OKC Thunder Trades and Transaction Thread

[retrobro90]

KD is the dream target for me. Would throw anything outside of our big 3 and Dort. (With a reasonable amount picks i.e. not all of them, something within reason and probably not more than they gave up to get him)

If they can't get someone star calibre I'd rather they not throw 100mil at Isaiah Hartenstein (or Allen/Claxton for that matter) nor do I think they will. Would rather use that money on FA that could help in less restrictive ways (Batum, Lonnie Walker, etc)

Bogdan and Capela would be nice from ATL. Capela's an expiring now so he'd be expendable at the deadline if he didn't work out and Bogdan's last year is a club option.

[Pokuokic]

Could OKC get in on a Mitchell/Allen trade from the Cavs? They could give up like 3-5 picks for each (2 separate trades) and throw in Giddy/filler might have to involve JDub as well for Mitchell......

[cjmcallist]

Could OKC get in on a Mitchell/Allen trade from the Cavs? They could give up like 3-5 picks for each (2 separate trades) and throw in Giddy/filler might have to involve JDub as well for Mitchell......

I'm here for the crazy ideas, but those are not the targets.

Mitchell only has one year left and I doubt that he extends here.

Allen and Chet are not a front court that I want. Chet is our center of the future.

[Kizz Fastfists]

I'm here for the crazy ideas, but those are not the targets.

Mitchell only has one year left and I doubt that he extends here.

Allen and Chet are not a front court that I want. Chet is our center of the future.

I completely agree on Mitchell. I see Chet as the PF of the future in the same way Dirk was the PF of the future for Dallas when they were playing him out of position at center. It wasn't until they brought in a real center that Dallas won with Dirk and I expect the same from OKC with Chet. The exception being if they bring in a PF that fits the right requirements, which is a very rare player.

[Kizz Fastfists]

KD is the dream target for me. Would throw anything outside of our big 3 and Dort. (With a reasonable amount picks i.e. not all of them, something within reason and probably not more than they gave up to get him)

Why Dort? He remains the most overrated player by the fans. He has never posted a positive BPM in his career. By contract Giddey's only negative BPM season was his rookie year and his BPM has increased every season. If Giddey takes a jump in 3pt% to 36%, league average, he is a vastly superior player to Dort. This is why Presti will hold on to Giddey, rather we like it or not. Dort is still a player that needs to an option to be moved for a better basketball player. Do you see room for improvement from Dort? He jumped his 3pt% this year, but he's terrible at everything else on offense. Giddey and Dort have identical TS numbers and eFG% yet people cry about Giddey and praise Dort. If you don't like Giddey's offense you should hate Dort's. If you don't like Giddey's impact you shouldn't like Dort's. Dort should be a matchup specific player off the bench just like Giddey should be.

Both wing spots need an upgrade. The obvious internal solution is to bump JDub down to SF, move Joe into the starting lineup and get a PF/C that fits with Chet. Dort is arguably the best trade chip OKC has because he is probably very overrated around the league right now because of the myth of his great defense, despite a negative defensive BPM and opposing teams having better ORtg with him on the court than off. I like Dort's physicality, but it doesn't translate to a positive on the scoreboard.

[Zagor]

I didn't think Presti would trade for a traditional good big man but after what he said with the Jwill/Chet minutes, I don't know anymore.

I still think Chet is gonna be the starting center so it makes little sense to trade a lot of assets for a guy like Jarrett Allen but he would obviously help us. His contract ends before we have to pay JDub/Chet so it's perfect and he's very good. My only concern as always is that I still think that we need 4 shooters to surround Shai.

I would rather spend the assets on a great PF/Wing and get a traditional big man for a relatively cheap price (Capela?)

For traditional big man they would have to change way they play, and I don't think they are willing to do that. Whole point of Chet's unique skillset is to space the floor to maximum.

So I agree with you. Clearly path is to improve starting unit and replace Giddey with better player. Presti just has to find better player.
Next priority is to find better back-up big then Jaylin Williams. That could be done in this draft.

[Clav]

Here's my dream offseason for OKC as Kizz did the same, let's see how this flies... I'll angle a little differently for counterpoint discussion.

