Free agency
Now what? The regular season ends, playoff ends, draft comes and goes, and one is left wondering what the plan is to fill the needs of the OKC Thunder to help them get to the next level. From the outside looking in, I can only speculate what Sam Presti”s game plan is at this point. Talent abounds on the present roster and the general consensus of those in the know and we, who may not know a lot but enjoy watching and cheering nevertheless, is a need for some beef, tall, large and experienced to guard the hoop and put a damper on the opponents ability to score and get rebounds that the Thunder are not getting enough of. Our ability to defend received an upgrade recently with the exit of Josh Giddey (see ya, JG3) and the addition of Alex Caruso, superior defender and 3-point shooter.
The official start of NBA free agency is 6:00 tonight and I wait with baited breath (that sounds so nasty regardless of what that actually means.) So, let me rephrase that and instead say that I’m waiting with “anxious anticipation” to see who the Thunder adds to the roster to fill the need for some rim protection. Will it be the Knicks’ Isaiah Hardenstein? Or perhaps, the Net’s Nic Claxton? Those are two names that have been mentioned, along with Patrick Williams of the Bulls (who I think has resigned) or Lauri Markennen, who would be my choice.
Sit and wait. That’s all we can do at this point. However, we can rest assured that Presti and his staff have been doing their homework, or due diligence and have targeted the person who will be the right fit into the existing lineup, be it as a starter, with SGA, JDub, Lu Dort and Chet Holmgren, or a worthy contributor, off the bench and in certain situations. And so, as the clock ticks and I watch closely on ESPN for any breaking story from Adrian Wojnarowski or Brian Windhorst, may the force be with the Thunder this evening and may we (the Thunder fans) find joy with the news that the gods of NBA basketball have sent us the “answer” to our need in the form of a “big” to help shut down the opponents in the paint.
In any case, a 57-win season to look back on, and top seed in the Western Conference are undeniable indicators the Thunder have been moving in the right direction. Up, up and away! From a great regular season, to a decent showing into the second phase of the playoffs, we are encouraged but not satisfied. The pie in the sky, after all, is the championship. The trophy. The ring. The honor. The bragging rights. A young team on the rise, which no one can denies, makes the moves (roster) and puts in the work for the prize that all are chasing but only one team will claim.