It has been quite the offseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder as they have established a Big Three with Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and Carmelo Anthony. In these two trades, the Thunder only gave up Victor Oladipo, Domantas Sabonis, Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second round draft pick via the Chicago Bulls.
While the All-Star core was established just one year after Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors, there were questions as to why Westbrook did not sign his five-year, $205 million contract extension. However, on Durant's birthday, the reigning league Most Valuable Player finally signed it. According to Royce Young of ESPN, George says Westbrook's decision will factor into his decision in free agency:
Although George was ultimately traded to the Thunder, he has been linked with his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, who are in the process of clearing enough cap space to sign two max contract players. With Westbrook committing to five more seasons, he and the Thunder will have a full season to persuade him to re-sign with Oklahoma City.
While it appears all teams are chasing the defending champion Warriors, the Thunder will pose a unique threat to them. As the Thunder have a strong starting lineup, it will be interesting if they attempt to improve their bench depth during the course of the 2017-18 NBA season.
Follow Us
Subscribe
