The Ghost of Trades Past: How OKC's 2021 Gamble Haunts — Or Helps — Their Ascent

In the high-stakes chess match that is NBA team building, every move, every trade, carries a ripple effect. And sometimes, just sometimes, a decision made with the purest long-term vision in mind can leave behind a lingering phantom—a 'what if' that dances in the periphery as a team finally hits its stride. For the Oklahoma City Thunder, that phantom, you could say, wears a Boston Celtics jersey and carries the wisdom of a seasoned All-Star: Al Horford.

It was 2021, and the Thunder were deep, truly deep, in their asset-collection phase. They were playing the long game, stockpiling draft picks like a squirrel preparing for a nuclear winter. In that spirit, they made a move, shipping Al Horford, Moses Brown, and a couple of future picks — a 2023 protected first-rounder and a 2025 second-rounder — to the Boston Celtics. What did they get in return? Kemba Walker, the 16th pick in the 2021 draft (which became Alperen Sengun, quickly traded for even more picks), and a future 2025 second-rounder. Walker, for his part, was swiftly flipped to the Knicks for yet more draft capital. It was a classic Sam Presti maneuver: divest veteran talent, acquire picks, picks, and more picks.

But then, Horford, a player many had perhaps — dare I say — written off as past his prime, found a new gear in Boston. Not just a gear, mind you, but an entire new engine. He became an indispensable piece, a versatile defender, a calming veteran presence, a surprisingly potent three-point threat, and, honestly, an All-Star caliber performer crucial to Boston's deep playoff runs, including a Finals appearance. He wasn't just good; he was essential.

Meanwhile, the Thunder were navigating the choppy waters of a full-blown rebuild. There were seasons of palpable struggle, of promising young talents finding their feet, of high draft picks and agonizing losses. And now, in 2024, they've finally emerged. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a legitimate MVP candidate, Chet Holmgren a foundational big, and the roster is teeming with athletic, dynamic youth. Yet, as they contend at the top of the Western Conference, a question inevitably surfaces: could Horford, that steady, experienced hand, that reliable frontcourt presence, have helped this very young squad now?

One can't help but wonder, particularly when the Thunder's current Achilles' heel sometimes appears to be a lack of traditional rebounding and veteran physicality in the paint. Horford, in truth, offers all of that, and then some. His experience, his ability to anchor a defense and stretch the floor, would be invaluable for a team still learning how to close out tight playoff games. It's a bittersweet symphony, really: the Thunder's future is blindingly bright, a testament to Presti's audacious strategy. And yet, the immediate success of Horford, the player they essentially gave away, serves as a poignant reminder of the road not taken, or perhaps, the asset they perhaps let go a little too soon.

And so, the phantom lingers. Not as a regret that overshadows their exciting present, no, not quite. But certainly, as a subtle 'what if'—a reminder that even the most meticulously planned long game in the NBA can have unexpected, almost poetic, twists and turns.