Financial...
Extend Joe for 4/45M with cap space (PO year-4) ~$11.25M
Accept Wiggins' Team Option for ~2M
Extend Giddey 4/100M (TO year 4).
Renounce rights to Hayward, Biyombo, Muscala

Trade down...
#12, and Ousmane Dieng to Toronto for #19, and Kelly Olynyk (2yr left with 25M guranteed)
Draft Kel'el Ware [PF] at #19

Trade into late 1st round
Kenrich Williams and 2025 ATL 2nd round pick for #22 (PHX)
Draft Zach Edey [C] at #22

After Giddey extension --
Three team trade ---
Trade Giddey and 2 2025 FRPs that will be ~17-26 (PHL'25, MIA'25) for Brook Lopez (1yr expiring @ 23M).
[OKC sends Giddey to NYK and the two FRPs to MIL, NYK sends Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic to MIL and the player NYK drafted at #38 to OKC, & MIL sends Lopez to OKC]


Brings us to

SGA/Wallace
Dort/Joe/WatersIII
JalenWilliams/Wiggins/Keyonte Johnson (TW)
Olynyk/Ware/JaylinWilliams
Holmgren/Lopez/Edey


With the playoff evidence in hand, OKC makes three points of emphasis to improve the roster. In a year where the draft isn't packed with highlight prospects, OKC trades it's lottery pick to Toronto, allowing the Raps to select higher up, getting a guard or a player of their liking, getting younger, and after TOR lost its pick to San Antonio, it might assuage the fan base to get a better selection. OKC trades down and selects a solid PF for the squad, Kel'el Ware who showed some solid potential as a combo forward. Will be able to provide size and improve his range right away with more space.

Later, OKC buys into the late-first sending PHX much needed wing defense, and another future pick which PHX needs, to select Zach Edey, providing a better role for him to improve the size down low with 2 draft selections.

As the offseason progresses, OKC extends Giddey to a reasonable deal, averaging 25M per, but also trading him to NYK with a three team trade including the Bucks as detailed above.

Milwaukee cashes two late firsts for Lopez which I think is fair, and they receive a shooter, and a center to keep the roster a bit deeper. NYK gets a PG/swing player to help Brunson's usage and get their other guys shots. OKC gets a veteran presence with one-year expiring, clearing for later or to re-sign Brook Lopez to a good deal. Lopez has range, as does Olynyk, and they are not unwilling passers, fitting our system to play 5 out or a more conventional post-presence when needed.


This is made with the assumption that the offseason we deserve... as KFF put it....won't include LeBron changing his professional venue from Los Angeles to Oklahoma City.


Have a great weekend everyone, cheers

[cjmcallist]

I see Chet as the PF of the future in the same way Dirk was the PF of the future for Dallas when they were playing him out of position at center. It wasn't until they brought in a real center that Dallas won with Dirk and I expect the same from OKC with Chet. The exception being if they bring in a PF that fits the right requirements, which is a very rare player.

So, this is interesting to me. I don't think I agree but I see what you're saying and it is thought-provoking.

My mind immediately goes to Chet's rim protection. Dirk was never as good as Chet is (already) at guarding the rim. So, my thinking is that Chet needs to play near the rim on defense. That means any big in the starting lineup needs to also guard the perimeter. That won't change regardless of whether or not we call them a PF or a C. I think what we're looking for is a player that is;

- Tall (>6'9")
- Perimeter defender
- Defensive rebounder (>20% DREB%)
- Above average from 3
- Above average BBIQ
- Good passer

Good lord.

[cjmcallist]

Here's my dream offseason for OKC as Kizz did the same, let's see how this flies... I'll angle a little differently for counterpoint discussion.

