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2017 NBA free agency grades: Patrick Patterson heading to Oklahoma City Thunder

By Kenneth Teape

TORONTO, ON - MAY 23: Patrick Patterson #54 of the Toronto Raptors reacts after a three point basket in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on May 23, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 23: Patrick Patterson #54 of the Toronto Raptors reacts after a three point basket in the first quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers in game four of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs at the Air Canada Centre on May 23, 2016 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images) /
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The Oklahoma City Thunder made a savvy move, signing Patrick Patterson to a three-year, $16.4 million deal using their mid-level exception.

With the bigger names in this year’s free agency class agreeing to deals, the second tier players are starting to generate some interest. One of those players is power forward, Patrick Patterson.

Patterson will continue the player movement to the Western Conference. Patterson will be joining Paul George with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Tuesday night that Patterson and the Thunder have agreed to a three-year, $16.4 million deal.

The Thunder will use their full tax payer mid-level exception to land Patterson, and the third year is a player option.

For the Thunder, this is an amazing deal. Seeing what other players have been getting on the open market, it should be considered a steal to land Patterson at this price. While teams have been better this offseason with spending, last year we saw some exorbitant deals. We’re looking at you, New Orleans Pelicans (Solomon Hill) and Milwaukee Bucks (Miles Plumlee).

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Convincing Patterson to take the mid-level exception is a coup for the Thunder. Hill and Plumlee are fringe rotation players in the NBA paid like legitimate contributors. Patterson is a legitimate contributor and was signed for a fraction of their cost, giving the Thunder outstanding value. In addition, Patterson also fits their current roster configuration perfectly.

The Thunder suffered a pretty big blow earlier in the offseason when Taj Gibson left. Gibson agreed to a two-year deal with the upstart Minnesota Timberwolves, re-joining Tom Thibodeau and Jimmy Butler.

With Gibson out of the picture, the Thunder needed to fill the void at power forward. The only players on the roster left to do so were Jerami Grant, Doug McDermott and Enes Kanter. All three could have a role, but Patterson is a much better fit.

Patterson’s strength is his three-point shooting. He has developed into a reliable shooter from range, connecting at a 36.8 percent clip in his career. The Thunder are desperate for floor-spacers, and Patterson will accomplish that. Schematically, he’ll be a better fit than Gibson because of this.

Spacing is imperative to the Thunder’s success. Russell Westbrook is amazing to watch, but he cannot do everything by himself. Acquiring George, who is an outstanding spot-up shooter, was a good move. Adding Patterson to the starting lineup only improves the spot-up shooting surrounding Westbrook.

For a team that was up against the salary cap like the Thunder were, finding bargains is important. Patterson is one of those types of bargains and he fits into what they are trying to do perfectly.

With Patterson being brought on board, the Thunder have overhauled their rotation. Gone are Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, who were traded for George, and Gibson. Incoming are George, first round draft pick Terrence Ferguson, and Patterson. That is a serious upgrade for the Thunder, who had very little resources to upgrade in free agency.

While his three-point shooting is what is most important to the Thunder, he is a good enough defender as well. Patterson isn’t the greatest rebounder, but the Thunder have Steven Adams to control the paint, along with above-average rebounders at point guard in Westbrook and small forward in George.

Oklahoma City has hit a home run with the Patterson signing. He comes at a very affordable price and is still in his prime at 28 years old. He fits their need and his weaknesses can be overcome by others in the rotation. This was a great deal in a multitude of ways for the Thunder.

Next: 2017 NBA free agency tracker - Grades for every deal so far

Grade: A

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