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2k Eve
Nothing like sitting around waiting for the latest $60 2k roster update to drop to see what the squad looks like post-draft/pre-FA.
The latest headlines out of Bricktown have been all about how the team ended up with 3 guys taken in the NBA 1st round, why old guys want to play for less in OKC, and what free agency will look like for this team that seems to be stuck between rebuilding and playing to win.
Ahead of the draft the Thunder were scrambling to find the right fit in a Devonte Graham sign and trade. Graham had long felt that the team keeping him buried behind Jrue Holiday or Kemba Walker and then letting Payton Pritchard and Shake Milton steal some of his minutes was an insult to his abilities. The front office was unusually active on this front, probably discussing Graham and different options with no less than 10 teams. However, they landed in familiar territory and found a deal with GM Ben of the Hawks. ATL had a surplus of late 1sts and an interest in finding a guard to pair with some other incoming talent in a bid for being decent this coming season. The full deal has yet to become official, but ultimately it ended up being picks 27 and 29 for Graham and 31.
With their pick list set and their francy draft board all setup with 39 players in order - they kicked back and watched the draft unfold, stress free. Happy to select Isaiah Jackson and Quentin Grimes in the 1st round, things were looking great. Santi Aldama was #39 on their list, so while a bit disappointing to snag him at 39, the pick was easy. However... the team still had pick 40 and literally zero of their top 39 fell - so in desperation, they pulled the trigger to send pick 40 out for the best combination of picks they had on the table - a couple of future Mavericks 2nds. All in all, it was not a franchise defining evening for the Thunder - but the team believes they got a couple of great prospects in Jackson and Grimes and... another guy with a 1st round contract in Aldama, which sounds funny, but does count for something in predicting NBA success.
Pivoting from the youngest of the league to the oldest of the league - a duality the Thunder seem to be embracing for some reason - rumors of Kemba Walker's intention to return on an MLE-sized contract continued to solidify. However another surprising older name returned to the fold - with LaMarcus Aldridge expressing his interest in coming out of retirement to rejoin the team he bailed on mid-playoff race last season - and on a veteran minimum deal. LMA's return looks less set in stone, while the team is looking at how they can use all of their cap space and last free roster spot - but he has said he'd like to be back and the team does seem a clear role for him, especially with Onyeka Okongwu out for the first several weeks of the season. Will Kemba and LMA both be back next year - at a combined cost of $10 mil? That cost and their continued presence would have been quite surprising just weeks ago - but it does seem entirely possible.
If the team decides to just defend their turf and ward off all-comers with the 2 big veterans, there won't be any roster spots... or GM points, to go after other guys. However there will be a ton of cap space - a situation the Thunder GM has hardly ever found himself in. They'll be near the NSL-minimum salary number and so could just roll forward with a combination of a talented team with a lot of promising youth - but that cap space may burn a hole in their pocket if some tempting deals can bring in more talent at a value cost.
It's an exciting time in OKC with a GM that seems to be around and caring about the team at the moment - and a lot of optimism it stays that way.
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