Friday afternoon, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke the news that the OKC Thunder were opting to reunite with an old and familiar friend.
Upon clearing waivers following his recent buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons, the NBA Insider is reporting that veteran big man Mike Muscala "plans to sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the rest of the season."
With this move, Sam Presti has once again figured out a low-cost and highly strategic way to fill out his club's roster as they inch toward embarking on what is hoped to be a long and prosperous playoff run.
Benefits to Mike Muscala signing with the OKC Thunder
Though far from a star talent in the association, Muscala is a player who can provide a bevy of meaningful contributions to a team both with his play and sheer presence alone.
Following the news of his reunion with Oklahoma City, there appear to be a few key benefits that could immediately present themselves.
3. Frontcourt floor spacing waiting in the reserves
As both fans and the franchise both fully understand based on his previous four-year stint with the Thunder, Muscala is an incredibly reliable shooter from long-range.
For his career he sports a shooting clip of 37.6 from beyond the arc and, while with OKC, managed to bring this average up to a whopping 39.2 percent on 3.8 attempts per night.
Someone get Muscala a towel! 💧#ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/ZKQgh7nWCi
— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) January 26, 2021
While the team already boasts the best three-point shooting clip in the entire association at 39.9 percent, outside of Chet Holmgren and Jaylin Williams they currently roster no players measuring in at 6-foot-8 or taller who cash in on shots from distance at a clip greater than 33.3 percent.
Adding Muscala could not only help bolster their big-man shooting arsenal but, also, with his proven comfortability within the team's environment, help improve upon his current shooting clip that has him cashing in on just 31.8 percent of his attempts this year.