The NBA Trade Deadline is a time of transition for a lot of NBA teams. While they may have dealt with injuries or ineffectiveness at times, most teams have settled on a general rotation by this point in the season. With players suddenly flying from team to team, coaching staffs are left to remake those rotations and fit new pieces into old spots.
Teams that made massive swings at the deadline will have more work to do in this area, but even teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder will need to fit new pieces into the picture. Gordon Hayward is a significant addition to the team and was acquired for a trio of players who weren't regularly in the rotation. Bismack Biyombo was signed to provide depth at center and will almost certainly receive some minutes down the stretch to acclimate him to his new teammates.
How will those additions change the rotation? Which players on the Thunder will see their roles reduced? No one is touching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's role on this team, but further downstream there will be ripple effects. Let's look at three names whose roles aren't safe after the Trade Deadline.
No. 3: Kenrich Williams
The Thunder moved on from two guards (and an end-of-bench big) and brought back a forward, which immediately shifts attention to the Thunder's current backup forward. Kenrich Williams is a solid player who fits in a lot of lineups, and it's unlikely he is pushed completely out of the rotation.
At the same time, he will almost certainly give up both minutes and touches to Gordon Hayward. Aaron Wiggins is a better shooter and likely to retain his role playing alongside Hayward, while Williams is a player who checks a lot of the same boxes as Hayward and will need to take a step back. His defensive versatility will help him stay in the mix, but when the playoffs hit he could be on the fringes of the rotation. There are only so many minutes to go around.