2017 OKC Thunder Trade Discussion

[ThunderBolt]

Everyone is being too harsh on Adams, he is way better than this, it has to be an injury or something. We all know he is a beast, wait until next season before we even think about trading him.

Oladipo is tradeable but only if the right move comes along, I would also wait on him a bit since I think his value can go up some more.

Kanter for me is the guy we should be pressuring to trade, can't have a guy with his contract being unplayable half the time.

Really? Because the evidence of this entire season says otherwise. Yes he was good in the playoffs last year but that is such a small sample size that it obviously over inflated his value. He's just not very good. Kanter is even worse. Early in the year Kanter did ok passing out of the double team. Now he is struggling to score and a turnover machine. Adams has shown us who he is all season, it's time we believe him.

[Funcrusher]

I messed up with the quote stuff, sorry about this guys.

[Funcrusher]

Read on Twitter

If Presti were to pull that off, I'd be all like

Wouldn't this theoretical trade make more sense if the Knicks acquired Oladipo, instead of Kanter? Why would the Knicks want another center, even if you assume that they intend to trade Noah?

[ThunderBolt]

I don't want Melo. The last thing this teams needs is less ball movement. I just don't see it. I would rather presti just be honest with Russ and tell him-"Russ were really young but most of these guys suck and have no potential. No star wants to come here. Our best option is we trade our 'core' guys for younger talent and star over. Will you stay and stabilize the franchise?"

[spearsy23]

I don't want Melo. The last thing this teams needs is less ball movement. I just don't see it. I would rather presti just be honest with Russ and tell him-"Russ were really young but most of these guys suck and have no potential. No star wants to come here. Our best option is we trade our 'core' guys for younger talent and star over. Will you stay and stabilize the franchise?"

On this team 2 guys who can give you thirty on league average efficiency would be a mega upgrade. Forget ball movement, players have to be decent for ball movement to work.

[Funcrusher]

I don't want Melo. The last thing this teams needs is less ball movement. I just don't see it. I would rather presti just be honest with Russ and tell him-"Russ were really young but most of these guys suck and have no potential. No star wants to come here. Our best option is we trade our 'core' guys for younger talent and star over. Will you stay and stabilize the franchise?"

Dude, did you listen to the thing? It doesn't suggest Melo to OKC, the hypothetical was a three-way trade, assuming Blake doesn't decide to terminate his contract, between NY, LA and OKC. We would be getting Griffin, LA would get Melo. I'm just saying, Simmons suggests Kanter get traded as part of the three way, but, as little leverage as the Knicks have, they're not gonna trade for another center. Oladipo would make much more sense considering the Knicks have actual needs at that position.

[ThunderBolt]

I don't want Melo. The last thing this teams needs is less ball movement. I just don't see it. I would rather presti just be honest with Russ and tell him-"Russ were really young but most of these guys suck and have no potential. No star wants to come here. Our best option is we trade our 'core' guys for younger talent and star over. Will you stay and stabilize the franchise?"

Dude, did you listen to the thing? It doesn't suggest Melo to OKC, the hypothetical was a three-way trade, assuming Blake doesn't decide to terminate his contract, between NY, LA and OKC. We would be getting Griffin, LA would get Melo. I'm just saying, Simmons suggests Kanter get traded as part of the three way, but, as little leverage as the Knicks have, they're not gonna trade for another center. Oladipo would make much more sense considering the Knicks have actual needs at that position.

No I misread it. My bad.

[Funcrusher]

I don't want Melo. The last thing this teams needs is less ball movement. I just don't see it. I would rather presti just be honest with Russ and tell him-"Russ were really young but most of these guys suck and have no potential. No star wants to come here. Our best option is we trade our 'core' guys for younger talent and star over. Will you stay and stabilize the franchise?"

Dude, did you listen to the thing? It doesn't suggest Melo to OKC, the hypothetical was a three-way trade, assuming Blake doesn't decide to terminate his contract, between NY, LA and OKC. We would be getting Griffin, LA would get Melo. I'm just saying, Simmons suggests Kanter get traded as part of the three way, but, as little leverage as the Knicks have, they're not gonna trade for another center. Oladipo would make much more sense considering the Knicks have actual needs at that position.

