The reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder have been urged to make a trade bid for a recently re-signed Eastern Conference restricted free agent guard.
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Does a team that won 68 games and the league title just last year really even need to add much?
A bit of scoring help off the bench to help shake things up when the Thunder’s offense gets stale, and someone who can consistently create off the dribble when MVP point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sits, are — to our thinking, anyway — the top needs for Oklahoma City. Again, we’re picking nits when it comes to one of the elite teams in the Western Conference.
A cost-effective trade chip who could make the Thunder even better
That said, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report has cooked up a trade fit who addresses both those issues.
Swartz pitches a deal for Brooklyn Nets shooting guard Cam Thomas.
After failing to come to terms with Brooklyn on a long-term deal in restricted free agency this summer, the 6-foot-3 LSU product opted to pick up his one-year, $6 million qualifying offer for the 2025-26 season.
He’ll reach unrestricted free agency next offseason, and as the 23-year-old gets increasingly disgruntled it appears he’s destined to ditch Brooklyn sooner or later.
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Swartz notes that Thomas would essentially function as a “rental,” as a microwave reserve scorer who could help keep Oklahoma City’s offense engaging when Gilgeous-Alexander and All-NBA swingman Jalen Williams — the team’s top offensive perimeter players — sit.
The big problem with joining a well-oiled machine like Oklahoma City, however, is that Thomas would have a significantly reduced role, compared to the extensive runway he’s gotten on a perpetually tanking team in Brooklyn.
In just 25 healthy games last season (23 starts), Thomas averaged 24.0 points on .438/.349/.881 shooting splits, 3.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 0.6 steals in 31.2 minutes a night. He’d likely see his minutes cut by at least a third on a competitive roster that already sports an elite lead guard.
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