Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and the Thunder are perfect trade partners

The OKC Thunder are missing the fifth and final piece for a lineup capable of competing with the Warriors’ Death Lineup. The answer comes in the form of Lakers shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have put themselves in a tricky situation to start the season. At 10-12 with no clear sign of this talented roster reaching their vast potential, the conversation has officially started: should the Thunder look at trading the stars they just brought in.

As of now the answer is a resounding no. We are just over the quarter-way mark of the season – calling it quits on this foundation that could play at a high-level together for multiple more years would be too reactionary. That doesn’t mean the Thunder should be out of the trade market though.

From a pure talent standpoint the Thunder have the stars to play with the Golden State Warriors; it’s why they were able to handle them with ease in their first matchup this season. The big difference between the two teams is that the Warriors can win games when their stars aren’t performing well – the Thunder simply can’t. Other then Steven Adams OKC lacks a true two-way difference-maker, somebody who can keep them in games when the OK3 aren’t making their shots.

Sadly there aren’t many players like that available on the open market right now. Which is why I call your attention to a player who is unavailable until December 14th: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Related Story: Three potential buyout/trade candidates for the Thunder to look at

Caldwell-Pope is the exact type of piece the Thunder needs to replace Andre Roberson in their crunch-time lineup. While Roberson is an elite defender his offensive ineptitude makes him near-unplayable when the game gets close at the end. In fact, Roberson has only appeared in 14 fourth quarters all season for that very reason. But why Caldwell-Pope, a player who just signed a one-year deal with the Lakers, even an option?

Here’s why:

• Caldwell-Pope signed a one-year deal with the hopes of securing a large contract this summer. The Lonzo Ball Show, however, has outshined KCP and actually diminished his usage ever-so-slightly. He’s taking the lowest field goal attempts since his rookie season, something that a player who doubled-down for another contract year probably isn’t happy about.
• That one-year deal plays a part for Los Angeles too. The Lakers aren’t going to make the Playoffs this season so offloading a starting-caliber player by the trade deadline only makes sense for their future.
• The Thunder are in win-now mode. It’s possible that Paul George and Carmelo Anthony walk in free agency, leaving OKC with even less than they had in the 2016-2017 season. Sam Presti assuredly will make at least one more move to solidify the Thunder’s chances at an upset.

Now you’re probably wondering why I picked Caldwell-Pope specifically. I’ve got that covered for you too:

• While Roberson has been a big part of the Thunder’s third-ranked defense, his game isn’t mandatory with a player like Paul George in the fold. While KCP isn’t on Roberson’s level, he has the tools to flourish in a system with defensive weapons throughout the roster.
• And what Caldwell-Pope lacks in defense, he makes up on the offensive end. The 24-year old is shooting a career high 35.5% from deep on almost 6 attempts a game. He’s more of a spot-up shooter than a creator, the right fit for a team with three All-Stars who need the ball.
• Like Roberson, KCP is a smart player who does the little things on the court that help a team win…when he wants to. Caldwell-Pope had his best season when the Pistons went to the Playoffs, aka when they were actually playing for something. Putting him back on a Playoff team would re-energize his motivation and potentially cause him to play the best basketball of his career.

While adding Caldwell-Pope would solidify the Thunder’s crunch-time rotation, there are many issues that could/would stop the acquisition from going down.

Caldwell-Pope can’t be traded until December 14th. The most likely asset leaving OKC – Andre Roberson – can’t be moved until January 14th. A KCP trade could go down earlier than the 14th and leave the Thunder lost.

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The Lakers will likely try to put Luol Deng and his albatross of a contract in any deal to free up cap space this summer. Deng’s 3-year/$52 million contract is simply too much for a Thunder team already leading the world in player contracts.

Presti doesn’t have much to sell the Lakers on. Then again we said that about Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

Three different lists of three bullet points and it all comes down to this. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the prototype for OKC: a lengthy, athletic guard who can spread the floor and guard multiple positions. Bringing him in would follow Sam Presti’s decision to go all in on the season while also clearing up cap space (assuming Roberson is a part of the deal).

Do I think a trade between the two teams goes down? It isn’t likely, simply because LA will have better offers on the table. We can never count Sam Presti out of any trade though, hence why we all should keep a special eye on any news involving Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.