Financial...
Extend Joe for 4/45M with cap space (PO year-4) ~$11.25M
Accept Wiggins' Team Option for ~2M
Extend Giddey 4/100M (TO year 4).
Renounce rights to Hayward, Biyombo, Muscala

Trade down...
#12, and Ousmane Dieng to Toronto for #19, and Kelly Olynyk (2yr left with 25M guranteed)
Draft Kel'el Ware [PF] at #19

Trade into late 1st round
Kenrich Williams and 2025 ATL 2nd round pick for #22 (PHX)
Draft Zach Edey [C] at #22

After Giddey extension --
Three team trade ---
Trade Giddey and 2 2025 FRPs that will be ~17-26 (PHL'25, MIA'25) for Brook Lopez (1yr expiring @ 23M).
[OKC sends Giddey to NYK and the two FRPs to MIL, NYK sends Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic to MIL and the player NYK drafted at #38 to OKC, & MIL sends Lopez to OKC]


Brings us to

SGA/Wallace
Dort/Joe/WatersIII
JalenWilliams/Wiggins/Keyonte Johnson (TW)
Olynyk/Ware/JaylinWilliams
Holmgren/Lopez/Edey

Great post! I think there are some CBA blockers to some of the ideas, but there might be workarounds.

I'd quibble a little bit about drafting at #19 and #22. During the first iteration of the team, we watched rookies struggle to jump in and contribute. As this team shifts into compete mode, I think we are better off moving non-lottery picks for rotation players (FWIW, I'd still draft if we're in the top 10).

I'd quibble a lot about the Giddey for Lopez swap. I don't mind getting Lopez, but why trade Giddey for him? I'd rather keep Giddey and add Lopez. If Giddey is the price for Lopez, then I think I'm out. Giddey brings upside and long term control. Lopez lifts the floor for one year.

[Kizz Fastfists]

So, this is interesting to me. I don't think I agree but I see what you're saying and it is thought-provoking.

My mind immediately goes to Chet's rim protection. Dirk was never as good as Chet is (already) at guarding the rim. So, my thinking is that Chet needs to play near the rim on defense. That means any big in the starting lineup needs to also guard the perimeter. That won't change regardless of whether or not we call them a PF or a C. I think what we're looking for is a player that is;

- Tall (>6'9")
- Perimeter defender
- Defensive rebounder (>20% DREB%)
- Above average from 3
- Above average BBIQ
- Good passer

Good lord.

I agree that is the player we need. That player is also hard to find. However, Chet doesn't have to play center to be a great rim protector. Look at Ibaka. He was a great rim protector and was never the starting center in OKC. Chet is an amazing help defender. He reacts well and alters shots even when he has been puled out of the paint because of his length and reaction time. I'm not a fan of the 5-man out offense unless they can find that other big man that can do everything you listed. It is why I would be thrilled if Presti traded up to get Clingan or took Edey at #12. Both showed some shooting at the combine and could develop into solid mid-range and 3pt shooters, but even if they don't when paired with Chet they are a twin towers combo that could end up being great in the mold of Shaq/Gasol and Duncan/Robinson. Duncan being another great rim protector that played PF for the first half of his career.

In a month we'll get to start complaining or celebrating about Presti's off-season. The draft is in 3 1/2 weeks and I'm still trying to figure out why the NBA thought it was a good idea to split it up into two days. Then FA starts that weekend and in a month we'll know most of the top FA signings. We'll see if Presti does his typical nothing and talk about internal development or if he decides he should actively try to win a championship and gets the player(s) needed to make OKC the clear favorite for next season.

[Clav]

After Giddey extension --
Three team trade ---
Trade Giddey and 2 2025 FRPs that will be ~17-26 (PHL'25, MIA'25) for Brook Lopez (1yr expiring @ 23M).
[OKC sends Giddey to NYK and the two FRPs to MIL, NYK sends Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic to MIL and the player NYK drafted at #38 to OKC, & MIL sends Lopez to OKC]

Great post! I think there are some CBA blockers to some of the ideas, but there might be workarounds.

I'd quibble a little bit about drafting at #19 and #22. During the first iteration of the team, we watched rookies struggle to jump in and contribute. As this team shifts into compete mode, I think we are better off moving non-lottery picks for rotation players (FWIW, I'd still draft if we're in the top 10).

I'd quibble a lot about the Giddey for Lopez swap. I don't mind getting Lopez, but why trade Giddey for him? I'd rather keep Giddey and add Lopez. If Giddey is the price for Lopez, then I think I'm out. Giddey brings upside and long term control. Lopez lifts the floor for one year.

