Oklahoma City Thunder: 5 goals for the 2019 offseason

3. Make a trade for a wing shooter

One of the biggest issues plaguing the Thunder’s roster has been a consistent problem for years: shooting. Over the past five seasons Oklahoma City has ranked in the bottom half of the NBA in 3-point percentage.

In the modern pace-and-space play of the league, a lack of shooting is more apparent than ever.

As currently constructed, the Thunder’s wing players heading into the 2019-20 season are: Ferguson, George, Andre Roberson, Hamidou Diallo, Abdel Nader and Deonte Burton. Their career 3-point shooting percentages are 35.6, 37.8, 25.7, 16.7, 33.3 and 29.6 percent, respectively.

Those numbers aren’t good.

In order to stretch the floor out and allow players like Westbrook and Steven Adams to be at their best, Oklahoma City must add shooting to the roster and a trade is the most logical route to do so.

Presti and the team’s front office have an affinity for long, athletic, versatile wings with defensive upside. Typically, players that fit that mold struggle to shoot from deep. In order for the team to evolve, the decision-makers may need to alter their roster-building philosophy.