Sam Presti and Oklahoma City Thunder had one of the most active summers in franchise history. Bringing in a prime and a post-prime superstar was a clear indicator that the 2017-18 season will be an all-in season for the organization, and that Russell Westbrook will get his best chance at winning a ring in the post-Kevin Durant era.
After a somewhat disappointing stretch at the start of the season, it seemed that the Warriors are far out of reach and that all the off season movement might have been for naught. However, the Thunder Big Four started to finally mesh, and the positive overall development was enough to bring the hopes of the fans back up. The unfortunate injury that Andre Roberson sustained was obviously a huge setback, but a pre-deadline move by the Thunder was on the cards nevertheless.
The current impression is that OKC might be just a piece or two away from truly contending with the top teams of the West, and all eyes are on Presti to deliver once again.
The Thunder front office will have to reach MVP levels to fulfill those expectations. The assets at their disposal are currently quite limited, as there is only a few trade pieces that are tradeable and that could have positive value for potential trade partners.
The main candidate for getting shipped out of Oklahoma is Alex Abrines. The 24-year-old Spaniard has shown some alluring offensive flashes in his short tenure with the Thunder, but his struggles on defense are simply not in line with the newly established defensive identity of the team, which led to him playing just eight minutes per contest in January. His offensive prowess, however, might still be attractive for teams looking for young scorers that haven't reached their ceiling yet. But the Thunder must acquire more essential role players if they're intending to make a deep playoff run with their Big Three.
Since the organization seems to be fairly high on Terrence Ferguson, their most recent draftee who claimed the starting spot after Roberson's injury, his older version with less potential might be placed on the trading block as well. With proper development and playing time, Josh Huestis might become a reliable 3-and-D option, but given the win-now mode the Thunder are currently in, he simply won't have enough opportunity to thrive, thus making him another movable asset.
Another player that gets consistently featured in trade talks is Jerami Grant, but expect the Thunder to focus on retaining him as he has proven to be a valuable bench piece, and gutting the second unit even more could prove to be counterproductive. Grant is not untouchable by any means, but the Thunder will be willing to part ways with him only if they can get a crucial piece in return.
One more thing to consider is that the Thunder cannot trade their 2018 nor 2019 first-round pick (just like 12 other teams), but they can sweeten the potential deal with a second round pick.
Let's take a look at the options these assets provide for the Thunder front office, ranked by feasibility and potential return value. Which ever deal the Thunder do decide to take, they'll have till February 8th to finalize it.
5. Rodney Hood, Jonas Jerebko
Sources around the league believe that Rodney Hood is at the exit door in Utah, which makes him a decent candidate for filling the deficient SG spot in Oklahoma. Hood would likely not be a perfect replacement for Roberson, since he noticeably puts in a lot more effort in offense rather than defense, but if he could reach at least average level on the defensive end, his spacing ability would do wonders for Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George on offense.
Hood is currently shooting a career best 39 percent from beyond the arc on seven attempts, which would make him the fifth legitimate scoring threat in the Thunder lineup. Hood is also in his contract year, which would be another source of motivation to present himself in the best possible light on a contending team.
Huestis and Jerebko are filler pieces required to make the salaries work, but they make sense for both teams. Huestis is a better fit for the Jazz timeline which is now obviously revolving around Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, while Jerebko provides reliable 3-point shooting (43 percent on two attempts this season), hustle on the boards and experience off the bench.
The main problem with this deal which would reunite the two Spanish natives is that the Thunder could easily get outbid by other teams Hood has drawn interest from, as Abrines and Huestis don't seem like an ample return for a 17-point scorer. However, the Jazz will have to sell low due to the risk of losing Hood for no return in the offseason, so it wouldn't be a huge surprise if Presti managed to pull this one off.
4. Tyreke Evans
A trade involving Tyreke Evans is imminent at this point as the Grizzlies decided to sit him out until the trade deadline. The asking price of a first-round pick is quite steep considering the fact that the receiving team will not get his Bird rights, meaning that only teams with enough cap space will be able to resign him after the season. Therefore, Evans will most likely become a three-month rental for a contender, which puts the Thunder in an ideal position to try and bring him over.
Evans' defense, just like Hood's, leaves much to be desired, but his production is on par with his Rookie of the Year campaign, which makes him a clear-cut upgrade to the current Thunder roster. Giving Evans a starting spot might seem redundant given the overlap in skill set between him and Westbrook.
However, introducing Evans to the second unit could be extremely beneficial for the Thunder whose bench seems lackluster at times. Whether Evans starts or comes in off the bench, he would undeniably be a major acquisition for the Thunder, one that would instantly improve the chances of reaching the latter stages of the playoffs.
Given the fact that the Grizzlies might be forced to lower their demands for Evans, Abrines and a second-rounder might just be enough to acquire him. Other than the Cavaliers, there currently aren't many contenders that could properly utilize and fit Evans into their rotation while giving valuable assets in return.
3. Courtney Lee, Kyle O'Quinn
Courtney Lee has found his sweet spot in New York City, averaging career highs all across the board in his ninth year. That makes him an invaluable piece for the Knicks, who are still in the playoff picture, but an enticing prospect for other teams as well. Lee himself is not explicitly opposed to a change of environment, which proves he might be missing the excitement of the NBA Finals he experienced with the Magic in his inaugural season.
