NBA
NBA AM: The Move Oklahoma City Needed To Make
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Oklahoma City needed to make a move
When the Oklahoma City Thunder reached the NBA Finals in 2012, it appeared the torch was passed from the veteran San Antonio Spurs to the emerging young team on the rise. While the Thunder didn’t hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy that year, losing to the Miami HEAT, it seemed as if it was just a matter of time. However, the Thunder have been unable to duplicate the success and the past two seasons have ended in playoff disappointments. During the 2013 playoffs, All-Star guard Russell Westbrook was lost to a knee injury. In 2014, forward Serge Ibaka suffered a calf injury and missed pivotal time during the Thunder’s playoff run.
To begin the 2014-15 campaign, Oklahoma City battled early injuries to Westbrook and reigning MVP Kevin Durant. Despite being loaded with upper-tier talent, it’s easy to see why some people believe the Thunder’s title window is closing – especially considering Durant will be an unrestricted free agent during the summer of 2016.
One area where the Thunder lacks consistent production is scoring on the low block. Oklahoma City is primarily a perimeter oriented team with elite guys who can score in the paint. The Thunder’s big men have traditionally been relied on for their defensive presence, not offensive prowess. But it appears the team is trying to change directions and invest in a talented offensive minded big man.
According to Chris Broussard of ESPN, the Thunder are involved in trade talks with the Brooklyn Nets and Charlotte Hornets in a deal that would land former All-Star center Brook Lopez in Oklahoma City.
Sources: Nets,Hornets,OKC talking 3-way trade. Brook Lopez 2 OKC, Lance Stephenson 2 BKN, Jeremy Lamb/Jarrett Jack 2 Charlotte.Talks ongoing
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) January 16, 2015
Sources confirm USA Today report that Okc's Kendrick Perkins could go to the Nets to make trade work financially.
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) January 16, 2015
On paper, this is a win for the Thunder.
While Perkins served a need for the Oklahoma City at the time he was acquired from the Boston Celtics, the veteran will be an unrestricted free agent this summer and recently lost his starting spot to second-year center Steven Adams. Perkins, a solid presence in Oklahoma City, was just no longer part of the long-term plan with the franchise. Shooting guard Jeremy Lamb has had a roller coaster ride with the Thunder. The guard has proved he can produce given consistent minutes, but the team is loaded at shooting guard and minutes are scarce.
In Lopez, the Thunder would be netting a 7-footer with a career scoring average of 17.8 points per game playing in his seventh season. The biggest drawback with Lopez is the recent injury history to various lower extremities.
Lopez is on the books for $15.7 million this season and has a player option for $16.7 next season, so if the deal goes through it could just a one-year rental assuming the big man opts out and bolts in free agency. However, the Thunder aren’t exactly mortgaging their future to secure his services since Lamb and Perkins were on the outs.
Adding Lopez would presumably move Adams back to a bench role, which would be a strong positive for the Thunder’s second unit in terms of energy, effort and production.
What’s going on in Brooklyn?
The Brooklyn Nets (16-23) are still clinging to the eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference despite losing seven straight contests. The team is being prepped to be sold and once presumed franchise player Deron Williams is reportedly being shopped aggressively around the league.
If the three-way deal involving Oklahoma City and Charlotte goes through, Brooklyn will be shipping veteran guard Jarrett Jack and Lopez in exchange for embattled guard Lance Stephenson (Charlotte) and Perkins (OKC).
Jack has recently assumed starting point guard duties with the continued decline of Williams. But the piece for Brooklyn is netting Stephenson who has flashed All-Star potential at varying times of his career. While things haven’t worked out for Stephenson in Charlotte, the guard is still on a relatively inexpensive deal for a player who could turn it around – plus he’s a local kid and the change of scenery could benefit his game.
Charlotte gets out of the Lance Stephenson business
It became apparent early on from a chemistry standpoint Stephenson and the Hornets weren’t a good fit. Both sides have publicly said all of the right things, but the rumors of the Hornets looking to unload Stephenson in recent weeks continued to get louder and louder.
If the deal goes through as currently reported, the Hornets (15-25) improved by adding Jack to be the lead reserve guard behind Kemba Walker in the rotation. Brian Roberts is a decent piece, but Jack is an upgrade in the lineup. In Lamb, the Hornets get another young shooting guard who is just scratching the surface of his talent. Plus there will be solid minutes in the rotation that would allow for Lamb to gain a rhythm – a rhythm he couldn’t find consistently in Oklahoma City.
Even with the extremely slow start, the Hornets are just 1.5 games behind Brooklyn for the East’s last playoff spot and the Nets are dealing Jack and Lopez – which is undoubtedly a talent drop.
