Oklahoma City Thunder: What’s next after keeping Paul George?
The Oklahoma City Thunder managed to re-sign Paul George to a multi-year deal. However the work is not yet done for the off season.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have done it. Despite the odds, they managed to (unofficially) re-sign a big-name free agent not named Russell Westbrook. Paul George has agreed to a four-year deal worth $137 million, per ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski. This will become official once the moratorium is over and contracts can be signed on July 6.
This is a triumph for the Thunder as George had many suitors, including his hometown Los Angeles Lakers. He wanted to win now, which is why he left the Indiana Pacers in the first place. Just like his former team, the Thunder got knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, which may have swayed the star forward to move somewhere else.
However, George appears to have found a home in Oklahoma City and a good friend in Westbrook. He must believe they have a chance of winning, otherwise he would have at least entertained other offers.
Now that the Thunder have secured the signature of George, they must make more moves to fill out their roster.
The next signings
The Thunder did not waste any time bulking up their roster. They then agreed to re-sign promising young forward Jerami Grant to a three-year deal worth $27 million, per ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski. This is a key move for the future of the franchise as Grant has the potential to be a versatile frontcourt piece.
The next move that was made was agreeing to a two-year deal with Nerlens Noel, per Yahoo! Sports‘ Shams Charania. This is a good risk vs. reward move. If Noel works out, OKC’s got a good backup center. His defensive prowess is well known and he can score when set up by a good point guard.
These two players answer some of the questions asked of the Thunder last season. When Steven Adams was off the court they looked too small and were not able to compete against some of the bigger players in the NBA.
Where to now
The Oklahoma City Thunder need to make a couple more moves in this free agency. They need to lock up a backup point guard. Currently that is Raymond Felton, but he has yet to agree to terms for the next season.
The Thunder should also think about re-signing Corey Brewer. When Andre Roberson comes back from injury, Brewer will serve as an injection of energy from the bench. His versatility and speed make him an incredibly dangerous weapon, especially playing off Westbrook.
To make some of this happen within the salary cap, the Thunder need to see if any teams have an interest in Carmelo Anthony. Getting rid of his $28 million contract would be gold for Sam Presti. This would allow the Thunder to pursue a lower-cost third scoring option — preferably one who will do what is best for the team and not himself.
Next: 2018 NBA free agency tracker: Grades for every deal so far
Once they have developed a little more chemistry and consistency, the Thunder could be one of the best teams in the Western Conference.