2. Oklahoma City Thunder
Another team that could have a lot of cap room this summer is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Provided they end up waiving all their non-guaranteed players, the Thunder should be able to create enough room to bring on Middleton and his $40 million salary.
OKC is a team that has gained a reputation for taking on bad contracts in order to get back draft picks. If they were to gain Middleton’s services, it would presumably not be through trade, so no picks would be involved here. But what they would get is a high-level scorer that could help them reach the level of playoff contender in the Western Conference.
Middleton would fit in quite well with the Thunder while having Shai Gilgeous-Alexander feed him the ball. His steady shooting would be huge in providing help for SGA offensively, and he could be an effective mentor to up-and-coming players like Jalen Williams.
Having already reached the play-in tournament after being projected to win less than 25 games in 2022-23, the Thunder certainly surprised some teams this year and has to feel they are a piece or two away from becoming a real threat out West. One of those pieces could be last year’s second-overall pick, Chet Holmgren. Throwing in Khris Middleton to the Thunder’s lineup would make them a force to be reckoned with.