OKC Thunder: “Pass or Pursue” on 2 recently proposed Al Horford trades

OKC Thunder No. 2) Derrick White heads to the Sooner State

Like we already stated, in any Al Horford trade this offseason we’ll likely have to see draft capital attached to him. While it’s not ideal, this is just the nature of the league.

With this unfortunate reality, it’s up to the front office to make sure that whoever they get back in return can be argued as “worth it” when it comes to trading away a pick, and B/R believes Derrick White could be that guy.

In his piece discussing one specific offseason trade for every team who missed the playoffs, Swartz believes that a deal involving the big man being swapped for the two-guard could make sense for both parties involved:

"Horford just seems like a Spur. He’s a smart veteran with playoff experience who can contribute in a number of ways. San Antonio is pretty thin in the frontcourt, as evidenced by Jonas Valanciunas’ 23 points, 23 rebounds and three blocks in Wednesday’s play-in game. Horford would help balance the roster, and the Spurs would get a first-rounder for taking on his salary, giving them trade capital or another pick they can use next year. Losing White would hurt, but it would also open up more playing time and shots for players such as Lonnie Walker IV and Dejounte Murray. White, 26, is still young enough to fit OKC’s rebuild and also would take pressure off Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Getting rid of Horford’s contract is the main play for the Thunder, and it’d be well worth flipping one of their many firsts if it meant getting White in return."

Recently, we touched on this exact trade proposal and broke down why this proposal could wind up being the ideal move for the OKC Thunder to pursue, citing the likelihood of Phoenix’s pick being a late first-rounder and White’s still youthful age and production from 2020-21 as major reasons why:

"Seeing that the proposed draft rights are top-12 protected, coupled with the fact that it is attached to the title-contending Phoenix Suns, one could argue that, though it may be a first-rounder, it could easily wind up being a later selection which, though still useful, is not nearly as valuable as many of their other picks they have in tow. On top of this, remember, the proposed package also sees White coming back to the OKC Thunder who, through 36 games played, posted per-game averages of 15.4 points, 3.5 assists, three boards, and a block on 41 percent shooting from the floor and 35 percent shooting from deep."

Like this piece, we’ll finish it up with the same logic — based on how challenging it will be for the Thunder to trade Horford and his high-cost contract this summer, sending him along with a late first-rounder in exchange for a still youthful 3-and-D guard may be one of the best return packages they’ll be able to receive.

If this ever turned into a serious proposal, Presti should strongly consider taking it.

Verdict: Purse