Tag: Trade week

Could the Thunder be a salary-dump destination for LaMarcus Aldridge?

If the Spurs want to trade LaMarcus Aldridge, the Thunder could take him in a salary dump – but they shouldn’t give up Al Horford to do so.

Shortly before the All-Star break, Bleacher Report posted a trade idea recommending the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs flip Al Horford and LaMarcus Aldridge. As we wrote, this would be a value trade for the Spurs but OKC would gain very little. Horford would be a huge improvement for San Antonio, while the Thunder’s only benefits would be to lean into the tank and move off Horford’s long-term salary.

Now, that deal is looking even more unreasonable. The Athletic’s Shams Charania and ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarwoski reported that Aldridge and the Spurs are parting ways and that San Antonio is looking for a trade location. Aldridge has little to no trade value, while Horford still has some. Oklahoma City shouldn’t make that deal.

But that doesn’t mean the Thunder can’t be part of a trade. Could OKC be a taker, but solely as a salary dump?

Aldridge’s trade value is low, but because his contract expires after this season, there may be interest from other teams that also have oversized contracts.

Here are a few teams who may have interest based on their personnel:

All those trades have flaws, though. The Spurs would be getting back a lot of salary from the Hornets. The more I look at the Mavericks deal, the more ridiculous it seems to give up Powell for half a season of Aldridge. Same with Barnes — he has more value than that. And the Spurs probably don’t want three seasons of Love.

It’s tough to see anything of these deals go through. More simple would be for the Thunder to use their cap space for a salary dump and then waive Aldridge.

A dream version for OKC would be something along the lines of Trevor Ariza for Aldridge and a first-round pick. The Thunder would then buy out Aldridge’s contract. In doing so, they’ll have gained a first-round pick and found a taker for Ariza.

Ariza would need to consent to join the Spurs, though, or else San Antonio may not approve of the deal. He did not join the Thunder and is a buyout candidate, at which point he would likely join a contender.

If Ariza is unwilling to play for San Antonio, the Thunder could trade Darius Miller instead. A veteran owed $7 million this season, Miller does not have a rotation role with the Thunder. Oklahoma could buy him out or let his contract run out, but trading him to the Spurs would be a more ideal scenario.

The salary swap would work because the Thunder have a $27.5 million trade exception from Steven Adams and a $19.5 million from Danilo Gallinari. Either could be used in this trade for Aldridge, who is owed $24 million.

We talk all the time about Oklahoma City’s draft capital, but the team is also in an envious position due to the cap space. They have the second-lowest payroll in the league. This would allow them to put together a deal like this — one where they get a first-round pick just for taking on a large contract and then waive the player.

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Bleacher Report proposes 2 Al Horford trade ideas

Bleacher Report proposed two Al Horford trades to the San Antonio Spurs and the Boston Celtics. What do you think?

Bleacher Report posted one trade idea for every team in the NBA heading into the final month before the March 25 trade deadline. Multiple teams were connected to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Two different teams were presented with ideas to trade for Thunder center Al Horford: the San Antonio Spurs and the Boston Celtics.

Horford has revitalized his value since being traded from the Philadelphia 76ers to the Thunder. He is a player who can help a Spurs team fighting for a playoff spot or a Celtics team trying to become a serious contender.

Let’s dive into how the trade ideas might help (or hurt) the teams involved.

HoopsHype: Thunder should be aggressive, scope market for young players at deadline

HoopsHype said the OKC Thunder shouldn’t be scared to trade some draft capital if the right young player hits the market.

Most are writing the Oklahoma City Thunder should be sellers at the deadline. Ship out George Hill. Try to find a taker for Al Horford and keep gathering assets.

HoopsHype is on the other train: Don’t be afraid to trade one of the picks you have. Use this time to scope the market for young talent available.

Be aggressive.

That was site’s message in its trade deadline primer with the March 25 date rapidly approaching.

Oklahoma City should either give salary relief to teams in the luxury tax or try to find a player in the mold of John Collins.

“They have enough draft equity to acquire a foundational player. For example, they could easily meet Atlanta’s demands for John Collins and, if they want him, could make the best offer on the market with multiple future first-round picks.”

The Atlanta Hawks big is young and talented, but he’s about to reach restricted free agency and could demand a hefty contract. If the Hawks trade him, the Thunder could have interest because they have cap space and a need for young talent, HoopsHype argues.

