Let's talk about Oklahoma City, which took it on the chin on Wednesday night in Dallas, lose by 24 points.

First loss in the season for the Thunder, so no reason to panic there.

But, um, you know, the question over the last couple of days has been, does Oklahoma City need to make a deal to continue to be a contender in the Uh , Western Conference.

Now we saw Jalen Williams had the surgery.

I did find it interesting that they said he'd be reevaluated before the end of the season.

I can't fathom a scenario where he comes back from that type of injury.

That was a Gordon Hayward type of injury.

And even the like the dislocation, the fracture.

Like this is, you don't drop a guy like that back into like a playoff situation.

Like, are you crazy?

I, I don't know.

I'm not sure why that maybe they did that like for Jalen Williams or whatever, but I, there's no way Jalen Williams comes back.

Cason Wallace, we'll see, you know, that's a less, it, it's a serious injury, but a less devastating injury, um.

Uh, look, they do have some pieces there.

You know, AJ Mitchell had 29 points in the game last night.

I think he's poised for a big breakout.

McCain, great offensive player, Caruso, kind of a Swiss Army knife, to both backcourt positions, but the loss of Williams and the loss of Wallace has taken away two reliable wing defenders, and there are a lot of top players in that conference that they would have matched up with on the wing.

So, in your opinion, uh, how aggressive does Oklahoma City need to be?

Uh, over the next couple of months, and I'll put it this way, like 1 being no big deal, you got enough pieces as it is, or 10.

Make a fucking deal, man.

Make a deal, fellas.

You gotta make it happen.

I, I'm fifty-fifty on it because I still wanna see um how they continue to trend up because I do believe you still gotta.

You're, you're lacking in size, but you still got some pretty good pieces of what you have.

Uh, like you said, AJ Mitchell, Jarrett McCain.

I'm just looking at the defensive side of it when you look at Denver and how AJ Mitchell was able to go head to head versus Murray.

You know what I mean?

And how they're able to get into the ball and try to get some stops even though last night they got blew out.

Um, I don't know where you would go to make that trade that would, that, that would stop the bleeding.

Do you try to go back and get Wiggins?

Do you try to go back and get Dort, like, or do you ask guys to step up and you have enough time for the Barn hess to try to implement themselves, uh, the Bennett Sturts to try to figure out whatever occurs.

But I think you still have, uh, all NBA player in Chet Holmgren.

You know what I mean?

You still have a solid big man, it's uh Isaiah Hardenstein.

And then you also just have the, the reigning MVP.

I think you have enough to try to carry you defensively, but also in the sense of like, They're a system, they're a system team.

I think they can kind of step up.

I just don't know where, where, what, what they would get, what they would get in return that would definitely help and kind of stop the bleeding.

You need another start.

I, I keep screaming this dude's name and it's terrible to keep saying it, but it's like, all right, go get Zach Levine.

Like he's gonna get you 20 like, you know what I mean?

But like, I, I, I just think once you get to the, the playoffs, it's kind of somewhat firepower, but I think their, their natural defensive principles can carry them over and keep them in most of the games.

I feel very confident they're not trading for Zach Levine, very confident they're not doing.

Like I don't know who else would give up anything.

What would you give up ?

Where can you go?

Well, I mean, Brian Windhorst, uh, kind of did this thing where he said, don't be surprised if they make a run at somebody they've already had, which, you know, basically means Wiggins or Dort.

Um, they're not gonna get Isaiah Joe back.

That doesn't, uh, solve their problem.

Um, I'm looking at Dort's numbers early on in Atlanta.

They're not very good.

5 games played after 23 minutes per game, which is the lowest since his rookie year, uh, shooting 35% from the floor, 27% from 3.

Uh, so he's not lighting the world on fire in Atlanta.

Would the Hawks be willing to part with him?

In the right trade.

I think after what I've seen, uh, just, even last night he made a couple of threes, but I think he's really struggling in that system.

I talked to CJ McCollum, and obviously that system's kind of like an equal opportunity flowing system, so he's doing stuff he probably shouldn't be doing.

But I think in this for team chem chemistry and camaraderie to have a familiar face in this, I mean, midst of tragedy and the ship rocking, I think Lou showing up and his presence emotionally and being able to fit into that system and keep the rhythm going.

I think his presence would do a lot.

I think it would be a great trade in that sense because, you know, SGA never ever wanted to get rid of him.

Like, you know what I'm saying?

