OKC Thunder: “Pass or Pursue” on 5 recently proposed trades
By Mark Nilon
Proposed trade idea for OKC Thunder No. 2) A deal for Andrew Wiggins
The whole premise of this deal is the idea of getting actual assets that could contribute for the OKC Thunder right away, should they want to improve their overall roster moving into the year.
With this, the likes of all-time low-value Al Horford and George Hill are sent to the Golden State Warriors, with the idea they are still in a win-now mode, while the Thunder get back Kevon Looney, Jordan Poole, and the “meat” of the deal being Andrew Wiggins.
Buckley’s reasoning as to why OKC could consider this reads as follows:
"As for the Thunder, they’d be getting actual assets in a Horford exchange. Who saw that coming? Andrew Wiggins fits the long-and-athletic mold favored by this front office, and he offers a lot more than raw tools. Jordan Poole is an off-the-dribble scorer-in-training, and a healthy Kevon Looney can soak up minutes either in OKC or whichever team gives up a pick to get him."
Let me be blunt. No… just no.
Listen, Wiggins is a solid player and is coming off of a 2019-20 season in which he averaged 21.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and a block per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 33 percent shooting from deep.
However, having him as the BEST asset in which the team is getting back would not be nearly enough for the franchise to sway away from their current “aim for the draft” mentality.
All he’d really do is make them win a few more games — though nowhere near enough that would make them really relevant, anyway — and, in turn, ruin their chances at a top-3 pick in the upcoming draft, and for others to come.
Not to mention the man really does not compliment the team’s current centerpiece in Gilgeous-Alexander at all.
All things considered, this is a horrible idea for the OKC Thunder to make and should be stayed away from at all costs.