“While it’s arguably too early for the Thunder to make a consolidation trade like that, they also can’t possibly keep and make a selection with every single draft pick they’re owed. If they could turn some of those picks into a great player they covet who is very young, they should consider it.”

It’s definitely too early for the Thunder to do that. They’ll have to find a balance between Boston Celtics’ Danny Ainge (never trade the picks) and a spending spree (in the mold of the Hawks this offseason, who may have dived in a year too early).

Outside of that, HoopsHype focused on Hill, Horford and Trevor Ariza.

The outlet wrote that Hill and Ariza could be acquired for the right price (we’ll amend that to say Ariza could be acquired for literally any price. It seems likely he’ll be bought out, so the Thunder can save a little bit on his remaining salary and Ariza can sign with a team of his choosing for a cheap salary).

Horford “has rehabilitated his value after his strange season in Philadelphia and could help many competitive teams right now,” wrote analyst Yossi Gozlan.

That doesn’t mean he’ll be traded, though.

“His high salary and the Thunder’s high price demand could delay a trade involving him until the offseason.”

That all is true.

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The other name to watch is Mike Muscala, the stretch-five on a $2.3 million expiring contract.

Those are a few names the Thunder could and should consider trading.

Let’s get to it.

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Welcome to OKC Thunder Wire 2021 Trade Week

With the NBA Trade Deadline of March 25 rapidly approaching, OKC Thunder Wire will begin its 2021 trade week with proposals and ideas.

Welcome to the OKC Thunder Wire trade week.

Over the offseason, staff writers put together a list of trade proposals the Oklahoma City Thunder could pursue. We’ll do the same now that the All-Star Game has come and gone and the March 25 trade deadline is rapidly approaching.

Many of the trade ideas presented will be our own. Other pieces will be analysis of trades created by national outlets such as Bleacher Report or our sister websites in the USA TODAY Sports Media Group.

Most, if not all, will be centered around George Hill, Al Horford or Mike Muscala.

Tune in daily to check out different trade avenues the Thunder could pursue to cut costs and retrieve players for the future.

This post will be updated daily with links to content throughout the week.

Trade idea: Spurs trade for Schroder for one final playoff run with DeRozan, Aldridge

The San Antonio Spurs could trade for Dennis Schroder to make one final run at the playoffs with LaMarcus Aldridge and DeMar DeRozan.

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The San Antonio Spurs have one more year of DeMar DeRozan and LaMarcus Aldridge before they hit a reset and start over.

Maybe they want to acquire one more good player and try to make one final run at the postseason.

Trading a few young players for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Dennis Schroder could put them in chase of the postseason.

In return, the Thunder would gain a some one-year deals and depth going into the 2020-21 season.

The proposal

Thunder receive: Derrick White, Trey Lyles, Chimezie Metu, Keldon Johnson

Spurs receive: Dennis Schroder

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Why the Thunder do this

The key piece of this trade is Derrick White, who looks like he can be a role player for a long time and only costs $3.5 million this season before he enters restricted free agency next year.

The rest is salary filler with some upside.

Early in the career of Trey Lyles, the power forward flashed legitimate potential. Midway through his first season with the Denver Nuggets in 2017-18, he averaged about 15 points and seven rebounds over a 30-game stretch, 28 of which came off the bench.

He hasn’t shown that skill set consistently since, but at $5.5 million for one more year, it’s a low risk for Oklahoma City to take him to back up Darius Bazley at the 4 and see if they want to sign him for another couple years.

Keldon Johnson spent most of his rookie season in the G League. He only appeared in 17 NBA games, eight of which were in the bubble.

But over those eight games, the small forward was excellent. He averaged 15 points, 4.9 rebounds and shot a whopping 69.2% from 3, albeit on only 1.9 attempts per game.

This was in part a result of teams playing bench and depth options way more over those eight games, but he showed some promise. He has three more years on his contract to showcase that more often.

Chimezie Metu, who is 23, is simply depth at power forward and a little extra salary cap filler to make the deal work (the Spurs are also releasing the cap hold on Tyler Zeller in this deal).

So Oklahoma City gets a couple young players to look at and gives Lyles one more chance. There aren’t any draft picks, but let’s be real — the Thunder have plenty of those already.

Why the Spurs do this

Here is the list of guaranteed contracts on the Spurs roster in 2021-22:

  • Dejounte Murray

Here is the list of players with options:

  • Lonnie Walker
  • Luka Šamanić
  • Keldon Johnson

That’s it. The Spurs have one more year of playing with experienced veterans. The contracts of DeRozan, Aldridge, Rudy Gay and Patty Mills expire after this year.

