B/R projects Cade Cunningham’s fit with OKC Thunder

OKC Thunder fans have been preaching “Tank for Cade” quite often over the past several months. Recently, Bleacher Report projects how Cade Cunningham would fit with the franchise.

Seemingly as soon as the 2020-21 campaign came to an end, where the OKC Thunder saw themselves embark on a surprising and inspiring postseason run, General Manager Sam Presti has shifted gears a bit and has set the team’s sights on the future.

Over the past 11 seasons, Thunder fans have enjoyed seeing a plethora of success from their favorite franchise, as they have made their way to 10 playoff appearances, half of which saw deep excursions.

However, this is a new era, where Presti has them taking a step back in an effort to rebuild and, in turn, better their chances at a title in the future.

Being that the team has managed to attain a potential total of 18 first-round picks over the next seven seasons thanks to the front office’s recent wheeling and dealing, there are many who have acknowledged how great of a start OKC is on in regard to their franchise refurbishing, with some believing they have the luxury of being able to still compete during this phase in their career, avoiding a “trust the process” type of scenario.

However, many fans have expressed that they have more interest in pursuing a top pick rather than seeing the team vie for a playoff spot, specifically due to the fact that the highly-touted Oklahoma State point guard Cade Cunningham is projected to declare for the 2021 NBA Draft.

Seen as a fantastic fit alongside current franchise player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the OKC Thunder backcourt, the idea of adding Cunningham to the roster is seemingly one at the top of the team’s wishlist.

Recently, Bleacher Report penned an article discussing the guard’s fit with every projected lottery team and, in regard to the Thunder, writer Jonathan Wasserman stated that the youngster would help the team tremendously on both ends of the court:

"Loaded with draft picks and young prospects, the Oklahoma City Thunder would jump toward the front of the rebuilding-team power rankings by winning the lottery and taking Cunningham.Between the 6’8″, 220-pound Cunningham and the 6’5″ Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC’s guard duo would overwhelm with size and length while unleashing a balanced mix of scoring and playmaking.Projects like Darius Bazley, Luguentz Dort and Aleksej Pokusevski would benefit from Cunningham’s passing and knack for finding teammates in the right spots. Only three teams are averaging fewer assists per game than the Thunder thus far.Aside from the matchup problems they’d create offensively, Cunningham and Gilgeous-Alexander could also form one of the league’s longest, toughest defensive backcourts to shoot against."

While we’re still a long ways away from this year’s draft night, chants of “Tank for Cade” will likely be heard throughout the season from the majority of the OKC faithful.