I just re-tried this Giddey trade and it isn't legal unless Bucks shed another 10M, so they would have to include Connaughton and Chris Livingston in the deal, or Bobby Portis. Appreciate the feedback though as I was just having fun over the weekend thinking of this.

[Bremzi]

In an ideal world, Presti manages to get back somebody of value. In a realistic world, nobody sends a great player back to OKC and Presti has to look at free agents.

An ideal FA target is Anunoby with a max contract. Solves basically all issues, the chance of that happening is about 0,001% though. Knicks offer him the 5year max and thats it.

I would be happy if Presti tried to get Derrick Jones Jr (Dallas will have issues offering him a big contract) because he was basically the best Mavs defender and stood out. Doncic himself said he sees him as top3 perimeter defender in the league and he is an airborne threat. We can see he has what it takes in the playoffs. The second guy should be a big man at a semi-affordable price. I think it would be realistic and possible to get Valanciunas on a 2year deal. At this point in his career, he doesnt need to start, but he would be a good matchup versus Wolves and Nuggets. You can also play him off the bench and he can hit the three. I would also draft a rookie big man (Clingan or Edey or someone else BIG) to supersede Valanciunas in two years.

Although Hartenstein is better defensively, he is worse offensively and he will be too costly imo.

I feel like adding DJJ, Valanciunas and a rookie big man fills the holes (2 proper lumberjack big guys) and a good perimeter defender who can fly high as well. I think they can be squezzed into salary cap space. Obviously you can then tinker with lineups but you have the versatility.

The best part is that you can add it to the team without trading away guys/picks. I think there are also 3 free roster spots in total. You can see then by the trade deadline what works and what does not and potentially go to a more trade oriented setup.

Thats not to say that a better position cant be made with trades, but I doubt GMs want to help OKC tbh. I think anythink less than a similar sort of improvement would be a dissapointment.

[Kizz Fastfists]

An ideal FA target is Anunoby with a max contract. Solves basically all issues, the chance of that happening is about 0,001% though. Knicks offer him the 5year max and thats it.

I feel like adding DJJ, Valanciunas and a rookie big man fills the holes (2 proper lumberjack big guys) and a good perimeter defender who can fly high as well. I think they can be squezzed into salary cap space. Obviously you can then tinker with lineups but you have the versatility.

Thats not to say that a better position cant be made with trades, but I doubt GMs want to help OKC tbh. I think anythink less than a similar sort of improvement would be a dissapointment.

I'm going to call you out to defend your arguments. Why is OG considered ideal? He has played over 50 games just once in the last four years. He missed 30% of the NYK playoff games. Why not go after a better fitting player like PG13, Tobias Harris, Klay Thompson, etc.?

Why DJJ? He's a career 32% 3pt shooter. Yes, he shot a career best at 34% this season. Is that really a player that OKC wants? Someone that is 6'5, is a below average shooter, can't rebound and everyone is hopeful that Dallas trades away a valuable player to overpay him. Why would OKC do Dallas a favor by overpaying a worthless bum. DJJ might be worth the tax payer MLE, but he's not worth more than that and I wouldn't give him more than the vet minimum. Don't let his fluke 3pt shooting in the playoffs make you overpay for a worthless wing player that wouldn't be worthy of a rotation spot in OKC. He's not better than Giddey, Dort, Cason, Joe, Wiggins or Kenrich. He might be equal to Hayward, but even that is a stretch.

Valanciunas is not a floor stretching big man and has bad defense and is getting slower by the day in his old, for an athlete, age. He is so bad at 3pt shooting that NOLA didn't have him shoot in the post-season, averaging 0.3 per game. He would make sense for Presti as Enes Kanter 2.0, which should be a terrifying thought. What is about him you like? Do you want OKC to have a paint clogging center that is only good a positive at rebounding at this point in their career? There are a dozen of those on the market and unless you are getting Valanciunas for a vet minimum contract he'll be overpaid.