Gregg Popovich would surely like to run this team back one more time with all the ammo he can.

Adding Schroder doesn’t ensure a playoff spot, but he does make this group better and adds explosiveness.

If he starts next to Murray, that’s a very, very good defensive front. If San Antonio brings back Bryn Forbes, the three of them plus Patty Mills make up an underrated guard corps. Plus, Schroder has enough experience in three-guard lineups — he was part of the Thunder guard group that had the best three-man net rating in the league — that Popovich could get creative.

If the Spurs have to hit a reset, and they aren’t able to trade the expiring deals of DeRozan and Aldridge, they may as well try to make one more eighth seed. Schroder is an easy way to help the team without affecting future salary space or giving up draft capital.

Why the Thunder don’t do this

The Thunder would only save about $3 million in cap with this trade. Most the players are still on expiring deals, so it doesn’t give them long-term help, unless they decide to re-sign White and Johnson ends up being better than a first-round draft pick that they would receive in return.

But even those two have issues: White is only a year younger than Schroder, and Johnson spent almost all season in the G League. It’s unlikely those eight pre-playoff bubble games are indicative of NBA-readiness.

This trade may net the Thunder a handful of good young players, but it also may be a good player for three guys who won’t be on the team next year and the No. 29 pick in last year’s draft. Surely Schroder can net a better return, right?

Why the Spurs don’t do this

Derrick White has some value. On Zach Lowe’s podcast with Bill Simmons, White came up in conversation, and Lowe said, “I know a lot of teams are going to call the Spurs about Derrick White, for instance … ‘Maybe I’ll call about Derrick White and see if I can get him.'”

That could lead to possibilities, including a team offering better than Schroder or the Spurs simply wanting to re-sign White to a long-term deal.

They’ve also got to be intrigued with Johnson after his bubble performance. He has three more years on his contract before he hits restricted free agency, and this year he has a salary of just $2 million.

Does the organization think it has a legit chance to make the playoffs in the Western Conference with the Golden State Warriors set to return, the Memphis Grizzlies hoping for vengeance after just missing out on the eighth seed last year, the New Orleans Pelicans entering Year 2 with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Minnesota Timberwolves adding the No. 1 pick, the Phoenix Suns entering with high expectations and some desperation, and a Sacramento Kings team with a new front office that was in the middle of this run last year?

If that answer is no, it doesn’t make sense to trade White and Johnson for Schroder.

Who says no?

I’m not going to pretend to know how to read the Spurs office. How much of win-now mode are they in? Are they willing to make a push and give up potential future help? I do not know.

The Thunder, meanwhile, can probably get better return for Schroder. If they do this, it feels more like a trade that happens to a rebuilding team during the season as losses stack up, not the return of a front office trying to put together an advantageous offseason.

This feels like a trade that would happen if the Spurs are particularly optimistic and the Thunder are relatively pessimistic.

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Trade pitch: Bucks flip guards, replace Eric Bledsoe with Dennis Schroder

If the Thunder were to trade Dennis Schroder for Eric Bledsoe, they would have more time to either play him or trade him for future assets.

The Milwaukee Bucks’ only priority is to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay.

Some have thrown around the idea of them adding Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul to help with this. While this would give them another all-star, there’s a different Thunder guard that would make for a more simple, less risky trade.

Dennis Schroder could help the Bucks with their Antetokounmpo pursuit in multiple ways.

In this trade proposal, the Oklahoma City Thunder would be getting a good rotation player and a late first-round draft pick.

The Proposal

Thunder receive: Eric Bledsoe, 2021 first-round pick

Bucks receive: Dennis Schroder

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Why the Thunder do it

Eric Bledsoe gets a bad rap because of his playoff woes, but he is a good NBA player. With his ability to drive and finish at the rim on offense and play strong defense, he actually has some similarities to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Bledsoe has three more years on his contract, the third of which is not fully guaranteed. That’s detrimental for the Bucks. That’s not necessarily bad for the Thunder.

If Oklahoma City keeps him, Bledsoe would be a fun player next to Gilgeous-Alexander. Their defense would be very strong, and they have both played off-ball enough over their careers to not fight over control.

Should the Thunder trade him, it could very likely net them another first-round pick. Perhaps the Toronto Raptors, for instance, want him as a replacement for Fred VanVleet. There’s a market for Bledsoe’s two-way skill set.

