OKC Thunder: What Mike Muscala will bring to this team

The OKC Thunder have agreed to sign former Los Angeles Lakers big man Mike Muscala to a deal. Here’s how this addition will help Oklahoma City.

The Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t have cap space to make a splash in 2019 NBA free agency, but they were able to get a player that can help their bench. The OKC Thunder have agreed to sign former Los Angeles Lakers big man Mike Muscala to a deal, according to ESPN‘s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed, but it’s likely for the veteran minimum or the taxpayer mid-level exception.

The Thunder needed a stretch-big that could shoot the 3-ball. In fact, they needed 3-point shooters, period. Now they have one in Muscala.

Moose started out the season playing for the Philadelphia 76ers, where he played 47 games and averaged 7.4 points and 4.3 rebounds a night. The Sixers were able to maximize his ability because he was playing with Ben Simmons, a point guard who can find open shooters.

He was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers in the Tobias Harris deal and eventually found his way on the Lakers, where he was playing on a team that had basically cashed it in.

He only averaged 5.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while with the Lakers. Now he’ll be joining the OKC Thunder, where he’ll be able to help the team greatly.

Muscala is the type of player that can come off the bench and provide 3-point scoring and some rebounding with his 6’11”, 240-pound frame. OKC was one of the best rebounding teams last year, so it doesn’t need much help in that category.

Ever since Kevin Durant left, the Thunder have had depth problems and have lacked adequate 3-point shooting. Muscala will be able to help them in both categories.

OKC ranked 22nd in 3-point shooting percentage this past season at 34.8 percent and ranked 24th the season before at 35.4 percent. For his career, Muscala has shot 36.5 percent from the 3-point line.

In terms of 3-pointers made, Terrance Ferguson was fifth on the team with 106. The next player was Patrick Patterson, who made 46 3-pointers. Muscala made 89 3-pointers last year in limited minutes, so he will complement what little shooting the Thunder already have.

OKC signed Patterson signed two seasons ago with the hopes that he would fill the role that Muscala will be in now, but he has not been able to pan out for the Thunder.

Last year, Patterson only averaged 3.6 points per game. The season before that, he only averaged 3.9 points per game. This signing of Muscala has more than likely numbered Patterson’s days with the OKC Thunder.

The Thunder have also agreed to re-sign Nerlens Noel. Steven Adams, Andre Roberson and Dennis Schroder are still on the trade block because of the team’s luxury tax problems, so this may not be the end of OKC’s transactions after all these signings.

For now though, Muscala will be joining the Thunder, a team with Russell Westbrook, the point guard who led the league in total assists and assists per game. All of Muscala’s 3-pointers that he made were assisted, which bodes well for this potential fit.