Views from OKC: Ranking the importance of each offseason move
By Tony Heim
Views from OKC is a public diary from an OKC Thunder fan. Today we take a look at the most important moves this offseason.
Going into this season we all knew the Oklahoma City Thunder was a team filled with flaws. That’s what happens when up until July 4th the team was built specifically for two superstars.
Now Sam Presti has an entire offseason to build a roster specifically for one superstar. I hate to break it to Thunder fans, but a superstar isn’t coming to Oklahoma this summer. 1) The Thunder don’t have the assets and 2) It likely wouldn’t push them past the Warriors anyway. That’s okay – with the youngest playoff rotation this season Presti is building for the future.
So what’s in store for this offseason? Let’s take a look and rank the most important moves this offseason.
1. Sign Russell Westbrook to an extension
Shocker! Without Russell Westbrook signing an extension this season will be dominated by questions of free agency, just like two years ago. That’s exactly what we don’t need right now. Find a way to lock him (hopefully not for the max) and then Presti can get to work on the rest of these transactions.
2. Trade Enes Kanter
Before Presti can think about free agents or draft picks he has to get a return for Enes Kanter. The Thunder can’t afford to pay Steven Adams, Kanter AND Taj Gibson (more on that later) big money while also giving more minutes to Domantas Sabonis next season. Kanter’s contract and play style simply doesn’t fit with this new era of Thunder basketball.
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3. Resign Andre Roberson
Andre Roberson was thissssssssss close to moving ahead of Kanter on this list. That’s how valuable he was to this team this season. Without Roberson the Thunder have zero players capable of guarding elite small forwards, a stacked position in today’s NBA. Pray that Roberson doesn’t sign an outrageous tender from another team because OKC can’t afford to lose him.
4. Find a backup point guard
Semaj Christon and Norris Cole simply don’t cut it. There are so many good guards in the NBA – even in the D-League – that Presti could find for fairly cheap. Quinn Cook and Briante Webber were out there just waiting to be sniped last season, but Presti never budged. He can’t make the same mistake again this year.
5. Resign Taj Gibson
It would be fantastic if Gibson returns to Oklahoma City. He brings a fire that the Thunder lack outside of Westbrook and Jerami Grant and his veteran leadership is paramount for this locker room. At the same time, if he walks Presti could use that money for…a backup point guard maybe?