Derrick Favors is the odd man out on the Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s not because he’s not good; because, like Al Horford before him, he’s a veteran on a team that’s trying to maximize the usage of their younger players.
Favors, acquired in a Utah Jazz salary dump trade, was more about the first-round pick that came with him than the center himself.
After spending the majority of his career as a starter or otherwise productive player on the Utah Jazz, Favors went to the New Orleans Pelicans for one season before returning to Utah last year. His value was diminished, as he did not start a single game for the first time in his career, averaged a career-low in minutes (15.3) and points (5.4), and posted his lowest rebounding average since his rookie season.
The Jazz needed to move on. The Thunder could pick up salary. Thus, the match was made.
While his power forward/center position is similar to what Darius Bazley and Isaiah Roby can expect to play, general manager Sam Presti said the team is excited about having Favors.
“One of the things he brings for us is, he’s got great defensive stability, he’s got a great physicality to him,” Presti said on Friday. “I’m excited to see how he fits in with the team.”
The general manager also acknowledged that the team’s plan for Favors was not yet established.
“We have to see how the season unfolds,” Presti said. “We’ve done that every year, but the last two years I think that was really important for us to let that happen and not make any kind of predetermined judgments. But I think he can help the team.”
Two seasons ago, in the aftermath of trading Russell Westbrook and Paul George, the Thunder elected to keep Chris Paul and other veterans for one final playoff chase.
Last season, instead of waiving or immediately trading Al Horford, the team kept the center all season. Horford initially started most games while taking the second game of back-to-backs off, but after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander got injured, the Thunder shut down Horford.
While Favors is not as good a player as Horford, the situation is similar at the base level. With two years left on his contract (one $10 million player option), the Thunder will need to rebuild his value before he can be moved.
They will have to find the balance between playing the 30-year-old and giving more time to young players learning the ropes of the center and power forward positions.
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