The Oklahoma City Thunder did well to re-sign Paul George and Jerami Grant. Here are three players they could target next in 2018 NBA free agency.
The Oklahoma City Thunder ended their 2017-18 campaign with a whimper. After winning Game 1 of their first round playoff series at home against the Utah Jazz, they went on to lose four of the next five in a disappointing first round exit. Looking ahead to next season, there are questions to be answered and adjustments to be made.
Thankfully, the Thunder struck quickly in 2018 NBA free agency, agreeing to a four-year deal with Paul George and a three-year pact with Jerami Grant. This locked up both of OKC’s most important free agents, pairing them with Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams to build a contending core for the foreseeable future.
The question is, what should come next?
High on the list of priorities for the Thunder should be improving their bench. The trio of Westbrook, PG-13 and Carmelo Anthony is good enough to carry the load offensively for most of the game. It’s when the bench comes in that the trouble starts. Patrick Patterson was terrible this season with averages of 3.9 points and 2.4 rebounds in just 15.5 minutes per game, and no one outside of Grant gave the Thunder much either.
The Thunder are in a tricky spot this offseason because they are way over the salary cap and now face the largest luxury tax bill in NBA History. They owe Westbrook a massive (and well-deserved) $35.3 million next season. They also owe Anthony a massive (and undeserved) $27.9 million, a contract that comes with a no-trade clause to boot. With Paul George and Jerami Grant back, plus Nerlens Noel agreeing to a two-year deal, there isn’t much room to make any other significant moves.
With Paul George and Jerami Grant on board, Oklahoma City now has a payroll of $156M with 11 players under contract. Because of the repeater tax penalty, the Thunder currently have a tax bill of $130M. The tax bill would be the largest in NBA history.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 1, 2018
Despite the less-than-ideal financial situation, we will put ourselves in Thunder general manager Sam Presti’s shoes and make our best recommendations for the Thunder’s free agency moves this year, which could include minimum deals or the tax-payer mid-level exception ($5.3 million).