Trade machine magic

   The Thunder lost to the Bucks. That’s right, the Bucks. Obviously, if they’re going to move up the NBA totem pole, they are going to have to make a move.
Here are three trades the Thunder could/should make.

1. Reggie Jackson and Kendrick Perkins to the Celtics for Jeff Green, James Young and Washington’s 2015 second round pick.

  The Celtics probably turn this down, but Reggie Jackson gives them even more flexibility to deal Rondo, while the Thunder get a couple of young scorers.

2. Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb for Randy Foye, Gary Harris and New York’s 2016 first.

The Thunder get a decent scorer in Foye. But the real prize is Harris and the New York pick. I think the Nuggets should take this if offered.

3.  Kendrick Perkins and OKC’s 2016 first round pick for Dion Waiters, Brendan Haywood and Lou Amundson.

   The Thunder get a Scorer to shoot thirty times a game while we sit Durant and Westbrook, while the Cavs get some post defense and a useful role player with the pick.

On Injuries And The Draft

Oklahoma City is in a tough spot this year. They’re going to completely rely on Reggie Jackson, Serge Ibaka and a bunch of D-leaguers for a month and a half early in the year. That happens, teams have bad years, but this team may not be able to afford it.

Rumors have been flying since LeBron made his second decision that Durant will leave for D.C. once his current contract is up. These rumors aren’t necessarily true, but it sure would help for the Thunder to win a championship, which leads to an interesting question. Should the Thunder tank?

There is a precedent for contenders to take advantage of injuries to build toward an eventual championship. The Spurs, for example got Tim Duncan after a year without David Robinson. The Thunder can certainly follow this example.

Who would the Thunder get to help build to a championship next year? Assuming that they keep their core of Westbrook/Jackson/Durant/Ibaka/Adams and the bench guys, but let Perkins walk. That leaves a spot open on the bench for a big man. Fortunately, this draft has about a zillion bigs. Durant and Westbrook probably won’t let the Thunder completely bottom out upon their (likely delayed) return, so let’s look at who should be available in the 8-14 range of the draft, arranged by their order on Draft express.

Willie Cauley-Stein could be a solid addition, in the Tyson Chandler mold, but he adds nothing to the offense. I actually think he would be a really good fit with OKC. He is listed at number 10.

Montrezl Harrell is very powerful, and a strong offensive player, but he’s a little bit undersized. I like his ability to pound the glass and then break said glass. He would be a decent fit, as long as he didn’t play alongside Adams.

Finally we’ve got Chris Walker. This guy is one of the most incredible athletes in the draft, but he is very raw. If he could develop a jumper, he would be a potential star. He can play multiple styles and would be a great fit for OKC.