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Five shooters the Thunder should target before trade deadline

By Tony Heim

Jan 3, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) shoots the ball during the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2017; Denver, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Danilo Gallinari (8) shoots the ball during the first half against the Sacramento Kings at Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports /
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5. Mike Dunleavy

Wait, whatttttttttttt? How/why would the Thunder want a 36-year old who played himself out of Cleveland? Well part of the answer is in the question.

Dec 23, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mike Dunleavy (3) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris (12) during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena. Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 23, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Mike Dunleavy (3) drives to the basket against Brooklyn Nets forward Joe Harris (12) during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena. Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /

At 36, Dunleavy would bring in another veteran presence to a fairly young team. Anthony Morrow and Nick Collison are the only 30+ players on the team, and they struggle to find consistent playing time. With Dunleavy, OKC would actually have a vet to help calm the second-unit down when things go out of whack.

On top of that the former Dukie would be a perfect fit because of his ability to play both ends of the court. Dunleavy won’t wow you with athleticism, but he is an incredibly intelligent player. We’ve recognized that this isn’t the year for the Thunder to contend for a championship, so bringing in his wisdom could help the OKC prospects in the long run.

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Dunleavy is having a down shooting year, but that shouldn’t stop Sam Presti from approaching the wing. It’s clear that he wants to play for a top-tier team (hence the Atlanta standoff) and OKC just may be an interesting enough option. PLUS (assuming the two sides reach a buyout agreement) they wouldn’t have to lose any pieces for the sharpshooter.

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