Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 Free Agency Targets
Russell Westbrook needs some weapons. Here’s Four Under-The Radar Thunder Targets (and 1 big one)
The Thunder last season resembled the Iverson-era 76ers, a defensively-minded team that revolved around the idea of one superlative player carrying the offensive load. But this isn’t a sustainable long-term option. Starved of shooting and lacking offensive help, particularly from the bench, the Thunder withered against the Rockets’ fusillade in the playoffs. The cracks that were papered over during the regular season were completely exposed.
So what’s next? Who can they get to solve their problems? And what does a Westbrook-led team ideally look like?
First off, let’s look at the 4 free agents that finished the season on the Thunder this year.
The Incumbents
Though his on/off numbers have been very good and he’s probably one of the top 5 or 10 best defenders in the NBA, Andre Roberson is a huge liability on offense in general (and especially in the postseason), and on a team as starved of offense as the Thunder he may not be a fit going forward. They will probably try to keep him if his contract is reasonable, but don’t be surprised if he walks in free agency.
Taj Gibson is a terrific power forward, and though he doesn’t stretch the floor he helps teams in innumerable other small ways. He’s a canny passer, a decent shooter from the elbow and an excellent help defender with great mobility on switches. In addition, his locker room leadership and veteran savvy brought more experience to a young team sorely in need of it last season. Every team in the league should want Gibson, and the Thunder would surely like to bring him back. However, that may be contingent on Enes Kanter’s continued future with the team, as keeping Gibson would likely mean having to find a taker for Kanter for financial reasons.
Nick Collison is one of the most respected voices in the locker room, and still has some gas left in the tank. But he’s aging quickly, and if he wants playing time he might wind up going to another team to anchor a bench in a reserve role.
Norris Cole was signed to give the Thunder bench some veteran stability, but quickly found himself behind even reserve guard Semaj Christon, who by most measures was one of the worst rotation players in the NBA. Cole’s penchant for going off-book and hoisting ill-advised jumpers at the merest sliver of daylight didn’t endear him to the coaching staff, which opted for the safer Christon, who could be counted upon to at least get the ball up the floor and pass it to someone more offensively capable. It’s unlikely Cole returns.
The Thunder Retooling Template
If you’re looking for the best fits for the Thunder, your process has to start with the Westbrook/Adams pick-and-roll. Those two are the two players most likely to be long-term core pieces, judging by what Sam Presti has said up to this point. Russ is ideally a spread pick-and-roll point guard, and Adams on offense is a solid pick-and-roll center when surrounded by decent spacing. Shooting from outside the arc was a huge lack this year, as the Thunder tied for worst in the league with the brick-laying Orlando Magic. More shooting should unlock the capable slashers and post players on the roster.
The Thunder also have to try to get two-way players as much as possible. One of their big problems is that their best defensive players don’t have much juice on offense, while their best offensive players are revolving doors. Moving forward, they have to prioritize finding players that can’t get completely played off the floor in the playoffs due to getting exploited on one end or another. A roster can deal with a few of these, but there are simply too many one-way players getting minutes for the Thunder.
Finally, finding passing and playmaking has to be a priority. The Thunder spent the season with two and a half capable ball handlers on roster (Westbrook, Oladipo and Christon). Their best passer after Westbrook was probably Nick Collison, who barely played, and the dropoff after that was precipitous. To ease the load on offense the Thunder need players who can pass the ball.
So our blueprint for the basics of an ideal Thunder player:
• Capable 3-point shooters
• Can play both ends of the floor
• Can pass and handle the ball
Now, if this were an ideal world, you’d sign Klay Thompson, Paul George and Draymond Green and call it a night. Being that it’s the real world, though, we’re constrained to players who are both available and capable of signing with the Thunder.
One note on Rudy Gay, who’s a rumored Thunder free agency target: regardless of your thoughts on fit, players coming off Achilles injuries almost never come back the same (Dominique Wilkins being the notable exception). Though a proven scorer before, he’s likely to struggle this year, and it’s probable that the Thunder aren’t offering more than the mid-level for him.
Without offloading significant salary, the Thunder are constrained to the Mid-Level Exception, the Bi-Annual Exception, and veteran minimums. Barring one major sign-and-trade target, we’re going to constrain ourselves to players who might possibly be available for one of those exceptions. Some notable players who’d be great fits but likely aren’t possible are Danilo Gallinari, Gordon Hayward, Otto Porter, Andre Iguodala, JJ Redick, CJ Miles, Joe Ingles, James Johnson and Paul Millsap.
We’re also completely skipping restricted free agents, as most teams are likely to match offer sheets if they’re within the Thunder’s price range.
With those restrictions in mind, who should they go after?
Free Agency Targets
Blake Griffin:
PF | LAC | 21.6 points | 8.1 rebounds | 4.9 assists | .9 steals | .4 blocks
One of these names is not like the others.
Honestly, if it weren’t for his Oklahoma roots, it’s unlikely Blake would even end up on this list. He’s playing in a big market, and with the recent Chris Paul trade he’s the man for the Clippers going forward. Nothing he’s said has indicated he has any intention of even giving the Thunder a meeting.
With that being said, of the big free agency targets, he’s the most likely to even consider the Thunder. And he’d be a great fit.
