Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

Laying out the Thunder’s 2018 offseason wishlist

By Ted Dower

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - SEPTEMBER 24: Carmelo Anthony of the Oklahoma City Thunder is greeted Sam Presti, General Manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, as he arrives at Will Rogers Airport on September 24, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
OKLAHOMA CITY, OK - SEPTEMBER 24: Carmelo Anthony of the Oklahoma City Thunder is greeted Sam Presti, General Manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder, as he arrives at Will Rogers Airport on September 24, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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MILWAUKEE, WI – MARCH 07: Jabari Parker #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots over Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets during the first half of a game at the Bradley Center on March 7, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images
MILWAUKEE, WI – MARCH 07: Jabari Parker #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks shoots over Eric Gordon #10 of the Houston Rockets during the first half of a game at the Bradley Center on March 7, 2018 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images /

Jabari Parker – Milwaukee Bucks

Let’s be clear – the jury is still out on this young man. He is proven as a scorer, but “replacing” Paul George with him on the defensive side is a scary proposition. Two torn ACLs since entering the league in 2014 is not going to help that case.

But, the Thunder could probably get him at a better cost than most of the other guys on this list while possibly attracting one more talented free agent. His upside is enticing. At 6’8” 250 pounds, Parker is a mountain of an NBA wing and could take some pressure off of Steven Adams and Russ on the glass (7 boards per 36 minutes this season) while also spacing the floor with an impressive 43% clip from deep this season.

In short, Jabari fits the mold of what the Thunder need on offense. The other side of the floor is where questions really begin to rise about him. While the OKC offense would almost certainly be elite, it’s hard to imagine the Thunder having championship caliber defensive ability with a lineup that features Russ, Jabari, and Melo.

Andre Roberson and Steven Adams can only do so much.

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