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NBA Trade Grades: Thunder Acquire Joffrey Lauvergne From Nuggets

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) guards Denver Nuggets center Joffrey Lauvergne (77) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Thunder defeated the Nuggets 124-102. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) guards Denver Nuggets center Joffrey Lauvergne (77) in the third quarter at the Pepsi Center. The Thunder defeated the Nuggets 124-102. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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NBA Trade Grades
Oct 18, 2015; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Joffrey Lauvergne (77) dunks the ball against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the first quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Oklahoma City Thunder

Considering how crowded Denver’s frontcourt was, a Joffrey Lauvergne trade wasn’t particularly surprising. What was unexpected, however, was the Thunder being the team on the receiving end, especially since their frontcourt is similarly log-jammed.

Even after the draft-day Serge Ibaka trade, OKC still sported Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, Ersan Ilyasova, Mitch McGary, Nick Collison and rookie Domantas Sabonis in the frontcourt — not to mention Andre Roberson and Josh Huestis, who can play the 4 in small-ball lineups.

Adding Lauvergne to that mix not only stuffs one more sardine into the can, but it also puts OKC at 16 guaranteed contracts.

Lauvergne will be on OKC’s roster for next season, because it wouldn’t make sense to give up assets for him and then waive him. This deal could, however, spell the end for someone like Mitch McGary, who failed to carve out minutes in head coach Billy Donovan‘s rotation last season.

The 24-year-old McGary showed signs of promise in limited time as a rookie, averaging 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 15.2 minutes per game, but failed to earn the same trust under Donovan, who limited him to 3.6 minutes per game in only 20 appearances.

Between McGary’s off-court issues with marijuana that earned him a five-game suspension and Donovan’s lack of trust in him, adding another 24-year-old with upside like Lauvergne makes some sense. At the meager price of two protected second-round picks, the Thunder bolstered their young frontcourt core.

Last season, the 6’11” Lauverne struggled to earn minutes ahead of Nikola Jokic and Jusuf Nurkic, but not nearly to the extent that McGary did in OKC. King Joff averaged 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds in 17.6 minutes per game last year, shooting 51.3 percent from the floor and 24.5 percent from three-point range.

Coming off his second NBA season, Lauvergne is a hard worker who will help OKC on the glass and spread the floor better than McGary can. But even if the Thunder gave up a negligible ransom for King Joff’s services, it’s hard to judge this move until we see its full aftermath in the frontcourt.

Namely, how do the Thunder go about trading out of this frontcourt logjam to address their needs on the wing? And what happens next summer when a good but not great player like Lauvergne hits restricted free agency?

Grade: B-

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