All Things Thunder Offseason Thread

[Kizz Fastfists]

Everyone keeps talking about "consolidating". What team has 3+ roster spots that wants garbage players and will give you a quality big man?

Wiggins, joe, micic, dort, Poku, Dieng, Kenrich, and 35 draft picks over 7 years are there for trades. And $25 million worth of expiring contracts. You can trade those dudes and still have significant guard/wing depth.

Trade them to who? Name the team with roster spots and a player worth acquiring. It has to be a tanking team, because a contender is going to trade their star player without getting something better. Just because you collected 20 pennies doesn't mean you can find someone to give you a quarter for them.

[slick_watts]

Everyone keeps talking about "consolidating". What team has 3+ roster spots that wants garbage players and will give you a quality big man?

Wiggins, joe, micic, dort, Poku, Dieng, Kenrich, and 35 draft picks over 7 years are there for trades. And $25 million worth of expiring contracts. You can trade those dudes and still have significant guard/wing depth.

Trade them to who? Name the team with roster spots and a player worth acquiring. It has to be a tanking team, because a contender is going to trade their star player without getting something better. Just because you collected 20 pennies doesn't mean you can find someone to give you a quarter for them.

i'm not sure what you're complaining about. the thunder are going to have to get down to 15 players one way or another. so they'll either find a 'consolidation' trade that you seem to think does not exist or they're going to just eat salaries. aside from micic's potential presence on the roster this year, it's otherwise clear to me they are going into it similarly to the last two rotation wise.

[Kizz Fastfists]

What 15-man roster do you want to see?

SGA/Micic/Mann
Giddy/Cason/Wiggins
Jalen/Joe/Kenrich
Chet/JRE/Poku
Nurkic/Jaylni/Garuba

Send Dort, three second round picks and two first round picks to Portland for Nurkic. Bertans and two firsts would also be acceptable, but then you would still have to dump Dort somewhere.

[jake_swivel]

Trade them to who? Name the team with roster spots and a player worth acquiring. It has to be a tanking team, because a contender is going to trade their star player without getting something better. Just because you collected 20 pennies doesn't mean you can find someone to give you a quarter for them.

I'm still real open to a sign and trade of Dort and pieces for PJ Washington. Curious if there's a John Collins trade available still. There's word that Jonas is available. Something like that. I don't think there needs to be a star. I just want them to compete with a full deck and let young dudes develop. Get experience deeper in the playoffs and keep Shai happy.

[slick_watts]

i don't see how anyone watching chet play would support him starting next to another big, especially one who is planted near the rim.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Trade them to who? Name the team with roster spots and a player worth acquiring. It has to be a tanking team, because a contender is going to trade their star player without getting something better. Just because you collected 20 pennies doesn't mean you can find someone to give you a quarter for them.

I'm still real open to a sign and trade of Dort and pieces for PJ Washington. Curious if there's a John Collins trade available still. There's word that Jonas is available. Something like that. I don't think there needs to be a star. I just want them to compete with a full deck and let young dudes develop. Get experience deeper in the playoffs and keep Shai happy.

Dort and some draft picks for Washington could be possible, but not significant as another undersized big doesn't move the needle and does nothing to address the center problem. You think Utah traded for John Collins just to trade him again? Interesting take on the situation. NOLA is looking to move Jonas for another center that is more agile and versatile, someone like Siakam, maybe OKC gets in as a 3rd team, but how much are you willing to give up for an expiring Jonas? I guarantee you it is less that it would take to get NOLA what they are looking for.

[jake_swivel]

Dort and some draft picks for Washington could be possible, but not significant as another undersized big doesn't move the needle and does nothing to address the center problem.

I think we just fundamentally disagree on how much the needle needs to be moved this year. We saw with harden not being retained how financial limitations can force you to make non-talent related decisions. That cascaded into losing durant. Star hunting a big man and then losing Jalen/Chet/Giddey in a couple years when you don’t even know how the team fits together right now doesn’t make sense.

Keep flexibility. There will be opportunities later. But in the meantime, see if you can figure out a way to get a decent big and develop what you have. If they turn into something, then you have the assets to turn it into the Duncan-era spurs. They aren’t winning a championship this year regardless.

[slick_watts]

i would have supported acquiring a player with 2-3 years left on their deal as a pf stopgap next to chet (moving dort out of the rotation or off the team), but it's clear that this is not the direction the team is going right now. washinton, g. williams, collins, someone like that. i'm still ok with the team figuring out what they have with chet first before making any moves like this, although it wouldn't have been my first choice.

[jake_swivel]

I'd take Simmons for Dort and expirings if he wants to be here and will play 20 minutes a game.

[ThunderBolt]

I'd take Simmons for Dort and expirings if he wants to be here and will play 20 minutes a game.

I’m concerned about the long term back issues.

[Mr Thunder Nick]

Simmons will destroy your chemistry and your locker room. For nothing in the world I want Simmons in OKC.

[jake_swivel]

Locker room will be dicey next year regardless. There are going to be legit nba players stacking up DNP-CDs. Even with a consolidation trade.

