The OKC Thunder may be in line for a triumphant 2021 offseason, what with the fact that they have the fourth-best odds of landing the No. 1 pick in this upcoming draft and are in possession of the most spending power in the entire league with a potential total of $55 million in cap space to utilize, but they are still relatively far away from vying for legitimate contention.
Because of this, they are in an optimal position to continue piling on draft capital to aid in their franchise rebuild and could opt to bring on bad contracts in the process to better their odds of snagging such assets.
Perhaps one of the most egregious deals rumored to be available this offseason is Kemba Walker and his two years, $73.7 million remaining on the books with the Boston Celtics.
The fallen All-Star has suffered from nagging knee injuries for the better part of his tenure with the shamrocks and, this past season, only suited up for 43 games and seemed to be a shell of his old self throughout.
Because of this sad truth, it has been reported that Walker is now viewed as a negative asset, and will likely require a draft pick being attached to him in any trade that sends him out of Boston.
With their ample cap space coupled with their desire to stockpile their already illustrious treasure trove of draft capital, the OKC Thunder should seriously be interested in making a move for the injury-plagued point guard, and fans of the organization seem to agree.
In a recent poll posted on our Twitter page (@thunderousint) we brought up the hypothetical idea of the Sooner State landing the estranged point guard, and, by a hefty margin, the votes were in favor of such a transaction taking place:
Should OKC be willing to trade for Kemba Walker's contract this offseason if it means bringing on more picks along with him?! #ThunderUp
— Thunderous Intentions (@thunderousint) June 12, 2021
What makes this exchange more enticing is the recent success the franchise has seen with taking on an injury-riddled point guard in Chris Paul along with draft capital and, in turn, having him have a resurgent season where Sam Presti and co. would then go on to flip him the following offseason for even more picks.
Though this method should never be viewed as foolproof, the idea of the OKC Thunder giving the CP3 treatment another go with a guy who, despite having a down year, still posted a solid stat line of 19.3 points, 4.9 assists, four boards, and 1.1 steals on 36 percent shooting from deep could be rather enticing for the front office.