Building blocks
Russell Westbrook PG |
Steven Adams C |
Enes Kanter PF |
Domantas Sabonis PF
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Daniel Hamilton SF
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Draft board
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The Thunder were healthier this year and made the playoffs as a 3 seed. They have a very talented roster and a good young coach in Billy Donavan. The elephant in the room is Kevin Durant and his free agency. How much money will he get and does he want to return to the Thunder? If Durant leaves, the Thunder are in trouble, and it may influence Westbrook's and Ibaka's decisions in 2017. It's obvious, but the Thunder need to do all in their power to keep Durant, however, they should also explore other "replacement" options just in case. They should look to piece together the best roster to entice Durant to stay or be OK if he leaves. They have good young pieces in Cameron Payne, Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, and Andre Roberson. There's also still time for Mitch McGary to prove himself. The Thunder could use some help at SG, and will likely try and sign a free agent, but could also look to add an undrafted player.
(Updated 7/16/16) The summer was going great for the Thunder until free agency hit. They fleeced the Magic in a draft day trade which sent Serge Ibaka to Orlando in exchange for the 11th pick, Victor Oladipo, and Ersan Ilyasova. With the 11th pick the Thunder selected PF Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis has a great motor and is tough as nails, but lacks length and athleticism. The Thunder also bought the 56th pick from Denver and selected Daniel Hamilton. These moves made the Thunder that much more attractive for Kevin Durant, but it appears he had already made plans to leave. Losing Durant is a tough blow and they can't let another star walk for nothing in Westbrook. If Westbrook doesn't intend to re-sign then it's time to start shopping him. From a draft perspective, the Thunder crushed it, but the offseason as a whole has been a disaster. Draft Grade: A+ Team Needs
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Estimated Cap Space
$22,006,756.00 UFA Kevin Durant SF, Randy Foye SG, and Nazr Mohammed C RFA Dion Waiters SG |
