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The Oklahoma City Thunder are under the second apron after trading Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks.
The team now has more financial flexibility moving forward, and also gained an open roster spot with the move.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti told The Oklahoman that the move was motivated by financial implications rather than moving on from Dort or opening a roster spot, but there is still room to add another player to the roster.
While it seems likely that OKC converts one of its two-way players to a standard contract or leaves the spot open, there are a few players around the league the Thunder could trade for and still remain blow the second apron.
Justin Champagnie
The brother of Spurs’ sharpshooter Julian Champagnie, Justin Champagnie could be a solid addition for Oklahoma City.
In 2025-26, the 6-foot-6 wing averaged 8.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 50.2% from the field and 31.9% from 3-point range. Champagnie shot 38.3% from beyond the arc in 2024-25.
Champagnie would give the Thunder more size and depth on the wing, potentially adding more perimeter shooting as well. The 25-year-old will earn less than $3 million in 2026-27, with a team option for just above $3 million in 2027-28.
Chaney Johnson
Fresh off his rookie season with the Brooklyn Nets, Johnson has appeared in just 17 NBA games, but showed promise early in his career.
The former undrafted free agent averaged 8.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in 2025-26, shooting 54.3% from the field and 30% from deep.
Listed at 6-foot-7 and 220 pounds, Johnson would also add more size on the wing to OKC’s roster. The 24-year-old is set to earn less than $700,000 in 2026-27.
Liam McNeeley
After being selected with the penultimate pic in the first round of the 2025 draft, McNeeley helped Charlotte to a 2025 Summer League title and the Greensboro Swarm to a 2025-26 G League title.
The 6-foot-7 wing player didn’t contribute much for the Hornets in the regular season as a rookie, though, averaging 4.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest across 31 NBA appearances.
In 18 G League games, McNeeley averaged 19.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 32.6% from 3-point range. In the 2026 Summer League, the 20-year-old shot 52.6% from beyond the arc on 6.3 attempts per game across three contests.
McNeeley will make around $2.9 million in 2026-27.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nba/thunder/onsi as Best Trade Targets for the OKC Thunder Around the NBA.
