Trading places: OKC Thunder top 5 trade deadline deals
Thabo Sefolosha:
Way back at the beginning in 2009, the Thunder gave a first-round pick and an undisclosed amount of cash to the Chicago Bulls for a young wing defender named Thabo Sefolosha. A three-year player out of Switzerland, Sefolosha played six seasons for the Thunder and set the tone for the shooting guard position.
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Sefolosha’s defensive toughness carried over to the next generation, as Andre Roberson continues what he started.
Defense has been and continues to be, OKC’s identity and Sefolosha had a lot to do with that. He wasn’t the perfect “3-and-D” player, but he never really had to be with James Harden in town.
Sure, it would have been nice to see him hit more shots from the corner, but like Kendrick Perkins, Sefolosha’s positives outweighed the negatives.
Not everyone can be a superstar, so for a role player to make an impact like Sefolosha did on a team with three elite players was impressive.
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It’s safe to say after his six years with the team, he was worth the draft pick and however much cash was sent to Chicago.