The Oklahoma City Thunder dominated the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night and now are 3-0 against the defending NBA champions this season.
It was the type of win that makes you think the Thunder might have a legit shot of making a deep run in the Western Conference playoffs, and possibly even a rematch of the 2016 conference finals versus the Warriors.
Adding another wing defender before Thursday’s 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline makes the most sense for OKC, especially after recently losing small forward Andre Roberson with a season-ending injury.
According to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, a Boston Celtics guard has been on the Thunder’s radar.
“A lack of draft assets could also keep them out of the mix for Marcus Smart,” O’Connor wrote Wednesday. “The Thunder have expressed interest in Smart, but the Celtics are seeking a 2018Â first-rounder.”
Smart is a restricted free agent this summer and could command a large contract extension. He’s an excellent defender, but he doesn’t pack the offensive punch the Thunder ideally would add for their bench before the deadline.
The Thunder don’t have a roster player that would benefit the Celtics bench. Boston also needs scoring help before the trade deadline, as evidenced in the Celtics’ brutal loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night.
