Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

OKC Thunder – 5 free agents who improve Westbrook’s title chances

By Bo Cardona

Feb 19, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; Eastern Conference guard Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors (7) talks with Western Conference guard Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder (0) in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 19, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; Eastern Conference guard Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors (7) talks with Western Conference guard Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder (0) in the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
4 of 6
Next
OKC Thunder Free Agent targets
Mar 17, 2017; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Nick Young (0) celebrates in the first quarter against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

Nick Young:

If you haven’t noticed there is some sort of pattern here. The OKC Thunder are in desperate need of some beyond the arc scoring, and with the youthfulness of the team, could use a little experience as well. Young could be a great piece to fit those needs.

Nick Young has a great feel for creating his own shot, and being a catch-and-shoot specialist. Of his 421 attempts beyond the arc, he connected on 40.4 percent of them. This is the second best percentage of his career, and the most threes taken in a season by a long haul.

Though he is not the best defender, Young would be a great player coming into the second unit in Oklahoma City. While in game five of the playoffs, Westbrook saw six total minutes of bench time. In those six minutes, the OKC Thunder was outscored 27-9.  Young could give a scoring boost to a bench that mostly relies on Kanter putting in shots at the rim.

Money Management

Another great part of Young is his salary. This year he is only making $5.5 million which is considerably low in the NBA era of monstrous paychecks. Though he might be able to squeeze out a few more pennies, his inability to play consistent defense limits his pay grade.

There could be a situation where Terrance Ferguson was brought in to replace Roberson. With almost the exact same figure, both are 6’7″ with eagle like wingspans. If this is the case, and the Thunder play Ferguson along side the starters, Nick Young would add a huge boost to the bench.

Home/Thunder Free Agency