NBA report : I WILL NOT LEAVE THE LAKERS ” D’Angelo Russell Finally set-hatters with $89.6 million isn’t enough.
NBA report : I WILL NOT LEAVE THE LAKERS ” D’Angelo Russell Finally set-hatters with $89.6 million isn’t enough.
Would D’Angelo Russell Fit in Oklahoma City?
A few of Oklahoma City’s biggest flaws were exposed in the playoffs, and that’s exactly what the team wanted to happen. If the Thunder weren’t going to win it all, the next best thing to happen would be for management to know what additions were necessary to win it all down the road. And to an extent, that’s exactly what happened.
Of course, when the team is the No. 1 seed and wins a playoff series in dominant fashion, there’s not much that needs to change. Oklahoma City is truly close to contending for a championship. But there’s a few tweaks, changes, and additions that could put the Thunder over the top in one offseason.
While rebounding can certainly be improved, both Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault explained why it wasn’t a top priority. Lack of size creates advantages in other areas, and fixing one problem might create three other problems. Adding depth or an athletic power forward that can rebound might be the true answer there.
Oklahoma City could really use another creator and a big shot maker. Preferably, that player would come off the bench, but if it’s a good fit, switching up the starting lineup would be an option.
One intriguing name that will be available this offseason is D’Angelo Russell. He has a player option worth $18.7 million this offseason, and Oklahoma City is one of the few teams that could afford a deal like that. And honestly, a short-term rental is the perfect situation for this Thunder team. Two years from now, OKC will have to consider a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander record setting super-max and max extensions for both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Maximizing these next two years will be important.
