The OKC Thunder should acquire sharp shooter Tony Snell
The shooting guard spot is still a position of contention in the OKC Thunder rotation. With Andre Roberson recovering from injury, should Oklahoma City make a play for Milwaukee Bucks wing Tony Snell?
Following a successful scrimmage in which OKC Thunder fans were treated to glimpses of the 2018-19 roster, the shooting guard position remains a position of contention. Andre Roberson continues his recovery from a ruptured patellar tendon sparking competition for starters minutes between Terrance Ferguson, Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot, Alex Abrines and to a lesser extent, Hamidou Diallo.
In OKC’s recent scrimmage, TLC was perhaps the most impressive of lot with TFerg playing uninspired basketball and Abrines sitting out with back spasms. Diallo showcased his exceptional athletic ability with a big two-hand hammer dunk, but remains extremely raw.
An intriguing option:
With question marks remaining, should Oklahoma City take aim at Milwaukee Bucks Tony Snell?
If there’s one thing Snell does well its shooting from beyond the arc. Averaging 6.9 points last season, the 26 year-old shot 40.3 percent from distance on 3.6 attempts. More impressively, Snell shot 43.8 percent from both corners (45-104) and a solid 38.4 percent (63-164) above the break.
Snell’s best 3-point performance last season came in Milwaukee’s 121-126 loss to the Charlotte Hornets. He scored 17 points on 6-7 shooting and landed five of his six attempts from distance.
Criticisms
While Snell is a legitimate threat from range, he is heavily criticized for his lack of contributions in other facets of the game. He averages just 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.4 blocks for his career despite playing 22.6 minutes per game. Snell regularly loiters on the perimeter and avoids any form of contact. While Snell is listed at 6’7 with a 6’11 wingspan, his horrible rebound numbers reflect an unwillingness to compete on the glass.
His best scoring night came in the Bucks 118-105 win over the Chicago Bulls. Snell contributed 18 points on a perfect 6-6 from the field, 4-4 from three and 2-2 from the line in 22 minutes but did nothing else. He had no rebounds, steals or blocks but did have one personal foul.
These kind of stat lines are unacceptable for a player with his experience. Back in 2017, Snell came within 22 seconds of a record held by former Miami Heat Center Joel Anthony. In their 109-95 loss to the Utah Jazz, Snell posted no counting stats in 28 minutes of action to almost secured his spot in NBA infamy. Snell escaped the record books because Anthony played 22 seconds longer in 2011.
Possible trade
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Now hard capped for the upcoming season, the Milwaukee Bucks have virtually no financial flexibility. While Oklahoma City aren’t bound by a hard cap they currently possess the most expensive roster in the league, sitting approximately $29.5 million above the tax. Neither one has any flexibility moving forward.
However, OKC’s desire to win a championship now and ownership’s willingness to pay the tax for the foreseeable future allows the Thunder to take risks. Oklahoma City could look to use its $10.8 million Trade Exception (TE) to absorb Snell’s $10.6 million salary for this season.
The Thunder would need to seperate transactions: trade Abrines to Milwaukee for non-guaranteed contracts and use its TE to absorb Snell’s remaining salary
Not only does this save OKC money in luxury tax instead of absorbing Snell’s deal outright, it gives flexibility to Milwaukee. Abrines essentially brings the same thing to the Bucks but at half the price. With Milwaukee staring down the barrel of extensions to Malcolm Brogdon and Khris Middleton, trading Snell is a step to free up cap space.
One big drawback is Snell’s future salary. Due approximately $34 million over the next three seasons, he is yet to live up to his contract. With the Thunder deep in luxury tax territory, OKC must decide whether he’s worth the investment.
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Final Thought
With championship aspirations, Oklahoma City must continue to fill its holes. Whether Snell is the answer or not is an unknown. One thing is for sure, he will solidify OKC’s perimeter shooting and increase the Thunder’s overall ceiling.