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Load Blown
The HISTORY of the NSL Thunder had seen just two trades. The big one that sent Donovan Mitchell out for De'Aaron Fox and a pick and a really minor one where the Thunder couldn't fit 2nd round pick Iggy Brazdeikis so they shipped him out for a crappy pick in the future.
Today saw them pull off FOUR trades in a 1 hour span. More than 3 months of storing up and hearing that they needed to do something in a league that gets angry when a week goes by without a big deal. Admittedly, 3 of the 4 were a part of one super transaction with the Minnesota Timberwolves. But this is how it breaks down when they're added all together and the ultimate conclusion that the OKC fans will wake up to in the morning:
Out - Garrett Temple, Mario Hezonja, Caleb Swanigan, Khris Middleton, Michael Carter-Williams, and Tyus Jones
In - Buddy Hield, Devonte Graham, Dewayne Dedmon, Larry Nance Jr., Dwayne Bacon, and three 2nd round picks
The overwhelming conclusion is that they sent out their unquestioned star player who has spearheaded their push back into playoff contention along with essentially a huge salary dump of 5 other players (with varying degrees of value) in exchange for several guys that will play roles, some not-great seconds, and a pile of money.
A couple of months ago, after not even a whisper of trade talks in OKC, the Thunder GM said he was looking for that magical deal where he got younger, better, and saved a boatload of money. The better part is pretty questionable here, but the younger and cheaper component is without a doubt. Graham represents the team's best shot at a good young player outside of Fox, Lauri and maybe Reddish. Hield has aged quickly of late but is still just getting into his prime. Nance is about the same and when combined with Dedmon they add a couple of big bodies that the Thunder were really missing - especially with Lauri injured and only 2 guys that had any business playing PF or C on the roster.
The money side is easy enough to calculate.. they saved an enormous pile of cash - somewhere around 16 million, possibly a one day record in NSL terms. All of the sudden the team which everyone was questioning how it could be afforded as a non-contender is now at a reasonable state from a cost control perspective.
If they're better is really how this will be judged though. The Thunder have looked good but not great since their key players got healthy. They really only lose a single guy that was playing any type of role for them and all 4 acquisitions from Minnesota will probably get immediate minutes. That said, that one guy was pretty much running things in OKC... 23 ppg, 57% TS, top 25 in ppg, 3PM, FGM, 3PA, and FT%... all with solid surrounding stats and great on/off numbers. Buddy Hield is going to be expected to step in and fill a lot of that scoring load. Nance will take the starting PF spot, at least until Lauri is back. Dedmon will help Taj in the backup big minutes off the bench and Devonte Graham is going to have to find a way onto the court despite a PG duo of Fox and Teague that has played great this season. It's really going to be a question of how much does losing a top talent like Middleton hurt vs how much does filling in the edges with much more capable rotation players help. Lately it seems like it is a star-lead game, so they may be taking a step back... but giving themselves more assets, more flexibility and more money is a huge step for the future.
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