[Mr Thunder Nick]

The Idea with PG Washington is very good. Sign and trade for Dort, Poku, Ty Ty, and some second round picks

[Clav]

The Idea with PG Washington is very good. Sign and trade for Dort, Poku, Ty Ty, and some second round picks

It's a good idea but I guarantee CHA will be looking for some 1sts in this trade. Dort is a good player to pair with LaMelo, but he isn't equal to PJ imo. Poku and TyTy and future seconds are replacement players. Washington is a solid asset, I see minimum 2 FRPs going Charlotte's way for his services in this scenario. However I'm a fan of the framework and value can be shifted around.

[ThunderBolt]

The Idea with PG Washington is very good. Sign and trade for Dort, Poku, Ty Ty, and some second round picks

It's a good idea but I guarantee CHA will be looking for some 1sts in this trade. Dort is a good player to pair with LaMelo, but he isn't equal to PJ imo. Poku and TyTy and future seconds are replacement players. Washington is a solid asset, I see minimum 2 FRPs going Charlotte's way for his services in this scenario. However I'm a fan of the framework and value can be shifted around.

Agreed but counterpoint. Mitch Kupchak is an idiot.

[Dadouv47]

The Idea with PG Washington is very good. Sign and trade for Dort, Poku, Ty Ty, and some second round picks

It's a good idea but I guarantee CHA will be looking for some 1sts in this trade. Dort is a good player to pair with LaMelo, but he isn't equal to PJ imo. Poku and TyTy and future seconds are replacement players. Washington is a solid asset, I see minimum 2 FRPs going Charlotte's way for his services in this scenario. However I'm a fan of the framework and value can be shifted around.

Agreed but counterpoint. Mitch Kupchak is an idiot.

well if the Marc Stein rumors are true about a potential 16-17 millions/year contract, then PJ is clearly not worth Dort + 2 FRPs.

I think Dort and a FRP would be fair but somehow in the trade & transactions forum most Hornets fans were fine with a PJ Washington/Dort swap without any additional value going to Charlotte

[Clav]

The Idea with PG Washington is very good. Sign and trade for Dort, Poku, Ty Ty, and some second round picks

It's a good idea but I guarantee CHA will be looking for some 1sts in this trade. Dort is a good player to pair with LaMelo, but he isn't equal to PJ imo. Poku and TyTy and future seconds are replacement players. Washington is a solid asset, I see minimum 2 FRPs going Charlotte's way for his services in this scenario. However I'm a fan of the framework and value can be shifted around.

Agreed but counterpoint. Mitch Kupchak is an idiot.

hahahah That I accept as well.

Is he really gonna get 16M ? Yikes I was thinking much higher. That will be a steal, maybe Dort and that collection makes it a go

[Kizz Fastfists]

I think we just fundamentally disagree on how much the needle needs to be moved this year. We saw with harden not being retained how financial limitations can force you to make non-talent related decisions. That cascaded into losing durant. Star hunting a big man and then losing Jalen/Chet/Giddey in a couple years when you don’t even know how the team fits together right now doesn’t make sense.

Keep flexibility. There will be opportunities later. But in the meantime, see if you can figure out a way to get a decent big and develop what you have. If they turn into something, then you have the assets to turn it into the Duncan-era spurs. They aren’t winning a championship this year regardless.

I'd take Simmons for Dort and expirings if he wants to be here and will play 20 minutes a game.

Do you want to keep the flexibility or do you want pay Simmons $40M for the next two years? Pick one. Why add Simmons if OKC isn't in a position to add? Pick a side. OKC could contend for the title if they added the right pieces or OKC has no chance to be good enough to justify adding. Keep cap flexibility or trade for Simmons?

They actually could maintain cap flexibility and improve their title odds by giving up Dort and three first round picks for Nurkic. The contracts are the same length and the salary difference maxes out at $2M in '25-'26. That would be the first year of Giddy's new contract and before Chet gets a contract giving OKC time to draft and develop another big man. In theory, your max guys are going to be SGA-Giddy-Chet. After that you have to figure out Jalen. Maybe Cason forces it so you have to go into the luxury tax in '27-'28.

This isn't a situation where you have KD and Russ maxed with Ibaka having a big contract and you trade for Perkin's big contract, coming off a career changing knee injury, making you afraid to extend Harden.

[jake_swivel]

Do you want to keep the flexibility or do you want pay Simmons $40M for the next two years? Pick one. Why add Simmons if OKC isn't in a position to add? Pick a side. OKC could contend for the title if they added the right pieces or OKC has no chance to be good enough to justify adding. Keep cap flexibility or trade for Simmons?

They actually could maintain cap flexibility and improve their title odds by giving up Dort and three first round picks for Nurkic. The contracts are the same length and the salary difference maxes out at $2M in '25-'26. That would be the first year of Giddy's new contract and before Chet gets a contract giving OKC time to draft and develop another big man. In theory, your max guys are going to be SGA-Giddy-Chet. After that you have to figure out Jalen. Maybe Cason forces it so you have to go into the luxury tax in '27-'28.

This isn't a situation where you have KD and Russ maxed with Ibaka having a big contract and you trade for Perkin's big contract, coming off a career changing knee injury, making you afraid to extend Harden.

Heh, calm down. I’m fine with nurkic.

(3 first round picks?!)

You have flexibility with any 2 year contract. Nurkic looks like 3 years. Think I’d probably do it, though. Not for 3 picks, obviously. And giddey’s extension kicks in the year after Simmons’ ends, yes?

[WestbrookGOATed]

Ben Simmons better not ever come anywhere near this team.