have assets for the future and keeping there core in tact. The Thunder don’t have to make this trade but I see Markkanen as a piece that just adds too much value to there championship aspirations and puts less pressure on younger players to step up right away. They give up 4 1sts(none of which are their own) however they still have a haul of 1sts to use for flexibility and they get to resign Markkanen with bird rights. In the playoffs Okc needed size and shooting and Lauri probably has the best combination of those two skills in the nba. Pairing Shai with one of the best shooters in the nba should be a no brainer especially with the ability to keep the entirety of their depth.

Why Utah Makes This Trade:

• Sell Lauri to the highest bidder it’s as simple as that they get the rights back to there 1st in a loaded draft while also obtaining 1sts that allows them to have a minimum of 3 1st rounders in every draft for the next few years. Allowing more opportunities to add talent or trade up potential for prospects they’re interested in.Topic also is a high potential grab and with the guard depth on the roster there’s no rush for his production.