Although NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is remaining optimistic about the ability to salvage some remnants of the 2019-20 season, the reality is that it is very much still up in the air about whether or not the league would be able to return after it’s indefinite hiatus.
If it does turn out to be the case that the last game of this year’s season has already been played, it would be a tough pill to swallow for Oklahoma City fans that were enjoying the Thunder’s wholly unexpected success.
No one knows whether or not OKC would be able to duplicate their improbable run next year, but Dan Favale of Bleacher Report believes that there are reasons for Thunder fans to be optimistic about next season, regardless of how this one turns out.
Mainly due to Oklahoma City’s ability to chose how they want to continue their rebuild in the post-Russell Westbrook era.
Rare is the rebuild that can balance postseason berths with player development. The San Antonio Spurs were the anomaly of anomalies for so long. The Thunder have a chance to be next. Trading (Paul) George and Westbrook has left them with as many as 15 first-round selections between now and 2026. They will view many of those picks as building blocks they’ll try to groom, but they can also be used as part of blockbuster packages that inject a little more big-name oomph into the roster.
Oklahoma City was content to sit tight at the trade deadline, watching a potential deal with the Miami Heat for Danilo Gallinari fall through in the final hours.
Gallinari, who turns 32 in August, will be a free agent this summer, and both Steven Adams and Dennis Schroder will follow suit next year. Favale does caution that the Thunder will have to make sure not to over-invest this summer, but believes it’s “less of a concern when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is already so good and Chris Paul has two years and $85.6 million left on his contract.”
Even if the Thunder trade the latter, they may be too good for a conventional rebuild. Gilgeous-Alexander is overtaxed as a primary floor general, but he’s that much of a difference-maker. Steering down either path is Oklahoma City’s right. Running it back for another year or two while using those draft picks to deepen the rotation or land more established talent is perfectly acceptable. Selling off the veterans and beginning anew is similarly fine. Straddling the line between the two is also cool.
Prior to the league-wide suspension, Oklahoma City was one of the feel-stories in the NBA. After being projected to win just 31.5 games, the Thunder were in fifth in the Western Conference and had all but guaranteed themselves a spot in the postseason.