It feels like the Oklahoma City Thunder are mortgaging their future after trading Paul George and are actively seeking trade partners with Russell Westbrook. Not only that, but through the process, the team sent an integral part of their team, Jerami Grant, to the Denver Nuggets for another draft pick.
Oklahoma City Is trading F Jerami Grant to Denver for a 2020 first-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Deal brings OKC it’s sixth future first in past week and saves Thunder $39M in salary and luxury tax.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 8, 2019
Counting their own picks, what they got from Denver and the Los Angeles Clippers, the Thunder now own a total of 13 draft picks through 2026.
OKC 1st-round picks:
– 2020 Own (1-20 only)
– 2020 DEN (protections TBD)
– 2021 Own
– 2021 MIA
– 2022 LAC
– 2022 Own (1-14 only)
– 2023 Own (with LAC swap right)
– 2023 MIA (lotto protected)
– 2024 Own
– 2024 LAC
– 2025 Own (with LAC swap right)
– 2026 Own
– 2026 LAC— Albert Nahmad (@AlbertNahmad) July 8, 2019
General Manager Sam Presti is out here pulling a Danny Ainge.
If OKC manages to trade Westbrook, it is likely that they will amass even more picks and starting their rebuild immediately. Not to mention the fact that Steven Adams, Dennis Schröder & Andre Roberson were on the move not too long ago. It wouldn’t be far fetched to think the Thunder gain a few more picks before next season if they accumulated this many in the span of three days.
RIP OKC as we know it.
Based on conversations among player, agent and team, Oklahoma City for the first time is receptive toward trade calls on franchise star Russell Westbrook, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2019
OS REWIND: New York Knicks Working on Russell Westbrook Eye-Raising Trade