
The OKC Thunder have just taken part in the first offseason blockbuster of 2021, as it was announced Friday that Sam Presti and co. had struck a deal with the Boston Celtics that would send Al Horford and Moses Brown to Beantown in exchange for Kemba Walker and draft capital.
Now, though some may view this as a rather shocking move, we at TI have been pounding the proverbial drum for a Kemba deal for a few months now, stating that he could be a potential fallen-star option for Oklahoma City to give the CP3 treatment to.
Coming in with rock-bottom market value, the move was mainly a way for the Cs to let out some air from their over-inflated salary cap situation while, for the OKC Thunder, it was a way for them to simply bring on more draft capital.
That said, aside from this, the trade for Walker does have the potential to have some serious effects on a few members of OKC.
Today, we discuss 3 players that are directly impacted by this move:
OKC Thunder player No. 1) Isaiah Roby
Before the Moses Brown show began in late March and before he sustained a toe injury that sidelined him for a few games, Isaiah Roby was proving to be yet another hidden gem of a role player for the OKC Thunder in 2020-21.
Getting consistent minutes in the frontcourt up until his ailment, the second-year big was posting solid averages of 8.6 points, 4.7 boards, and just shy of a block on 54 percent shooting from the field.
Showcasing an impressive combination of defensive versatility and strength, Roby proved to be a solid contributor on both ends of the ball with the ability to play both the four as well as a small-ball five.
However, with the emergence of Brown and, obviously, the presence of Horford for the first half of the season, minutes were somewhat sporadic for the 23-year-old.
Now, with both gone, the big comes into his second season with the franchise unchallenged for consistent minutes and perhaps even a starting gig right from the get-go.