The OKC Thunder are embarking on offseason number two of their full-fledged franchise rebuild, and fans are seemingly ecstatic.
With the fact that the team could have as many as three first-round picks coming in this year’s draft, Sam Presti and co. with have the incredible opportunity to stockpile their team’s 2021-22 roster with even more young talents, including perhaps one of the top-names found in this incoming rookie class.
On top of this, the Thunder will have roughly $55 million in space heading into the summer, thus giving them the opportunity to pursue some available talents on the free agency market if they so choose.
Looking around the league, there are projected to be quite a few talented players falling into the restricted free agency category, and, though we don’t expect Oklahoma City to be a premier destination for available talents (afterall, it never really is), we at TI see several players, in specific, who could fit in quite nicely with the franchise.
Today, we present to you 3 RFAs in which the OKC Thunder should consider pursuing this coming offseason:
OKC Thunder target No. 1) Frank Ntilikina
First up on our list, we have perhaps the least attractive player in terms of market appeal in comparison to the other talents that will be mentioned, but a guy like Frank Ntilikina is someone who possesses the build and defensive-first mentality that Sam Presti seemingly loves to have on his roster.
Now in his fourth-year in the league, the French-born baller has certainly not managed to live up to the expectations that come with being both the eighth-overall selection in the draft as well as being the lone lottery pick for a big-market franchise such as the New York Knicks.
That said, even though he may be listed as a “draft bust”, this is not to suggest the man doesn’t have a place in this league.
Perhaps that place is in the Sooner State.
Unbelievably versitile, Ntilikina obviously has the skillset to serve in the backcourt at the one, but his impressive size of 6-6 with a 7-1 wingspan allows him to play both the two and, at times, even the three.
A tremendous perimeter defender with a seemingly much-improved long-range game (converting on 47 percent of his attempts from deep this year), the 22-year-old could be viewed as a cheap young add on to this OKC Thunder squad that is molding itself around length, hustle, and positionless basketball.