Oklahoma City Thunder Roster 2021 Oklahoma City Thunder Roster

2021 Oklahoma City Thunder Roster Questions

Trading away Paul George

The Thunder were stuck between a rock and a hard place with this deal. If they traded Paul George, they would essentially wave the white flag for at least next season. If they didn’t, they would be playing with someone who didn’t even want to be on the team. It’s safe to say OKC didn’t want another Anthony Davis situation on their hands as PG was shipped off to Los Angeles to join forces with Kawhi Leonard. While it certainly hurts to see an all star depart, it signaled a change in their strategy not only for this year, but for the foreseeable future.

George was a phenomenal player in the middle of his prime and seeing him leave is devastating for Thunder fans. In his second year in OKC, it seemed all was well. He signed a new contract and had his best season to date, averaging 28 points, 4.1 assists, and 8.2 rebounds in each contest. He also had a career high 2.2 steals per game which ranked among the league’s best. After being a staple in Indiana for so long, there’s no doubt that losing a player of his caliber will hurt. However, the Thunder gained multiple first round picks in the deal that should help them in the longer term. If used correctly, OKC could be back to business within the next few years.

Losing the last piece in Russell Westbrook

The Thunder had one if the biggest what if’s in NBA history. At one time, possessed three future MVPs in Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. The first to leave was Harden after OKC declined to pay up for a 6th man. KD infamously left to join the Warriors and form the first superteam in the past few years. Now, Russell Westbrook is headed to Houston to reunite with Harden which should make for a fairly interesting reunion. For OKC, losing Westbrook is losing a bit of everything. In his past three years, he became a master of all tricks. He consistently averaged over 20 points, 10 assists, and 10 rebounds in every game. Whatever you need, he could do it. With him now out of OKC, the Thunder will have to look for their next leader and players who can fill that void. While no player can immediately step in and become the triple-double machine Westbrook was, they’ll rely on multiple guys to share that role.

What to do with Chris Paul

One of the fallbacks of the Westbrook trade was the acquisition of Chris Paul. Once a top point guard in the league, he’s fallen on hard times with injuries and playing in a system that wasn’t meant for him. Alongside James Harden in Houston, things never seemed right and even with their best chance to reach the Finals against an injured Warriors team, they still managed to lose. He’s struggled his last few years, especially last year when he averaged just 15.6 points, 8.2 assists, and 4.6 rebounds. While those aren’t bad stats, that’s certainly not what the Rockets were looking for when they gave him a contract worth nearly $40 million per year.

While Paul’s role on the team is yet to be determined, he’s a veteran point guard on what should be a young team. The best case scenario is for Paul to return to his prime and recover some of the value he lost from the past few years. Then, OKC can look into trading him either in a salary dump deal or for other players that offer a higher ceiling. Whatever they decide, Paul won’t be around long enough to witness OKC’s next playoff run.