Oklahoma City Thunder: Best Move They Did and Didn’t Make
The Oklahoma City Thunder’s biggest loss this offseason dominated headlines. But the Thunder made a number of other moves to improve their team — were they the right ones?
Is it possible to have a perfect offseason? Golden State Warriors fans may think so, but even they had to let a few players go to sign former MVP Kevin Durant. The Boston Celtics signed a top free agent target in Al Horford, but weren’t able to pull the trigger on a trade for another All-Star.
Teams can have good and bad offseasons, but rarely does the pendulum swing completely one way or the other.
Over the coming weeks Hoops Habit will take a walk around the league and highlight the best move of every team this offseason — as well as the best move they didn’t make. Today’s piece lands in the Great Plains to take a look at the Oklahoma City Thunder.
No team took a harder gut punch this offseason than the Thunder, who went from the cusp of the NBA Finals to losing the greatest player in their short franchise history. But what was the best move they made this offseason?
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And was there a move they should have made but failed to do so?
Best Move They Made: Trading Serge Ibaka
At his best, Serge Ibaka is the “unicorn” that every team in the league covets. On defense, he is an elite rim protector with the athleticism and speed to guard out to the perimeter. On offense, his shooting out to the three-point line stretches a defense unable to protect every inch of the court.
When the Thunder were at the height of their time together — arguably the stretch this postseason from Game 2 of their Second Round series against the San Antonio Spurs through Game 5 of the Western Conference Finals against the Golden State Warriors — Serge Ibaka was a seamless fit.
The lineups the Thunder could throw out with Ibaka, Kevin Durant and Andre Roberson brought together an unprecedented amount of length and speed. If the Thunder went big, Steven Adams and Ibaka provided more rim protection than any other combination in the league.
If small, the Thunder could switch seamlessly and present an unbreakable sea of arms from perimeter to hoop.
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However, the Serge Ibaka who could stroke shots from anywhere on the court was an inconsistent presence throughout the regular season. His three-point percentage was the lowest it has been since 2010-11 and overall his effective field goal percentage was a career low.
He suffered in other areas as well, posting totals in rebounding, blocks, and free throw attempts that were his lowest in at least six years.
Ibaka was also not a lock to stay in Oklahoma City as he enters the final year of his contract. His camp had made it known that he was interested in testing out the free agency waters next summer, when he would be the best rim protector by far among the unrestricted free agents.
Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has a track record of getting out in front of pending free agents to recoup value for the organization, from James Harden to Reggie Jackson, and trading Ibaka fit right in line with that move.
For a sub-elite player on an expiring contract, Presti got a phenomenal haul. Victor Oladipo was the second overall pick in the 2013 draft, with length and defensive ability on the perimeter.
On offense his jump shot is still developing, but he has improved every offseason and he contains potential to be a secondary playmaker on a good team. Given the lack of wings in the league, Oladipo is a valuable piece to have.
The trade also brought a poor-man’s Serge Ibaka in Ersan Ilyasova, a power forward who can stretch the floor. He doesn’t bring Ibaka’s defensive ability, in rim protection or on the perimeter, but he has a solid frame that can keep traditional power forwards from scoring easily in the post.
Finally the Thunder added the 11th pick in this year’s draft, Domantas Sabonis. A 6’10” big man out of Lithuania and Gonzaga University, Sabonis immediately brings an incredible motor and rebounding.
In pre-draft workouts, he flashed range out to the three-point line, something that if he could work in full-time would bring this from a good trade to a steal.
Whether this deal had an impact on Kevin Durant’s departure is unknown; it certainly wasn’t a concession to his absence. Presti flipped an asset he was primed to lose for assets he has control over for years to come.
With Durant leaving, it shines through all the more as a savvy trade that will continue to sustain a talented rotation for the Thunder even without the superstar wing.
Best Move They Didn’t Make: Adding Help on the Wing
This is a bizarre statement to make in the face of losing a superstar player, but the Thunder did not make many mistakes this offseason.
Yes, they needed to convince Kevin Durant to stay to remain firmly in title contention, but they surely made a competent pitch to him and lost to something they couldn’t provide — four other All-Star players, a San Francisco metro area and the possibility of the greatest team ever assembled.
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Otherwise the Thunder made great moves, from trading Ibaka to signing Alex Abrines to letting Dion Waiters walk. But with Abrines replacing Waiters in the rotation, the Thunder still find themselves with a gaping hole at small forward.
It seems likely Andre Roberson will start at the 3 on opening night, with a Westbrook-Oladipo pairing in the backcourt and Ilyasova alongside Steven Adams in the frontcourt.
But his backup will be Kyle Singler, who proved last year he doesn’t bring the athleticism, defense, or consistent scoring to crack Oklahoma City’s rotation when it matters the most.
The wings on the market once Kevin Durant announced his departure were not plentiful, but there were options.
By not bringing in rotational help the Thunder locked themselves into a tight spot should Roberson regress or get injured, forcing Abrines or Singler into a starting spot they’re not prepared for.
This is a small quibble, since the Thunder are maximizing their cap space in order to sign Russell Westbrook to an extension.
Keeping one of the seven best players in the league is more important than wing depth, especially with the slim pickings remaining after the first few days of free agency.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder will be judged in the shadow of the player they lost this season.
But taking that aside, they made good moves that help this team remain relevant, and if Westbrook remains on the roster they have the ability to make the postseason and taste success even without Kevin Durant.