2 OKC Thunder Players Ranked Among NBA’s Most Valuable Trade Assets

2 OKC Thunder Players Ranked Among NBA’s Most Valuable Trade Assets originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

It has been a quiet offseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they have made minimal moves to their roster due to the fact that they have everyone from their rotation returning next season.

Of course, the Thunder are coming off a dominant season that they were able to cap off with a championship and they are set to enter next season as the favorite to win the title once again.

That will likely be the case for the foreseeable future, especially with Oklahoma City locking in their star trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren this summer by singing them all to max contract extensions.

While the Thunder have not looked to make any changes to their roster, and rightfully so, Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley recently listed both Nikola Topic and Cason Wallace as two of the top trade assets in the NBA.

Cason Wallace

For Wallace, he proved to be a key piece for the Thunder both in the starting lineup and off the bench last season, primarily due to his elite defensive play.

“There is clear and compelling proof of concept with Wallace as one of the league's stingiest and most disruptive stoppers. This past season, he was fifth in total deflections, sixth in total steals and 111th in total minutes. This was chaos-creation at its finest,” Buckley wrote.

Of course, Wallace does need to improve on the offensive end, though his defensive intensity makes up for and is likely a reason why the Thunder will look to keep him around.

Nikola Topic

On the other side, Topic is set to enter his second season in the NBA, though it will actually be his first after he missed his rookie campaign due to a torn ACL.

“And if you're only looking at the positives with Topic, there's some truly jaw-dropping stuff. He's a 6'6" primary playmaker who understands how to consistently create advantages for himself and his teammates—as a 19-year-old. He could wind up as the best player in his draft class, and that's how the Thunder should try to market him if they ever deem it necessary to make an all-in push,” Buckley wrote.

While Buckley believes that Topic is a valuable trade asset for Oklahoma City, the Thunder are extremely high on the young guard’s upside and he should have a major role in their rotation next season.

This is the case for both players Buckley listed and it is highly unlikely that the Thunder will look to move either of them in the coming seasons.

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 6, 2025, where it first appeared.