Yup! It is that time again! The NBA Trade season is upon us! Set up your battle station and get ready to be glued to your electronic devices for the new few weeks. The NBA Trade Deadline is February 10th, until then, I will be sitting at my desk in front of my six (yes, six) screens, TweetDeck permanently open while drinking an obnoxious amount of coffee. The OKC Thunder have Sam Presti at the helm, who routinely has a few tricks up his sleeve. So, we all sit around, wait and search out the latest rumors regarding the NBA Trade Deadline.
One of the hardest questions for Presti to answer coming up in a few weeks is what to do with veteran wing Kenrich Williams? The TCU product was a throw-in salary filler for the New Orleans Pelicans to acquire Steven Adams from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Arguments can be made for each side, should the Thunder trade the versatile forward that provides a winning impact and culture? Should he play the Nick Collison role for the next generation of OKC Thunder players ushering in a championship mindset for when the dust settles on the rebuild? At 27 years old, he is just on the cusp of not too old, but not incredibly young in the basketball world. On the trade market, his defense and three-point shooting make him highly coveted along with the fact he is only owed two million dollars this season and next.
OKC Thunder asking price for veteran wing Kenrich Williams ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline
Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer dumped a ton of rumors on Thursday morning in a recent article. Within the piece that featured a ton of interesting tidbits, Fischer said the OKC Thunder and General Manager Sam Presti will be seeking a first-round pick for Kenrich Williams at the deadline.
Look, before you start making the first-round pick jokes, as Presti compiles historic future draft assets, this is easily explainable. I do not envy Presti’s position when it comes to deciding to keep Kenrich Williams, a good player who has publically said he wants to retire in Bricktown, or trade him. The reason being is I can defend either decision he makes on February 10th. Therefore, Presti will be judged on his move by hindsight, which is not truly fair to anyone.
Setting the asking price at a first-round pick, allows the market to decide for Presti. If an organization is willing to give you a first-round pick for a 27-year-old that was on the borderline of the NBA a year ago, you have to accept that deal. If no team offers you that? Well, keep him, he is a fantastic asset to have as a cultural impact and quality player that wants to embrace the organization and the lifestyle in Oklahoma City.