1. Oklahoma City finally goes all-in
The Oklahoma City Thunder may have their sights set on making a championship run this season, but if they end up falling short, I can't help but wonder if they could pivot toward a much bigger move during the summer. If the Thunder get to the offseason and feel they're still a star acquisition away from winning an NBA Championship, an all-out pursuit for Giannis Antetokounmpo wouldn't come as a huge surprise.
And if the Thunder were to go all-in on pursuing Giannis, there may not be another team in the league that could compete with their potential offer. On paper, the Thunder could include Isaiah Hartenstein, Lu Dort, and Jalen Williams as the core part of the deal. They could even throw in as many as four future first-round picks into the deal if they wanted. Who knows if the Thunder would put this type of an offer on the table, but if they did, it would probably blow the Bucks out of the water.
If this trade were to happen, the Thunder would certainly lose a lot of their depth, but would still have a pretty strong core in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis, and Chet Holmgren. They also have the likes of Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Alex Caruso, and Cason Wallace still on the roster. Would that be enough to keep the Thunder in championship contention? That'd be something the front office would have to figure out.
If the Thunder came to this conclusion during the offseason, there aren't any teams in the league that could beat their best offer. Of course, the big question revolves around whether they'd be willing to put their best offer on the table. There's no guarantee of that at the moment, but it's something they could certainly explore if they need (and if Giannis hits the trade market) this offseason.