SGA always went to, went to fight for him.

I believe, uh, you know, players play better when they're happy, so that jumper might come back if in familiar plays, familiar systems, and, and having, uh, camaraderie with his old teammates and You know, they just keep the ship running, man.

I believe that would be the best, best, best decision for sure.

How about you?

Yeah, he, he's only 27 years old, um.

His numbers did dip last season.

He was 34% from 3 last year, 38% from the floor.

But look, it, it's not an ideal situation, but you're right.

He does have a great relationship with Shay.

He does know the system inside and out.

He has won a championship there.

He's a popular guy in that locker room.

I think that would solve a couple of issues.

He would galvanize the locker room even more.

And give them someone they know what they're gonna get from.

Give them someone they know they could put on Luka Dacic and get good, someone they could put on Steph Cassel and get good minutes .

Um, it makes a lot of sense.

My, my only question is like, and look, you can do a deal like that because you've got some movable contracts.

Like the emergence of Ada Mara has opened up a world of possibilities for this team because now.

Hartenstein in a way is kind of a luxury.

Jalen Williams, the other Jalen Williams, is kind of a luxury.

Like one or both of those guys is going to be gone in the next year or so.

Like that's just a fact because you've got a cheap alternative in Mara, so you're not gonna keep those salaries on your books.

They will go the way of Isaiah Joe and Dort and Aaron Wiggins.

So maybe you bump up the timeline.

You put a little more pressure on Mara early on.

And you go and get a guy like Dortback or you swing big, Evan, like I'm looking at New York right now and I'm wondering.

Is there a way with the right draft capital you could pry McKala Bridges loose?

Like, is there a way, like, like Bridges, I don't think he's playing great to start the season either.

I, I haven't, um, that happens.

I mean, the fifth man is gonna swing up and down, like, you know what I mean, but pause, but I understand, and he's at, he's, he's, he's had a turbulent, uh, run.

Yeah, he's averaging 5 points per game, 27 from the floor , 25 for 3, so.

He, he always has these, yeah, these, these roller coaster ride with McHale Bridges, uh, in New York, but he did win a championship anyway.

Like, do they swing big, dig into their war chest of draft picks, and go get a guy like Bridges who would seem to be like the perfect kind of Thunder player, you know, Swiss Army knife type of guys, fit in at Phoenix, got help get them to the finals, helped the Knicks win a championship like.

You can see how it would make sense.

And if the price is right for New York, would you part with him, knowing that you've got some financial issues coming up in the future.

You know, you're still dealing with Kat's extension, you're still dealing with Brunson's future extension.

Uh, you got Deuce McBride there on the bench, Tyler Coli there on the bench, Josh Hart got a team option next year, like, maybe.

That's the team I'd be looking at saying like, could you, could you pry uh McHale Bridges loose from them and really go big in that situation.

Now, I love that for sure because the one thing they keep screaming about is like 2nd apron, 2nd apron, 2nd apron.

So for sure, there's somebody that they do want to give up.

I believe to get ready for Kat signing and other people trying to re-sign, I think that makes complete sense.

I think McKae Bridges has a lot in the gas tank left.

I just think his time in that system and the production you're requiring of him kind of has ran its peak.

And the peak was in the championship where he's averaging 20 and playing damn near.

At a high, high level, but this isn't the defense of McHale.

He's a top, a guy that's a top 3 option, not the 5th option, you know, so I think in that sense, he's always gonna struggle up and down on where he's gonna get his shots from, especially when it comes time to trying to play out the flow of the offense.

So it could go by game by game or case by case.

But for the sake of uh the Atlanta Hawks, I think they might be able to do it because they've been screening, their front court needs help.

The front court definitely needs help, and I believe Jalen Williams, we don't give him enough credit, but he's been balling, bro.

He's balled last year in the, you know, in the playoffs.

He, uh, I think his jump shot has continued to develop.

I think on the court, he's been physical, he's been, uh, you know, anchoring the interior defense, even just as a, a brolic bully.

So I believe he will fit well with Atlanta and, uh, you know, I think it will both help them.

You know, you get rid of your third big to move up your young guy and then bring back a piece that they might not want.

Yeah, I agree with that, and I, I think they will do something before February.

They don't need to rush it because they can win a lot of regular season games with this current group, but to succeed in the playoffs against a Luca, against a Castle Harper combination, you gotta have one more perimeter defender, I think, and, um, I think they'll go out and find one.