OKC Thunder have until August 1 to guarantee Deonte Burton
OKC Thunder GM, Sam Presti has until August 1 to decide on Deonte Burton’s future when $1 million of his $1.4 million 2019-20 contract will be guaranteed.
The OKC Thunder dramatic turn this offseason from contention to a reload and replenish is forcing General Manager Sam Presti to make decisions. The reality of where the team will finish could be a low playoff seed or a lottery bound squad. Much of what happens this upcoming season will depend on whether the club elects to retain veterans like Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari.
More importantly, the question regarding those specific players if Presti does find trade partners is when they’ll be traded. In the case of Chris Paul regardless of what the GM says he’s likely looking to build up CP3’s desirability especially with a future cornerstone like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in place.
Gallinari is in the last year of his contract, so it would behoove the team to move him by the trade deadline to get a return on investment since it’s highly unlikely OKC will want to pay any player over 25 anything close to $20 million a year for the next few seasons.
Likewise, a decision on three of the Thunder existing talents of Steven Adams, Dennis Schroder, and Andre Roberson will all need to be assessed. Do they fit the window of a team building for the future success and can Presti garner other younger assets instead.
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No doubt the main determinant for the OKC Thunder brain trust will be gauging precisely how competitive they want the squad to be this season.
Some decisions have already made such as letting the $10 million plus tax exemption extracted in the Carmelo Anthony deal to the Hawks slide by unused.
The next decision facing Presti comes this Thursday, August 1st with Deonte Burton‘s contract.
If the team elects to keep him that’s the date he’ll be guaranteed $1 million of his $1.4 million 2019-20 contract.
Given Burton’s ability to offer a variety of needs for the squad and his willingness to accept a team role, it’s hard to imagine Presti would pass on him.
He’s put in the time with the G-League and based on his Summer League contributions is developing and growing the playmaking portion of his game. Not to mention the jaw dropping dunks.
Next. Deonte Burton Vegas highlights – Inside the film room with the hidden gem. dark
As of Thursday, we’ll know if Thunder Nation finally get to see more those dunks in games instead of in the warm-up line.