No I misread it. My bad.

No harm done. Also, speaking from a realistic standpoint, it's probably not happening because.... Presti, but, call me crazy, I could definitely see a trade like that working out for all three teams. Oladipo, KP, Hernagomez , and a top draft pick can (hopefully) develop into a nice young core. LA gets the playmaker at the wing that they desperately need. And.... we bring the chip to the promised land. Sweet dreams.

[Zagor]

Fu******* Sam Presti.
How did he manage to team up this **** roster? Scrubs like Kanter, Singler.....Sabonis will be new Kanter because he will never be able to defend even on average level. Semaj, Grant?
How can you compete in the league if you can't sign anyone on the FA market?
And Billy D.....he is a story on his own. Just average coach.

Poor Russ, it is sad to see with whom he must play. In the summer, Kanter and Oladipo need to be traded.

[Dn4sty]

List of realistic players to target
Joe Ingles
Tyler Johnson
Will Barton
Jared Dudley
Khris Middleton [maybe not realistic, but I'd see about Adams]
Pat Connoughton
All of those guys hit 37% or higher from three and have an assist% above 12 and are legit wing sized.

As secondary playmakers with wing size who at least are a threat from the three point line there are
Tyreke Evans
Nicolas Batum
Danilo Gallinari
Then, guys who are good defenders and will hit an open 3
Thabo Sefalosha (bring Thabo home!)
Wes Matthews
Robert Covington
Pj Tucker


If we could get one guy out of each category without moving Russ/dipo/robes/Steven then I think we could be a great team. If we could get two then I think we could be on par with Utah/LA, and I think it's a realistic goal.

Ingles, Tucker, Gallinari, Evans, and Thabo will be FAs. Ingles and Gallinari will be way too expensive to fit with OKC current salaries. Milwaukee has Thon Maker, so
I doubt they would want Adams for Middleton. Connaughton barely played, so his sample size is so small that you really don't know anything about him.

Barton makes sense, as does Covington. Tyler Johnson is really good, but has a weird contract.

I'd zero in on Covington, Barton (although he wouldn't start) and a legit backup PG (Cory Joseph).

[ThunderBolt]

Clearing slary for gallinari would be ok in my book. If he can stay healthy, he's a nice fit alongside Russ.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Clearing slary for gallinari would be ok in my book. If he can stay healthy, he's a nice fit alongside Russ.

Kanter and Oladipo, at a minimum, for Gallinari doesn't make OKC better.

[ThunderBolt]

Clearing slary for gallinari would be ok in my book. If he can stay healthy, he's a nice fit alongside Russ.

Kanter and Oladipo, at a minimum, for Gallinari doesn't make OKC better.

Why do you say that? Gallinari, if healthy, provides scoring. Big men are irrelevant. I say move Adams and Kanter. Get a cheaper big man that can keep up with small ball lineups.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Why do you say that? Gallinari, if healthy, provides scoring. Big men are irrelevant. I say move Adams and Kanter. Get a cheaper big man that can keep up with small ball lineups.

Who is the cheaper big man? They are so irrelevant that Mozgov got $16M/yr last off-season. You aren't going to get a cheap, quality big men. Gallinari is a lateral move from Oladipo at best. Yes, Gallinari is slightly better on offense, but is significantly worse on defense.

[ThunderBolt]

Why do you say that? Gallinari, if healthy, provides scoring. Big men are irrelevant. I say move Adams and Kanter. Get a cheaper big man that can keep up with small ball lineups.

Who is the cheaper big man? They are so irrelevant that Mozgov got $16M/yr last off-season. You aren't going to get a cheap, quality big men. Gallinari is a lateral move from Oladipo at best. Yes, Gallinari is slightly better on offense, but is significantly worse on defense.

The rockets don't play much defense and they seem to be doing ok. Look at the trash big man golden state makes work. "Quality big men" is becoming an oxymoron. With the exception of Gobert, most of the leagues best big men play on losing teams-Cousins, Drummond, Whiteside, Towns, etc. Also, that Mozgov contract is a large part of the reason Kupchak is no longer employed.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Draymond, Zaza, David West and McGee is trash? The #4 and #25 centers in RPM to go with the #2 and #13 PFs in RPM. If OKC had that group of big men instead of what they have they would be a contender instead of a team needing to rebuild.

