Lofty expectations were set for the Oklahoma City Thunder after the team acquired Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in the offseason to flank reigning MVP Russell Westbrook. The plan was for this new “Big Three” to challenge the defending champion Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy, but with more than one fourth of the '17-'18 NBA regular season gone by, the results have been less than promising. Despite winning four of their last six games, the Thunder are still out of the Western Conference playoff picture at 9th place with a sub-.500 record of 13-15.
The 33-year-old Anthony, a 10-time All-Star, has had difficulty finding his niche on offense and has been the Achilles' Heel of an otherwise steady Thunder defense. George, on the other hand, has been vastly underutilized on offense as Westbrook and Anthony have seemingly been taking turns isolating. He also holds the option of walking away from the team in free agency this coming summer, placing even more pressure on OKC to put together a decent showing this season to convince him to re-sign with the team.
If the Thunder continue to struggle as the trade deadline approaches and the departure of George begins to look inevitable, GM Sam Presti may be forced to make a move to either save the team's flailing season or restructure the roster into one that puts the franchise in a better position in the long run. Trading Westbrook this season is out of the question thanks to the restrictions linked with his newly signed maximum deal, so the team must continue to build around him. Without further ado, here are five possible trades for the Thunder that could help fix this situation before it possibly sours into the next chapter of the ‘Melo-drama.
- Moving the albatross
– OKC acquires: C.J. McCollum, Meyers Leonard
– POR acquires: Carmelo Anthony, Alex Abrines, OKC's 2022 first round pick and 2018 2nd round pick
Many of the storylines surrounding Oklahoma City's struggles this year have revolved around Anthony. Swapping him out for McCollum would give OKC an elite scorer and perimeter shooter in his prime to help spread the floor and take pressure off of Westbrook. Yes, McCollum is undersized and could pose a problem on defense, but at least he tries–something that cannot be confidently said about Anthony. A trio of Westbrook, George, and McCollum form a frightening perimeter attack that can score with the best of them.
The obvious hitch here is Anthony's infamous no-trade clause, but the chance to play with Damian Lillard as the clear second scorer could be an enticing alternative for ‘Melo if the situation in Oklahoma City gets troublesome.
Portland might be willing to pursue this trade as the team has had similar struggles to begin the season. Now in the third year of the Damian Lillard-McCollum experiment, the Trail Blazers have had mixed results so far. The team could benefit from a change in personnel and a different approach in an attempt to maximize Lillard's the prime years. Anthony's ability to score from the low post would give Portland a different dimension and fill a hole that has been lacking since the departure of LaMarcus Aldridge.
- Bringing on the inevitable
– OKC acquires: Julius Randle, Luol Deng, LAL's 2020 first round pick
– LAL acquires: Paul George
The talk surrounding George's desire to sign with the Lakers after this season has been hovering around the NBA for most of the calendar year and were a major factor in Indiana's decision to trade the 4-time All Star to OKC. If the Thunder front office is convinced that George will depart for Los Angeles, it could flip him before the deadline to avoid losing him for nothing.
Oklahoma City gets a look at Randle, who will become a restricted free agent in the offseason. Despite moving to the bench this season and spending most of his minutes at center, Randle has been effective, playing with boundless energy on both ends of the floor. If things don't work out with George in Los Angeles and the team's development does not go as planned, the 2020 Laker pick could be an extremely valuable asset as well.
- Swing for the fences?
– OKC acquires: John Henson, Mirza Teletovic, Malcolm Brogdon
– MIL acquires: Steven Adams
Adams is an important piece to the puzzle in Oklahoma City, but he is also the team's most trade-able asset thanks to the pending free agency of George and Anthony's no-trade clause. While Henson is a definite downgrade from Adams, he can provide OKC with decent rim protection and finishing around the basket. The real prize here is Brogdon, the reigning Rookie of the Year. Though his numbers don't jump off the page, Brogdon's length, shooting, and playmaking would be an ideal fit as a stabilizer alongside Westbrook, George, and Anthony.
For Milwaukee, Adams provides them a menace on the inside that they have sorely lacked. Adams' role in Milwaukee will be similar to his current one in OKC and his addition would bolster the Bucks' chances of vaulting into the Eastern Conference elite.
- Turning lemons into lemonade.
– OKC acquires: Wesley Johnson, DeMarre Carroll, Lou Williams
– BKN acquires: Paul George
– LAC acquires: Alex Abrines, Caris LeVert
Assuming OKC is hesitant to serve George to the Lakers on a silver platter, this trade allows the team to avoid losing their star forward for nothing while still allowing them to compete for a title this year. Despite losing George, this trade gives OKC the depth that it has sorely lacked this year. Slotting in Johnson and Carroll alongside Westbrook, Anthony, and Adams gives them two elite defenders who can cover multiple positions and also hit the three. Meanwhile, Williams gives them the scoring punch off the bench that they have sorely lacked since last season.
Brooklyn, for its part, gets a superstar who fits perfectly in head coach Kenny Atkinson's system and fast forwards their rebuilding process. A core of George, D'Angelo Russell, and a healthy Jeremy Lin next season would be dynamic on offense.
While Brooklyn moves forward with its rebuilding phase, this trade allows the Clippers to begin their own. LeVert has shown promise as a wing playmaker while Abrines has shot the lights out whenever he has been given extended playing time. Though it seems unlikely that the two will develop into perennial All-Stars, they have the potential to become outstanding complementary pieces to a superstar on a contender.
- Swing for the fences? (Part 2)
– OKC acquires: Cody Zeller, Nerlens Noel, JJ Barea
– DAL acquires: Steven Adams
– CHA acquires: Seth Curry, Josh McRoberts
Another alternate Adams destination is Dallas, a team currently in flux as it rides out the last few years of the Dirk Nowitzki era. Adams would fit in well as the last line of defense behind Dennis Smith Jr. and Harrison Barnes as Rick Carlisle can utilize him in a similar role to the one Tyson Chandler filled during the Mavericks' title run in 2011.
OKC gets additional depth in the form of Barea, Zeller, and Noel. Barea has proven over the years that he can thrive in a role as a scorer and playmaker off the bench while Zeller is an intelligent screen-setter and passer whose skills will only be amplified next to three ball dominant scorers. Noel has hardly seen the floor in Dallas this season, but is a defensive dynamo whose athleticism will provide OKC with an alternative to Zeller when their opponents decide to go with quicker or more athletic line-ups.
Charlotte gets to clear its logjam at center and acquires Curry, a hometown hero and the son of Dell Curry, a former Hornet himself who currently holds a position in the team's front office. On the court, the Hornets receive an above average shooter with sufficient ball handling and playmaking abilities who will allow Kemba Walker to play off the ball, especially in crunch time. Two years ago, Walker and the Hornets thrived with Jeremy Lin filling a role as a playmaker on the second unit and an additional ballhandler next to Walker to close out games—something that Curry could easily replicate.
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