OKC Thunder: Foye Adds Needed Depth At Shooting Guard
The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Randy Foye from the Denver Nuggets via trade on deadline-day to bolster their roster.
The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired shooting guard Randy Foye from the Denver Nuggets in a deadline-day deal in exchange for D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak and two second-round draft picks.
Thunder acquire Randy Foye from Nuggets for D.J. Augustin, Steve Novak and 2 future second-round picks. (via ESPN & multiple reports)
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 18, 2016
Foye is putting up six points and 2.1 assists per game for the Nuggets this season, but has struggled with his shot, shooting just 35.1 percent from the floor. However, Foye’s sole focus will be to knock down open shots and handle the ball on a limited basis.
Foye adds depth at a position of need for the Thunder, since Andre Roberson is inept offensively and Dion Waiters struggles with consistency. Since entering the league, Foye has been a 37 percent shooter from the three-point line.
After losing Kevin Martin in free agency to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2013, the Thunder have been missing scoring punch off the bench. Foye is a player who is capable of filling that need, even if his shooting numbers have been down since joining the Nuggets.
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It is likely that Foye will come off the bench and play limited minutes for the Thunder, which will add scoring depth to the second unit. His shooting ability will spread the floor for Enes Kanter to score in the paint.
One problem that could arise for the Thunder is a lack of playing time to split between Foye, Waiters and Roberson. A storyline to track will be which player Head Coach Billy Donovan will have in the lineup at the end of games.
For most of this year, Donovan has elected Waiters to join the starters in the closing minutes of games. However, with Foye being added to the mix, that could change moving forward.
Augustin started the year as the backup point guard to Russell Westbrook, but has had his spot taken over by rookie Cameron Payne. Since the beginning of January, Augustin has appeared in two games for a total of 24 minutes, both of which when Payne missed time with injury.
Novak has appeared in just seven games for the Thunder this year and has racked up more DNP’s than points, so moving him will not make a large impact on the team.
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Both of these players are veterans with a good locker room presence, but other than that, they were not bringing much to the table for the Thunder.
Augustin’s time in Oklahoma City has probably been limited since losing his job to Payne, so trading him is not much of a surprise.
The move also saves the Thunder money against the luxury tax, according to Brian Windhorst.
OKC saved $9.8 million in salary and luxury taxes in acquiring Randy Foye from Nuggets.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 18, 2016
Foye’s contract is up at the conclusion of this season, so the Thunder made a safe gamble by trading for him. OKC is one of the few teams in the league truly contending for an NBA title, and they made a move that improves their roster’s depth and gives them a better chance of winning in the playoffs.