[Darwin55]

So to me it's like getting a card that completes a poker hand. If you have 4 hearts , any heart will do but the ace would be preferred but at what price. I think I know a fit that could be traded for that just is starting his 1st extension, 4 years at a manageable $60mil. He is not a finished product still 23 which might fit the chemistry of the team. He really just started shooting the 3 at 33% but free throws at a good 79%. A very good defender and rebounder at 6'9" 245.
https://hoopshype.com/onyeka-okongwu-scouting-report/
So he won't come cheap but he seems to be a starter fit even if not a future star. I think we could overpay for the right piece, he's worth Giddy, #12 and another 1st or 3 2nds

[Bremzi]

An ideal FA target is Anunoby with a max contract. Solves basically all issues, the chance of that happening is about 0,001% though. Knicks offer him the 5year max and thats it.

I feel like adding DJJ, Valanciunas and a rookie big man fills the holes (2 proper lumberjack big guys) and a good perimeter defender who can fly high as well. I think they can be squezzed into salary cap space. Obviously you can then tinker with lineups but you have the versatility.

Thats not to say that a better position cant be made with trades, but I doubt GMs want to help OKC tbh. I think anythink less than a similar sort of improvement would be a dissapointment.

I'm going to call you out to defend your arguments. Why is OG considered ideal? He has played over 50 games just once in the last four years. He missed 30% of the NYK playoff games. Why not go after a better fitting player like PG13, Tobias Harris, Klay Thompson, etc.?

Why DJJ? He's a career 32% 3pt shooter. Yes, he shot a career best at 34% this season. Is that really a player that OKC wants? Someone that is 6'5, is a below average shooter, can't rebound and everyone is hopeful that Dallas trades away a valuable player to overpay him. Why would OKC do Dallas a favor by overpaying a worthless bum. DJJ might be worth the tax payer MLE, but he's not worth more than that and I wouldn't give him more than the vet minimum. Don't let his fluke 3pt shooting in the playoffs make you overpay for a worthless wing player that wouldn't be worthy of a rotation spot in OKC. He's not better than Giddey, Dort, Cason, Joe, Wiggins or Kenrich. He might be equal to Hayward, but even that is a stretch.

Valanciunas is not a floor stretching big man and has bad defense and is getting slower by the day in his old, for an athlete, age. He is so bad at 3pt shooting that NOLA didn't have him shoot in the post-season, averaging 0.3 per game. He would make sense for Presti as Enes Kanter 2.0, which should be a terrifying thought. What is about him you like? Do you want OKC to have a paint clogging center that is only good a positive at rebounding at this point in their career? There are a dozen of those on the market and unless you are getting Valanciunas for a vet minimum contract he'll be overpaid.

Anunoby? He’s an All NBA defender at a young age - he’s long, he can shoot well, Knicks had some sort of a 20-3 something stretch to close the season with him in the lineup. He’s strong and can rebound/box out solidly. He is what Presti aims for - to rather be a great defensive team than a great rebounding team - if it makes sense. He is basically a perfect 3 and D big wing.

Tobias Harris is another backup version, however, his defense in comparison to Anunoby is on another planet. I wouldnt mind if Harris could be signed for a reasonable deal. PG is just too expensive. OKC is not gonna offer a guy in his age a 3-4 year deal that he can get elsewhere. He is looking at possibly declining a nearly 50mil player option - he just doesnt make realistic sense financially.

Re DJJ - I dont care what he shot 3pt% for his career. He singlehandedly cockblocked SGA. There was noone close to being capable of doing that for Dallas except him. I dont think you realize how elite of a skill defensively he has to consistently stay in front of SGA. On top of that, you clearly undervalue him, because he’s 6’7” and not 6’5”. You should have seen this if you watched the games. He is as tall as Luka and Pj Washington. He played SF/PF for the Mavs just fine during the regular season. He’s relatively young, he is an alley oop threat (unlike Tobias and possibly PG), which makes offense planning much more versatile as he doesnt need to camp at the three point line. That would also make Dallas much weaker. And no, OKC backups like Wiggins arent better than DJJ. Thats crazy talk. If they were, they would be averaging 30 minutes a game and not 0-10mpg.

