Oklahoma City Thunder: The Steven Adams dilemma

Having stripped themselves of two foundational pieces, the Oklahoma City Thunder still have one asset and little knowledge of what to do with it.

The production level of Steven Adams has always been a surprise for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Drafted with a pick acquired in the James Harden trade, he slowly developed into a starting-caliber center with results enough to warrant a four-year, $100 million extension in October 2016.

At 7’0” with a 265-pound frame, he was the perfect man in the middle for OKC’s physical brand of basketball. Adams controlled the glass on both sides of the floor and was able to free up teammates with some of the stiffest screens.

He was no floor spacer but efficient around the bucket with a nifty push shot from just outside the restricted area.

He was third in a Big Three next to Russell Westbrook and Paul George, an invaluable member of OKC’s success at either end of the court.

With his All-Star teammates now elsewhere, however, where Adams stands in the future of the organization is a question that doesn’t come with the simplest of answers.

The Thunder didn’t just trade their two best players. In return, they overflowed their draft cupboard in addition to receiving young stud Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, allowing themselves to rebuild a once perennial playoff contender from the ground up.

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Adams is by no means a depreciating asset, having only recently turned 25 with some of his best days ahead of him. But for general manager Sam Presti to execute his long-term plan, it will require the stripping of every worthwhile asset he’s got left for whatever he can get in return.

It’s why he traded 25-year-old Jerami Grant to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for a first-round pick.

What Adams does, he does at an extremely high level. He ranked second in offensive rebounds per game last season with 4.9 and shot 66.7 percent within three feet of the hoop.

Unfortunately, those skills aren’t as desired as they once were, at least not when coupled with a limited touch from the perimeter.

They’re instead replaced by a niche of players whose purpose is to expose the same skills that helped Adams become the talent he is today. Some use their speed to exploit his lack of quickness while others use their outside shot to lure him away from the basket.

Adams has grown accustomed to imposing his will across 82 regular-season games, but the playoffs become an entirely different story.

His points, rebounds and player efficiency rating have all seen a noticeable dip in each of OKC’s last two — albeit brief — postseason runs in large part due to a more consistent stream of poor matchups.

Despite a somewhat antiquated style of play, several teams would have use for a guy like Adams manning their interior. However long that list is, it shrinks a significant amount upon looking at the cost.

Adams has two years remaining on his contract with a dollar amount around $26 million annually. It’s a figure that may not be as egregious as other deals around the league, but it ranks 40th in player salaries for the coming season.

That’s not exactly the spot one would want for a guy with no significant accolades to his name and a career-best scoring average of just 13.9.

Of the 10 highest-paid centers for the coming season — according to Spotrac —  seven bring some amounts of versatility to the table, whether that’s the ability to operate on the perimeter or guard multiple positions defensively.

One of the other three is reigning two-time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. The other is Andre Drummond capping a mediocre Detroit Pistons squad and the third is Adams.

Adams has what it takes to function as the former but more often than not has, to the detriment of OKC, performed closer to the latter.

Adams has the type of contract that puts his flaws under a microscope and throws his talents to the side.

Even if Presti were to accept a deal that brought back pennies on the dollar, there simply aren’t many teams in the financial situation to pull off such a trade and even fewer who are interested in his services at that price.

Should the Thunder simply keep their long-time center in the fold with a roster that certainly isn’t barren enough to make a spirited playoff push?

Is the front office willing to part ways with one of its many acquired draft picks with a plan in mind that requires some extra wiggle room in their cap space?

What OKC plans to do with what is now a stocked treasure chest is a plan unknown to the general public. Having already shopped him before the draft, it likely doesn’t include Adams, but unlike his former teammates, finding him a new home won’t be as simple and the return not as rewarding.