OKC Thunder: Final 20 games offers opportunity to uncover hidden gems

It has been a busy couple of weeks for the OKC Thunder with multiple shifts to the roster. The changes occurred throughout the season but picked up steam just prior to the deadline and haven’t slowed despite that date passing.

Hamidou Diallo was traded to the Pistons and George Hill landed with the 76ers via a three-team deal on deadline day. Thunder executive vice president and general manager, Sam Presti has emphasized bolstering the draft coffers with more picks. A secondary priority is the addition of talent. That’s coming in varying forms.

Svi Mykhailiuk came over in the Diallo trade and has appeared in 12 games since the trade. He’s averaging 10.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. Known as a 3-point specialist Mykhailiuk is attempting 4.8 perimeter shots per game and connecting with a 36.8 efficiency. And his presence is indicative of a specific skill set the Thunder are seeking to fulfill.

Recent OKC Thunder roster shifts emphasize shooting as a top priority

The small forward was the first of several moves Presti made which seem to indicate a desire to add more shooters to the roster.

With the rebuild, there is a new focus on personnel capable of playing in a positionless system. However, that doesn’t negate the need for players at specific positions. A quick scan of the players entrenched in the future core or the franchise features depth at the guard and center positions.

The latter was bolstered by upgrading Moses Brown from a two-way contract to a full varsity deal plus the trade deadline addition of Tony Bradley who’ll join cemented talent Isaiah Roby. Veterans Al Horford and Mike Muscala have played predominantly at the five but don’t figure to be in the mix next season as Presti will seek a trade partner for Horford and Muscala enters free agency.

The forward positions have youthful talents in places such as Darius Bazley and Aleksej Pokusevski who are in various stages of development. Depth at the guard position is solid with cornerstone Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Theo Maledon, and Luguentz Dort with the prospect of extending Ty Jerome’s role within the system.

With 20 games remaining the fact roster changes are still happening is a testament to the club seeking to find hidden gems. Dort and Brown represent a rarity in the association. Every NBA team hopes their two-way players will grow within the system to eventually fill a core roster position. For the Thunder to accomplish that feat twice in as many years speaks to the quality of the OKC Thunder scouting team and the development system.

Other moves made this week include OKC waiving Justin Jackson and Darius Miller. These moves made room to sign Justin Robinson to a 10-day contract. Jaylen Hoard was signed to a two-way contract replacing the opening created by Brown.  Miller was released presumably to add European sniper Gabriel Deck as Shams Charania initially reported.

The Thunder are reportedly ready to sign Deck to a three-year deal (likely not all guaranteed). At 26 he’s slightly older than the projected timeline the franchise is building toward but offers a tangible asset the team is in desperate need of — perimeter shooting.

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The Argentinian shot 41.4 percent from behind the arc this season with Real Madrid. At 6’8″ he’s another lanky forward that fits the trend the club seems to be building toward with a franchise coveted attribute (length) and a well-developed skill set.

Neither Hoard or Robinson are particularly adept at shooting the 3-ball but they’ll get a shot to show their potential. Mark Daigneault will put them in a position to demonstrate an ability to play within the system and stretch their role.

What Daigneault and Presti will watch for is signs of a player being worth investing additional time within the development system this offseason or who fits the long-term vision.

Ultimately, with the team in rebuild mode (tank) this is an unprecedented opportunity both for the franchise to evaluate and for the players to carve out a role in the roster. Dort, Brown, and Kenrich Williams are success stories. Now the franchise hopes to add to Presti’s ever-increasing collection of previously unearthed talents.