[ThunderBolt]

Draymond, Zaza, David West and McGee is trash? The #4 and #25 centers in RPM to go with the #2 and #13 PFs in RPM. If OKC had that group of big men instead of what they have they would be a contender instead of a team needing to rebuild.

So on one hand you're saying if we move Adams we can't find a replacement. Then you cite Zaza, West and McGee as examples of guys that are elite? That makes no sense to me. Draymond is an allstar but the rest of guys just prove that if you have the right shooters around them, any big man will be fine.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Zaza and West left a LOT of money on the table to play for the Warriors. McGee is a head case who is going to get paid this off-season for not blowing up mentally this year because the on court ability has always been there. None of them were or are options for OKC. West left over $10M on the table in the '15-'16 season opting out to sign with the Spurs for the vet minimum. He is still a very good player and using that to chase a ring while he can.

All it proves is that if you can get players who are top 25 at their position to chase rings for the vet minimum it greatly increases your chances of winning. It doesn't matter what position they play. Having a significant advantage in your 2nd unit only further pushes the separation when your starting 5 is better. If your starting 5 isn't better than it gives you a chance to get a lead with the 2nd unit. It also makes it possible to make up from an off night from one of your stars because you have a lot of guys capable of picking up the slack. Who picks up the slack for OKC when Russ has a bad night?

[Osirus89]

It also makes it possible to make up from an off night from one of your stars because you have a lot of guys capable of picking up the slack. Who picks up the slack for OKC when Russ has a bad night?

I think this proves the overall point some of us have been making in regards to players like Kanter and Oladipo. We know that Adams, Victor, and Kanter can't pick up the slack on the offensive end. We have seen an entire season of it. Losing some combination of them doesn't matter since none of them are true difference makers. We have one difference maker in Russ. That is where it stops. Moving some combination, hell... even all three of them if you were able to build a team that makes sense would be better than what we currently have. Now, we don't know what will be out there when the offseason is underway, but this team should be open to any and everything.

I don't care what Presti says, Adams should be the last person on this team that is untouchable. I'm pretty down on Kanter and would basically give him away just to be rid of him, but Presti probably wants a decent return for him. Good luck with that given how flawed he is.

The fact that Javale , David west, and Zaza pachulia are having the success they are having just drives home the point that unless you are paying an elite big man like Anthony Davis, KP, or Towns, we don't need to spend the absurd amount of money we are spending on big men. Especially when they are producing at a similar or even lower level than guys that make far less money than them. They could give Kanter away for a rotation level player and like 1-2 2nd rounders and I wouldn't protest at all .

[ThunderBolt]

Zaza and West left a LOT of money on the table to play for the Warriors. McGee is a head case who is going to get paid this off-season for not blowing up mentally this year because the on court ability has always been there. None of them were or are options for OKC. West left over $10M on the table in the '15-'16 season opting out to sign with the Spurs for the vet minimum. He is still a very good player and using that to chase a ring while he can.

All it proves is that if you can get players who are top 25 at their position to chase rings for the vet minimum it greatly increases your chances of winning. It doesn't matter what position they play. Having a significant advantage in your 2nd unit only further pushes the separation when your starting 5 is better. If your starting 5 isn't better than it gives you a chance to get a lead with the 2nd unit. It also makes it possible to make up from an off night from one of your stars because you have a lot of guys capable of picking up the slack. Who picks up the slack for OKC when Russ has a bad night?

Obviously we can't compete and compare to golden state. However if the goal is simply to have a top 25 center that's not exactly an unreachable goal. The problem is we thought we had a solid top ten center that was on the cusp of being a top 5 guy, but he's not one. So the question is, are guys like Capela, Nene, Biyombo and Zeller better than Adams? Let's assume we could acquire Vucevich and Gallinarri for Adams and Oladipo. Heck, throw in Kanter too. Would we be better off? I think it's a good possibility.