Re: Valanciunas. Theres not a dozen centers as good in rebounding as he is that are free agents or available in trades for pennies on the dollar. Pelicans couldnt play him vs OKC much because he’s too slow for SGA. He also killed OKC on the boards in games 1 and 2 and was basically their most productive player offensively. He’s an experienced big guy that can bang at the center position during the regular season and he wont hurt you offensively. There are many much worse shooting bigs than he is. He can also bang with Jokic and I think he can solidly play vs Gobert or KAT. OKC just doesnt have that kind of a player and Claxton or Allen cant really do that because theyre missing 50 pounds. He can also be a mentor to a rookie big guy that I hope gets drafted. He might not be too useful vs Dallas though and then you gotta tinker with lineups. Maybe you play the rookie big man center more if he is better defensively. I think a combo of Valanciunas and a rookie big man manages to establish that Chet can take it easier as a help defender at PF. I think that with Chet, you can also ask Valanciunas or any other big guy not to drop too far, because even if they get beat there’s Chet lurking at the side of the paint.

The current holes on the roster are big men and possibly an athletic forward. I just listed realistic not overly expensive pieces without the ego of having to be the guy (unlike PG KD or some other peeps). You want OKC to get into the playoffs without a glaring weakness? You do what I proposed.

If you wanna go for Lebron James, good luck with that.

[Clav]

@Bremzi
In my opinion, Valanciunas will get MLE plus level of cap-space signing (12-15M). Also, I believe that's too much for OKC to give, but NBA GMs are notoriously giving bigger contracts than I would offer. So, JV is kind of not the target for me. He has nice rebounding potential to help us assuage rebounding problems (definitely can soak minutes in the RS). I'm not as sold as a playoff answer.

So to me it's like getting a card that completes a poker hand. If you have 4 hearts , any heart will do but the ace would be preferred but at what price. I think I know a fit that could be traded for that just is starting his 1st extension, 4 years at a manageable $60mil. He is not a finished product still 23 which might fit the chemistry of the team. He really just started shooting the 3 at 33% but free throws at a good 79%. A very good defender and rebounder at 6'9" 245.
https://hoopshype.com/onyeka-okongwu-scouting-report/
So he won't come cheap but he seems to be a starter fit even if not a future star. I think we could overpay for the right piece, he's worth Giddy, #12 and another 1st or 3 2nds

ALSO, Welcome to the OKC boards Darwin! Onyeka Okongwu is a solid target I think. He has impressed me with his play in Atlanta and they could be in a really big changeover season as the current iteration of Hawks BBall has amounted to average results barring the ECF loss to Milwaukee a few years ago.

One thing to note that works against Okongwu in our lineup is that he hasn't really demonstrated 3-pt range, though he has a pretty good form and confidence on 12-18 footers and post moves. His rebounding isn't extremely strong statistically, but I think he'd be an asset for us.

[Clav]

Anunoby? He’s an All NBA defender at a young age - he’s long, he can shoot well, Knicks had some sort of a 20-3 something stretch to close the season with him in the lineup. He’s strong and can rebound/box out solidly. He is what Presti aims for - to rather be a great defensive team than a great rebounding team - if it makes sense. He is basically a perfect 3 and D big wing.

Tobias Harris is another backup version, however, his defense in comparison to Anunoby is on another planet. I wouldnt mind if Harris could be signed for a reasonable deal. PG is just too expensive. OKC is not gonna offer a guy in his age a 3-4 year deal that he can get elsewhere. He is looking at possibly declining a nearly 50mil player option - he just doesnt make realistic sense financially.

I do think both players here are pretty solid players for our team, but neither will accept the money we will offer I fear.

Harris for sure will be looking for as much as he can get and as long of a contract he can get as he is UFA. If he plays for us he'll only really accept a JJ Redick type contract (at least 20M plus) on a 1-yr deal, or go to a team where they will offer him multiple years (3/60, 4/80, etc.). Or, *gulp*, more, I feel bad for a team if they offer Harris 100M at this stage.

Harris is a guy who has really felt invisible with his play for a few years now and chastised for his massive contract.... If he's willing to take a team-winning deal, he can right those negative feelings around his career, and become a solid 6th-man type player for many clubs. That includes us. Harris off the bench, or spot starting, gives us a reliable shooter and a veteran who won't be required to shoulder the load every night. If he demands a huge /long-term deal, I can't see Presti going that way.

