There's no clear path ahead for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
To think the Thunder would take the Houston Rockets, who ironically acquired Russell Westbrook from the Thunder to pair with James Harden in the offseason, to seven games in the first round of the playoffs would've sounded far-fetched back in October. Well, they defied the odds.
The Thunder were among the surprise teams in the NBA this season, going 44-28, which was good for the fifth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. They did so after trading Westbrook and Paul George in the offseason. In their place, from a body standpoint, was Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, and Shai-Gilgeous Alexander. They put up a fight against every team in the NBA.
Unfortunately for the Thunder faithful, they lost a heartbreaking Game 7 shoot-out by two points. News broke on Tuesday night that the Thunder and head coach Billy Donovan are parting ways.
The dust has settled, and the success story is over. What now?
First and foremost: who's coaching this team next season?
Donovan's departure likely stems from four consecutive first-round playoff exits. That said, this was a season where the Thunder looked like a mere threat to sneak into the playoffs, and they finished with their best winning percentage since the 2015-16 NBA season.
Oklahoma City has three ways it can go: the go-for-it route, the bleed-it-out route, and the rebuilding route. Who president Sam Presti and friends pick to patrol the sidelines could dictate their preference.
Bringing in a coach who's looking for a second chance, like Tyronn Lue, could signify that the Thunder are going to roll with this crew again next season; hiring a high-profile coach like Mike D'Antoni, who has coached a bevy of contending teams, could signify that the Thunder are going all in on building a sustained contender; bringing in someone like Kenny Atkinson, who did a superb job progressing the careers of young players on the Brooklyn Nets, could indicate a rebuild is coming.
What veterans are part of the future?
Gallinari, who averaged 18.7 points per game in the regular season, is a free agent this offseason; Dennis Schroder, a part of the team's three-headed point guard monster this season, and life-long Thunder center Steven Adams are free agents after the 2020-21 season; Paul is 35.
It's feasible to think the Thunder get calls on Paul, Schroder, and Adams this offseason. Paul is still one of the better point guards in the NBA and has two years remaining on his contract; Schroder is a savvy play-maker who could be another team's answer at the point; Adams is one of the best centers in the league. All three players could fetch the Thunder draft capital and/or young assets via trade.
Trading one or more of the aforementioned players would be operating with a rebuilding mindset. How would such a project pan out?
The West is historically loaded, as teams with an abundance of young talent face overwhelming competition to make the playoffs next season (Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns). The rebuilding teams the Thunder would be entering the ring with are far more advanced in their projects and, in some cases, are playoff contenders.
The Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Utah Jazz are going to be in the thick of the conference race moving forward. Watching the NBA playoffs in anticipation is the Golden State Warriors, who get a healthy Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson back next season. Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves get a healthy Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell, and the number one pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
Gilgeous-Alexander, who was the key asset in the Thunder's return on George, Luguentz Dort, Hamidou Diallo, and Darius Bazley are safe bets to return, as they're all on rookie or two-way contracts, are 24 or younger, and were pleasant developments for the Thunder this season. The organization also has a boatload of draft picks over the next five years thanks to their offseason wheeling and dealing. That can lead to an influx of fresh legs in the coming years or a reputable player via trade.
Is that a core that's more likely to yield positive results in two or five years? If the latter, is it worth the risk?
It can be easy to lose sight of the fact that the Thunder were a single late-minute bucket away from advancing to the second round. If they go deeper in the playoffs, is the prospect of them trading away vital players to their success this season being discussed? Can they swing a trade for a high-profile player on shaky ground with his team/could be moved for fair value like Bradley Beal or Buddy Hield? If the Thunder make such a trade are they a threat to win the West?
We're spewing a lot of hypotheticals, but that's precisely what the future of this team is: a hypothetical.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have options, but none of them stand out.
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