The OKC Thunder come into the 2021 offseason with a ton of potential to make some big splashes.
Now, rightly so, many are assuming that said splashes will be a result of the upcoming NBA Draft, as they’ll be in possession of two first-round selections, one of which has the fourth-best odds of landing at the first overall pick and a 52.5 percent chance of falling within the top-5.
However, with their ridiculous amount of cap space, their treasure trove of assets, and the fact that they already made it clear that they’ll look to work the trade market to offload Al Horford, this summer could see the OKC Thunder partaking in some transactions via the trade route as well.
While no one should expect Sam Presti and co. to go out and try to pursue the likes of Bradley Beal — despite the folks at Bleacher Report believing it could be a good idea –, there could be a few players that could pique their interest that they could try to buy-low on.
Today, we at TI present to you 3 talents the front office may want to cast a line out to try and catch on the low:
OKC Thunder buy-low target No. 1) Kevin Knox
First up on the docket is a player in Kevin Knox who we’ve been discussing as a buy-low trade target for some time now.
The ninth-overall pick from the 2018 NBA Draft, Knox has had a tough go at it in the NBA. Through three seasons with the New York Knicks, the wing boasts per-game averages of 8.5 points and 3.2 boards on just 37 percent shooting overall from the field.
The former Kentucky Wildcat came into the league as one of the most highly-touted prospects, as he was coming off of a one-and-done campaign where he posted 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent shooting from deep.
Displaying impressive size (6-9, 7-1/4 wingspan) and high-end basketball IQ, Knox was considered a great 3-and-D talent that could thrive at the next level.
Of course, this has yet to pan out, as he has been in and out of New York’s lineup for the better part of his tenure.
Still just 21-years-old, Kevin Knox is simply far too young for the league to give up on. Despite the lackluster start to his career, he has shown glimpses of potentially being a solid role player, especially as a floor-spacing forward, as he shot 39 percent from deep this past season while converting on about 40 percent of his catch-and-shoot long-range attempts.
Perhaps a change of scenery could do the youngster some good, and reuniting him with his Kentucky teammate in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be a nice confidence boost for the reeling junior.