Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

OKC Thunder Offseason: 5 Low-key trade targets to add depth

By Noah Schulte

TORONTO, ON - APRIL 14: Tomas Satoransky #31 of the Washington Wizards goes to the basket against Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter during Game One of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on April 14, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. 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. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tomas Satoransky;Pascal Siakam
TORONTO, ON - APRIL 14: Tomas Satoransky #31 of the Washington Wizards goes to the basket against Pascal Siakam #43 of the Toronto Raptors in the first quarter during Game One of the first round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre on April 14, 2018 in Toronto, Canada. 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. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Tomas Satoransky;Pascal Siakam /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 28: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 28, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 28: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the ball during the game against the Dallas Mavericks on March 28, 2018 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Lonzo Ball

Of the three scenarios which I’m going to present here, Ball is the least likely to work for a multitude of reasons. For one, he’s arguably the Lakers’ biggest trade chip right now and that means they’d probably only ship him out for a deal that could net them a star-caliber player. Still, he could really help the Thunder next year.

Ball is one of the most uniquely gifted playmakers in the NBA, capable of making exceptional passes himself, sure, but more importantly changing the dynamic of an offense. When he arrived to the Lakers last year, the team’s overall assists per game jumped from 26th in the NBA to 7th place. And while he’s not wholly responsible for that transformation, it’s worth noting he had an almost identical impact when he played at UCLA in 2016.

If the Thunder had someone who could make plays like this even a few more times per game, their offense could be significantly more efficient:

By adding Lonzo, the Thunder could theoretically be adding an entirely new dimension to their team in the short term, sure. But they could also be adding someone who could usher in a new era of Oklahoma City basketball. The former Bruin is still just 20 years old and could potentially lead an elite-level offense down the line.

The price to acquire him could be steep, but Ball is worth it.

Home/Thunder News