The addition of Markieff Morris sets the OKC Thunder roster number at 13. What should Oklahoma City do with the remaining two spots?
OKC Thunder fans were met with some good news last week with former Wizard Markieff Morris electing to join Oklahoma City over a number of suitors for his services following the February deadline.
Shams Charania of the Athletic tweeted out the news once Morris made his decision after he was bought out by the New Orleans Pelicans.
https://twitter.com/TheAthleticNBA/status/1096186310090543104
OKC beat the likes of the Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets for the 29-year-olds services which now sets Oklahoma City’s roster to 13. With his arrival, the Thunder have officially met the terms of the NBA Collecting Bargaining Agreement. Individual teams must carry at least 13 players with teams usually carrying at least 14 active contracts.
So what should OKC do from here?
Continue to survey the buyout market
Seeking wing help
While the buyout market is extremely anemic at the minute, OKC is playing the waiting game looking to add players who will be bought out over the next two to three weeks. While it’s not imperative Oklahoma City add another player to the mix, the Thunder need depth on its wings. Morris is a tweener whose minutes will likely come at the four-spot thus OKC need at the reserve small forward position remains.
While Michael Beasley and Ben McLemore are two available wings capable of scoring the rock on the market, their immediate fit is questionable. Corey Brewer and Nick Young are two free agents that should interest OKC with Brewer showing he hasn’t lost a step despite sitting out most of the season.
Need for a third center?
One position the buyout market is heavy on is at center. Traditional big men have been continually ousted from the NBA as teams have increasingly elected for small ball. Power forwards and some small forwards playing the five is now common practice in modern NBA,
Oklahoma City has Steven Adams and Nerlens Noel as their rotational centers but both have missed time with various ailments. Marcin Gortat is an offensive-minded, pick and roll specialist big man who remains without an NBA contract however OKC’s interest should be around Zach Randolph.
Now 37-years-old, Randolph can play both the four and five spots if he is still in game shape. The problem is he wasn’t activated all year so it’s unknown whether he could actually contribute if called upon.
The Thunder have some small needs so the free agent market is still OKC’s strongest avenue to acquire a game changer.
Sign a two-way player
With Oklahoma City’s humongous tax bill waiting in the wings, signing a two-way player makes a tonne of sense. The primary beneficiary if the Thunder take this route is wing Deonte Burton.
Burton has impressed on the biggest stage in limited minutes this season, averaging 3.5 points (46.7 percent shooting, 35 percent from three) and 1.4 rebounds in 9.1 minutes of action. The 25-year-old is fearless, shooting the ball with confidence and racking up posters when given the opportunity. At 6’5, 245-pounds, Burton has had some memorable dunks during his rookie season.
Remember the monster dunk on Miles Bridges of the Charlotte Hornets?
Donte Grantham is also on a two-way deal but he hasn’t received the burn Burton has this year. His opportunity is destined for next season when the Thunder look to lower its luxury tax bill.
Staying put
The other option OKC has is to stay put. Oklahoma City’s locker room is extremely tight and electing against adding another player preserves the team’s chemistry as well as keeping the luxury tax bill where it is right now.
However, staying put comes with an element of risk.
The Thunder are extremely light on wings and big men with one injury potentially causing OKC to compete undermanned. A 13-player roster is unheard of, especially on a team looking to contend for a chip. The only way OKC decides to do this is if they can see into the future so this option is essentially not available.
Oklahoma City needs players just to take the load of superstars Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
Final thought
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The Thunder will have 15 players on its roster once all the dust settles with Burton and a wing the most likely to be added. OKC are one of the elite teams in the NBA and heading into the playoffs with 13 players is absurd. Oklahoma City’s starters already play a large number of minutes and expecting more out of them in a small rotation is a recipe for disaster.
Sam Presti is one of the smartest General Managers in the league and has done an exceptional job creating a roster that magnifies Westbrook and PG13’s strengths. With the playoffs closing in, Presti will complete the puzzle and put OKC in the best possible position to win.
In Presti we trust.