Unlike Evans and Hood, Lee has actually achieved reputation of a reliable two-way player, and that would make him fit right into the vacant starting SG spot. Even though Andre Roberson's amazing defensive presence can now easily be labeled as irreplaceable in the Thunder system, Lee is one of the most competent players who could fill his shoes, with the added bonus of not being a black hole on offense or the free throw line. Another positive is that his usage rate is way lower than that of guys like Hood and Evans, so being a fifth option on offense and conserving energy for defensive duties would not be an issue.
The success rate of trade proposals is inversely proportional to the number of players involved, but if the Thunder front office is to make a deal with the Knicks, they might want to address another hole in the roster.
Dakari Johnson is still not ready to contribute at the highest level, so a backup center like Kyle O'Quinn might be the best available option to take some load off of Steven Adams. O'Quinn will most likely decline his player option next season seeking a more substantial contract, so the Knicks should be open to including him in a deal.
O'Quinn's contract is a neutral one at best, so giving up another expiring (Grant) while sending Abrines, Huestis and a second round pick for Lee could work. Singler's negative contract used to balance out the salaries might make this trade seem like the Knicks are getting fleeced, but the Thunder should absolutely look into acquiring the Lee and O'Quinn via this trade, or any of its variations. At the end of the day, O'Quinn is perfect filler to give the Thunder some flexibility.
2. Jonathon Simmons
There isn't a single NBA fan not acquainted with Jonathon Simmons' movie adaptation-worthy path to the NBA. The $150 investment yielded an insane ROI for Simmons, and even though he hasn't become a household name by any means, he has indeed found his place under the sun among the pros. He has already doubled his offensive production in his first year with the Magic, and his team-friendly contract makes him an intriguing piece for teams looking to bolster their roster.
For the Thunder, Simmons is the player that bears the most resemblance to Roberson that might be up for grabs. Although he hasn't played stellar defense this season, his stint with the Spurs, where he led the entire team in defensive rating, has shown that his physicality and defensive awareness make him a viable option for defending elite wing players. He might not get All-Defensive Team considerations like Roberson, but he might be able to ease George's defensive burden, and let him preserve energy for offensive duties.
While his athleticism and Popovich pedigree make Simmons exceptional on defense, he boast surprising offensive upside. He can easily fill Roberson's role of a weak-side cutter, and his success rate from the charity stripe is at a respectable 75 percent, meaning that there isn't any obstacles for Simmons to close out games
Besides Abrines and Huestis, the Thunder would likely have to give up their second round pick, but adding Simmons to the roster would definitely be worth it. On the other hand, Huestis could fill up Simmons' spot off the bench, and in case trade talks surrounding Evan Fournier come to fruition, Abrines might become the next international guard that realizes his potential in Florida.
5. Avery Bradley
Just like Jae Crowder, Avery Bradley suffered a noticeable decline following his departure from Boston and Brad Stevens' system. He had a solid start to the season, but after he returned from a groin injury, he virtually fell off a cliff, posting an abysmal net rating of -9.3 in 12 games in January. That eventually led to Bradley being packaged with Tobias Harris in a deal for Blake Griffin, and it's still not certain what the future holds for him.
Inserting Bradley into the starting lineup would be the best possible solution for the Thunder right now. At 6′ 2″ he definitely doesn't have the size nor the length of Andre Roberson, but his terrier-like approach to defense is well-known across the league, especially among guards. It's unfortunate than in less than a year since being known as Boston”s best defender, he's not been a piece in trades for multiple stars. Perhaps the Thunder can provide a permanent home.
Having an elite guard stopper and an elite wing stopper, with Steven Adams acting as a safety net and Westbrook roaming for steals and easy points, the Thunder would become even more of a nightmare defensive matchup for any team. Bradley would also give the Thunder the best possible opportunity to reach their ultimate goal – competing with the Warriors in a seven-game series.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UidcTWnRHQ
If an opportunity presents itself, the Thunder should absolutely insist on bringing Bradley's ability to smother the opposition and get under their skin by any means necessary. Since Bradley is bound to enter unrestricted free agency in the offseason, the Clippers asking price shouldn't be too high, especially given the fact that keeping Bradley doesn't fall in line with Jerry West's idea of a rebuild. Abrines, Huestis and a second-round pick might work, but the Thunder shouldn't hesitate to throw in another second-rounder or even Jerami Grant if deemed necessary.
A Westbrook / Bradley / George / Anthony / Adams lineup would unquestionably be worth it.
It's clear now that trading Paul George before the deadline is completely off the books, and that the Thunder core will remain untouched heading into the postseason. Considering that their framework for the next season radically depends on whether they manage to make noise in the playoffs, a trade deadline move by the front office has become an absolute necessity. Acquiring any of the players discussed would further boost their chances of disrupting the Warriors spell of dominance, so expect Presti to work his magic once again, be it for a longer term contract or just a playoff rental.
Besides trades, there will be some experienced players available via buyout that could add value for the current roster. Players like Tony Allen, Joe Johnson, or even Brook Lopez could further reinforce the Thunder title candidacy; the room for maneuvering will increase as the trade deadline nears and passes, so rest assured that the Thunder will head into the playoffs fully prepared to take a stab at a title in the role of an underdog.
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