Anunoby is a perfect type of wing 3/D player, but he has had plenty of games missed recently. NYK will offer him the biggest contract they can because GMs and Owners pay to play the Championship game (5year/240M ?? or 4yr/170 for other teams). OG isn't the best rebounder though, his shooting is trending the right way, and we know about his nice defense. It would be interesting see him on our team because he does move without the ball well and we have a lot of actions that assist in that.

[Bremzi]

If you want alternatives for big men, there are also Plumlee, Theiss, Šarić, Love, Eubanks options. These might cost less than Valanciunas and I dont think any of them is as good as of a rebounder/stretch big as Valanciunas. But any of them would be ok to be honest. Clippers even had 3 centers on the roster. In the past - GSW with Kerr had a bunch of centers where they could play 15 mins a game and play all-out all the time. Nobody cared for fouls if there were 3-4 legit centers that could play. Injuries didnt matter and basically that took care of rebounding. I could sign up to add Plumlee, Theiss and Šarić as a trio with another rookie big guy on top or instead. Whatever happens, Presti gotta address the Chet/Jaylin big situation. It’s just too weak.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Re DJJ - I dont care what he shot 3pt% for his career. He singlehandedly cockblocked SGA. There was noone close to being capable of doing that for Dallas except him. I dont think you realize how elite of a skill defensively he has to consistently stay in front of SGA. On top of that, you clearly undervalue him, because he’s 6’7” and not 6’5”. You should have seen this if you watched the games. He is as tall as Luka and Pj Washington. He played SF/PF for the Mavs just fine during the regular season. He’s relatively young, he is an alley oop threat (unlike Tobias and possibly PG), which makes offense planning much more versatile as he doesnt need to camp at the three point line. That would also make Dallas much weaker. And no, OKC backups like Wiggins arent better than DJJ. Thats crazy talk. If they were, they would be averaging 30 minutes a game and not 0-10mpg.

He's listed at 6'5 or 6'6 depending on where you look. He can't rebound, can't shoot and would be the most worthless offensive player in OKC since Andre Roberson. I want them to build a championship team around SGA not drive him out of OKC like they did KD. I realize I'm in the extreme minority on this. Dallas isn't winning because of DJJ and yes, he is their weak spot. They can hide him, to some extent, like OKC hides Dort. If you start putting multiple garbage defense only players around SGA, Chet and JDub you will kill the offense like was done to KD, Russ and Ibaka. Then it just becomes a matter of time until SGA decides he wants to win and either demands out or just leaves in FA like KD did.

I appreciate that your ideas of DJJ and Jonas are on par with what Presti is likely thinking and might do. They are in the Presti mold of Kanter, Waiters, Perkins and Hayward. Presti needs to be held to a much higher standard than he was in the past. His admission that he thought Hayward was a good move and that he is still learning is a testament to how incompetent he still is. I'm actually afraid he might consider DJJ his big FA prize.

For the record, OKC couldn't afford OG, DJJ and Jonas so it is a moot discussion. The OG will be signed to a max contract at $42.3M this year and OKC is looking at about $36M in cap space. They would have to move Giddey to afford OG then they would have to move some combination of Kenrich, Dieng, Dort, Cason, Chet and JDub to afford DJJ. Every player I have listed, with the exception of Dieng, is superior to DJJ.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Anunoby is a perfect type of wing 3/D player, but he has had plenty of games missed recently. NYK will offer him the biggest contract they can because GMs and Owners pay to play the Championship game (5year/240M ?? or 4yr/170 for other teams). OG isn't the best rebounder though, his shooting is trending the right way, and we know about his nice defense. It would be interesting see him on our team because he does move without the ball well and we have a lot of actions that assist in that.

If Presti wanted OG he would have traded for him and put Giddey on the bench at that point. Presti is still learning, his words not mine, and he doesn't know the difference between tanking and trying to win. The illiterate noob is going to use his draft pick and then take a bad contract to help an opponent out for a worthless draft pick. He helped make Dallas great again and he can do it for someone else next season. Perhaps Ben Simmons and Dallas' 2029 FRP for Dieng so Brooklyn can create max cap space. Then he can buyout Simmons, or release him, like he did Kevin Porter Jr. when he took his salary from Houston.