OKC Thunder trade: 5 targets who solve OKC’s shooting woes
CJ Miles
Career 3-point percentage – 36
Total 3-point shots in 2017-18 – 454
3-point shots made per game – 2.3
3-point shots attempted per game – 6.5
3-point percentage in 2017-18 – 36.1
With the arrival of Kawhi Leonard and the rapid development of O.G. Anunoby in Toronto, veteran wing CJ Miles has been the victim of lesser playing time. Miles arrived to Toronto in the 2017-18 off-season following a trade from Indiana (Pacers received Cory Joseph and a future second-round pick) and was an integral part of the Raptors historical 60-win season.
One season later and Miles’ is seeing six fewer minutes per game, dropping from 19 minutes to 13 minutes of playing time.
Toronto has quickly established itself as one of the NBA’s elite, starting 4-0 and accounting for Washington, Boston, Cleveland and Charlotte in the opening week. Head coach and offensive guru Nick Nurse has mixed and matched various line-ups as the Raptors possess a number of quality wings. With Miles competing with Leonard, Anunoby, Danny Green, Norman Powell and Delon Wright for playing time, he appears to have trickled down the pecking order.
Oklahoma City could do with his skill set.
Miles averaged 10 points per game on 37.9 percent shooting and 36.1 percent from three last season and is a serviceable defender. In 14 seasons as a pro, the veteran has posted a positive net rating in 11 of his 14 years and is a dynamite shooter coming off screens. While his 36.1 percent career 3-point shooting is just above league average Miles is unconscious shooting the rock and will let it fly if he sees daylight.
In Toronto’s 123-101 win over Charlotte last season, Miles posted 24 points in 18 minutes. He went 8-11 from the field, 6-9 from three and 2-2 from the line as well as adding one rebound, one assist, two steals and one block.
Raptors General Manager Masai Ujiri has publicly expressed his desire to get under the luxury tax threshold thus moving Miles’ contract while receiving little in return is an obvious goal. Oklahoma City could absorb his salary using their $10.8 million-dollar Trade Exception and send back Ferguson in a separate transaction with a future second-round pick. If Toronto are willing to part with Miles for just Tferg (which is questionable), then OKC definitely do it.
Watching Miles shoot treys for Oklahoma City would be a significant upgrade over what Thunder fans have seen so far. Depending on how much Toronto value the veteran dictates how much OKC may or may not have to give up for him.