Thunder on the Move?

February is an exciting month for NBA fans. On Feb. 20, the annual All-Star Game will showcase the league's top talent in Cleveland after several days of run-up events and festivities.

But first, on Thursday, Feb. 10, comes another headliner: the 2022 trade deadline. Fans each year find themselves feverishly refreshing social media and hoping for a blockbuster bigger than the latest Marvel movie.

Will the Thunder get in on the action?

Thunder general manager Sam Presti is never shy about transactions, and is likely to make one or more this week. But don't expect a big name to show up at the Paycom Center. In fact, many trades on the table wouldn't involve adding a player at all.

Instead, look for Presti to seek draft picks in exchange for Thunder players. He might also take on another team's unwanted contract, if compensated for doing so.

Oklahoma City is millions under the NBA's salary "floor," the minimum amount it is supposed to be paying its roster. Teams could trade a struggling or injured player, like Utah's Joe Ingles, to the Thunder for salary relief and chip in a draft pick in the bargain.

If Presti does decide to trade OKC players, some names to keep an eye on include Kenrich Williams, Derrick Favors and even the beloved Luguentz Dort. Dort has done nothing but increase his value since Shai

Dort has done nothing but increase his value since Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went down with an ankle injury last week. He has led the Thunder in scoring in four of the five games OKC has played since then; the one game he didn't lead, on Feb. 5 in Sacramento, was because he didn't play.

Dort's hot week contributed to an unexpected three-game win streak without SGA. OKC took a game against Portland, as we discussed last week, before rattling off a gritty overtime win in Dallas and another victory over the Trail Blazers on the road.

Aided by white-hot shooting from Tre Mann, who finished with 29 points of his own, Dort notched 30 in the Dallas win and drained six 3-pointers. But on Friday in Portland, while putting up another 23 points, Dort sustained a facial injury that sidelined him for the team's Saturday loss in Sacramento.

When he returned Monday, at home for a matchup with Golden State, it was with a new look.

"He's playing in a mask, and he looks awesome," head coach Mark Daigneault joked with reporters before the game. "I've requested that he wears the mask forever."

In a clear protective face guard, Dort's first shot of the game was a wild miss. But the Canadian figured out his new headgear and helped OKC take a 23-20 lead over the Warriors after one quarter.

Golden State, though, recently got Klay Thompson back from a two-year injury absence. With the Splash Brothers together again in the Golden State backcourt, the Warriors have emerged as a legitimate title contender in the West.

In the second quarter, Thompson and Steph Curry started cooking from deep. They entered halftime with a 10-point lead.

Oklahoma City stayed within shouting distance throughout, bolstered by another 26-point night from Dort. Darius Bazley, a much-improved player in the past month, chipped in 20 points of his own, while Josh Giddey notched yet another double-double with 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists.

Thompson and Curry were held to average nights, by their standards, but the deeper Warriors roster propelled Golden State to the 110-98 victory.

Oklahoma City is now 17-36 on the season.

The Thunder return on Wednesday, Feb. 9, for a home matchup with Toronto. Then they hit the road for a Friday game at Philadelphia and a Saturday contest in Chicago, two formidable Eastern Conference foes.

And of course, the trade deadline looms in the middle on Feb. 10.

Enjoy the games and the trade deadline, and Thunder Up!