That’s basically what it comes down to. The Thunder would either acquire one first-round pick and a guard for the next two to three years, or two first-round picks. They have enough time with Bledsoe to evaluate him and help him build up value.

Why the Bucks do it

This sounds like a tough sell for Milwaukee. Bledsoe his historically been a superior player to Schroder. Not only are the Bucks giving him up, but they’re also trading a first-round pick. That feels backward.

That’s not so. Schroder offers defensive strengths and ball handling. He’s a better shooter. He performs well in the playoffs, which is where Bledsoe takes a step back. He fits better next to Antetokounmpo. This first-round pick is included to convince the rebuilding Thunder to take on more salary in the deal.

Not convinced? Here’s some evidence:

  • Schroder 2019-20 regular season stats: 18.9 points, 4.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 38.5% from 3 on 5.0 attempts per game.
  • Bledsoe 2019-20 regular season stats: 14.9 points, 5.4 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 34.4% from 3 on 3.5 attempts per game.
  • Schroder’s 22 playoff games since 2016: 18.1 points, 4.9 assists, 36.3% from 3 on 5.6 attempts per game.
  • Bledsoe’s 31 playoff games since 2018: 13.1 points, 4.6 assists, 25.4% from 3 on 4.1 attempts per game.

Plus, Schroder was part of the Thunder’s closing lineup that had the best rating of all five-man groups in the NBA.

Schroder could help them win in a way Bledsoe has not.

The length of these contracts is also important.

The Bucks are not going to excite Antetokounmpo in their free agency pitch by saying “We have Bledsoe, let’s run it back.” But Schroder is on an expiring contract. “We have an extra $18 million, who do you want?” is a pitch that could get the MVP’s mind buzzing.

The upside comes down to this: Schroder is a better fit, a better postseason performer, and a better contract.

It’s a quick solution that could help a major approaching problem.

Why the Thunder don’t do it

Bledsoe’s contract is high-ish and his trade value is low-ish. The team may have to begin the season with Bledsoe before trading him. Maybe the losers of the 2021 offseason use their extra salary space to acquire him. It’s no certainty.

Yet Bledsoe is good. As much as a team may want to tank rebuild, it doesn’t want to be a boring, bad team. If Oklahoma City loses three of its four main starters, they will be, simply put, bad. Bledsoe can add some competition, even if they’re not good, it will help his trade value increase.

Why the Bucks don’t do it

Are they convinced Schroder will be more helpful than Bledsoe? Is that first-round pick too much to give up?

If the first answer is no, they don’t do it. If only the second answer is no, maybe they counter with a future second-rounder instead of the first.

Additionally, if Antetokounmpo does leave, they would also be without Bledsoe OR Schroder. Keeping Bledsoe just in case the superstar departs wouldn’t be a bad idea.

But the Bucks’ focus isn’t on 2022. It’s on 2021. Would flipping Bledsoe for Schroder make them less likely to win the championship?

I think it would do the opposite.

Who says no?

I like the deal for both teams, but I’d lean Thunder say no. I would expect them to pursue draft picks or young players on manageable contracts in a Schroder trade, not an $18 million player who will be 31 years old when next season begins. This would actually increase their payroll, which is the exact opposite of their intention entering the summer.

But to potentially get two first-round picks for a sixth man on an expiring contract? That’s tough to pass up.

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Welcome to OKC Thunder Wire Trade Week

This week, OKC Thunder Wire dive into trade ideas for the team, particularly involving Chris Paul, Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams.

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Welcome to the OKC Thunder Wire trade week.

Over the next seven days, staff writers will be posting our own trade ideas that the Oklahoma City Thunder could pursue if they are looking to rebuild.

Many of these trade proposals will involve point guard Chris Paul, sixth man Dennis Schroder or center Steven Adams. They are the three most expensive contracts on the team, they don’t fit a rebuild timeline and can be viewed as positive assets for other teams.

The Thunder appear to be entering a rebuilding phase with the departure of Billy Donovan. With the salary cap and luxury tax floor expected to decline and Schroder and Adams both on expiring deals, it makes sense for them to get a head start on the new young corps that can play around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the future.

Tune in daily to check out different trade avenues the Thunder could pursue to cut costs and retrieve players for the future.

This post will be updated daily with links to content throughout the week.

Thunder trade proposals:

Making the case for and against trading Chris Paul