Westbrook’s an excellent passer, but his best work is done in the middle of the floor. He’s adept at finding the rolling or popping big, but he doesn’t hunt corner 3s like some of the more natural playmakers like James Harden or John Wall. That’s where Griffin would come in. He’s an incredible passer and an excellent ball-handler for a big man, and though his outside shot’s only average, it’s there. Griffin catching the ball off Westbrook on a short roll and making a quick read to a dunker on the baseline or a corner shooter adds an extra layer of complexity to an often-simplistic Thunder offense.
He’s used to cramped spacing in the frontcourt, having played next to the Clippers’ rotating cast of punchless small forwards and dunk-first big men for years. And having a capable passer in the frontcourt unlocks more of the Westbrook off-ball cutting we saw a few times a game with Durant on the team.
Griffin’s a proven scorer too, able to shoulder some of the burden Westbrook took on by himself this year. And though not a superlative defender, he’s capable enough and has the foot speed to switch onto wings without making a fool of himself.
For the Thunder as presently constructed, Griffin is an ideal get. The only question is, does he want to come?
Patrick Patterson:
PF | TOR | 6.8 points | 4.5 rebounds | 1.2 assists | .6 steals | .4 blocks
Patterson has been making a living as a journeyman for years off one thing: his ability to shoot from outside. At .368 from beyond the arc for his career on decent volume, he’s been a capable stretch 4 at all 3 of his NBA stops so far.
He’s not without his warts. Overall he’s a so-so defender, though given a decent team scheme he won’t kill you on that end. He’s also an extremely streaky shooter, not a consistent outside threat like a Kevin Love or a Dirk Nowitzki. But that also means he might fall in the Thunder’s price range, and given the Thunder’s prowess on the boards as a team, they can live with a shaky rebounder if he contributes in other ways.
As a veteran backup or spot starter, he’s an excellent choice.
Beno Udrih:
PG/SG | DET | 5.8 points | 1.5 rebounds | 3.4 assists | .3 steals | 0 blocks
Yes. Beno Udrih.
Why Udrih? Well, first up, he’s cheaper than the better reserve point guards out there. A lot of people would love Darren Collison, but Collison’s going to make decent money, and Presti doesn’t take risks on guys with domestic violence issues. Of the available backup point guards, Udrih is a solid get.
In all his NBA stops, Udrih has brought decent shooting, canny playmaking, and stability to the reserve point guard position. He’s not going to light it up from the 3-point line, but makes those shots at a clip that ensures he won’t be left unguarded. Most of all, he’s the kind of steady hand on the tiller that would keep the bench players involved and let Westbrook get enough rest to keep up his insane pace.
Ideally, though, you’d add still more playmaking to the bench. Which leads us to…
Tyreke Evans:
PG/SG/SF | SAC | 10.3 points | 3.4 rebounds | 3.1 assists | .9 steals | .2 blocks
Let’s start with the bad.
After a promising rookie year, Evans has slowly gone downhill since. He’s a capable passer, but a black hole on offense, as ball-dominant in his own way as the Westbrooks and Hardens of the world. He’s barely played 60 games in the last two years. His knees are made of cheesecloth and held together with duct tape and string.
That being said, the injuries and his reputation have driven his price down to the point where he could be in the Thunder’s range on a cheap “prove it” deal. Evans is a proven scorer and playmaker from the point guard, shooting guard and small forward spots, and over the last couple of years his once-awful outside shooting has progressed to the point where it’s workable. He’s most comfortable as a slasher, but at least has to be guarded from outside the arc.
The Thunder are craving positional versatility, particularly across the guard spots. Evans would give them that, and his playmaking and scoring would fill a need, particularly if Enes Kanter (a similar black hole at the center spot with less passing) were traded. He’s also playable next to Westbrook in short bursts if needed.
Evans isn’t an ideal player, but he might have a chance to angle for a better deal next year by anchoring the Thunder’s bench unit. He’s worth keeping an eye on.
Michael Beasley:
SF/PF | MIL | 9.4 points | 3.4 rebounds | .9 assists | .5 steals | .5 blocks
Beasley’s name is widely mentioned as a cautionary tale, a story about what weed and lack of work ethic will do to someone who was one of the most talented basketball players in college basketball history. Beasley flamed out almost immediately when he came into the league, kicking around for years as a reclamation project before a stint in China. But this year with the Bucks, he found himself, gaining a level of maturity and comfort with his role that he’s never exhibited previously. Beasley’s back, baby.
He’ll never be the player he was projected to be coming out of college, but what he is works well for what the Thunder need. Beasley’s a combo forward who can flat-out score the basketball in a multitude of different ways, and his shooting from outside the arc is good enough to get the job done if you play him in a stretch role. This year he bought in on the defensive end for maybe the first time in his career, and though he can’t be called “good” he’s good enough.
That being said, Beasley/Kanter front lines would look like a red carpet leading to the hoop for opposing teams, so bringing Beasley on board would be contingent on any Kanter trade. But as a microwave bench scorer and wing/forward option, he’d bring proven touch to a team that desperately needs it.
A Quiet Free Agency
With the exception of Griffin, none of the names on this list are particularly awe-inspiring. They don’t have to be. The Thunder’s biggest free agency signing to this point has been Anthony Morrow. They don’t traditionally do their shopping through free agency, but through trades; the most likely use of free agency is to find players that can capably shore up the Thunder’s putrid bench play.
This shopping trip looks more like Dollar General than Saks Fifth Avenue, but stay tuned. Though the free agency market looks to be quiet for the Thunder, they’re likely to have a very active trade season. Don’t fret about free agency, because the fun is only just beginning.
