The Oklahoma City Thunder were supposed to challenge for a top spot in the Western Conference behind the Golden State Warriors after acquiring Paul George and Carmelo Anthony this summer. Instead, they’ve struggled to stay above the .500 mark over the first 29 games (14-15) during the first two months of the regular season.
The top-heavy roster has surprisingly struggled most on the offensive end early, as Anthony (40 percent), George (41 percent) and Russell Westbrook (38 percent) are posting some of the worst shooting numbers of their careers from the field. They’ve been unable to mesh cohesively, largely thanks to the isolation-heavy games of Westbrook and George and the collective lack of 3-point shooting across the remainder of the roster.
There is still time for things to come together after a rough start to the year, and they’ve been on the losing end of several tight contests in crunch time. Anthony is adamant that they’ll be able to figure things out sooner rather than later.
"We've never had chemistry problems,” Anthony told reporters Saturday night after losing to the Kniccks. “We like and enjoy playing with one another. It's never been a chemistry problem. We've just got to figure out how to do so, but there's never been chemistry problems with this group. We've embraced this since we came together that this was going to be a journey for us, and that's where we're at. We're within the thick of this journey right now."
However, with a pair of juggernauts (Houston and Golden State) looking close to unbeatable at the top of the West, a major question looms for general manager Sam Presti over the next couple months: If the Thunder don’t find their rhythm, should the team trade soon-to-be free agent Paul George? And if so, would the Celtics be in on a potential George selloff?The former Pacer is in the final year of his contract, earning $19.5 million ahead of an early termination option that he will exercise come June. Rumors continue to swirl about the veteran swingman having his eyes on a return to Los Angeles. The obvious hope in Oklahoma City is to convince the 27-year-old with success on the court that the city could be a promising long-term destination for him, alongside Anthony and Westbrook.
The problem with that mindset is that it’s not clear that trio will ever come close to being a contender in the West. Anthony is 33 and putting together the worst offensive season of his career. He’s firing up shots from everywhere like he’s an All-Star, but his 40.4 shooting percentage and spotty defense have caused him to become more of a liability than an asset for the Thunder during much of the year. Westbrook’s in the midst of a down year as well, but that hasn’t stopped him from taking 20 shots per game despite only hitting 38 percent of them.
George is the one star who truly plays two-way basketball on this roster, but it’s not translating into wins for this crew. With a bloated payroll that includes a $27 million player option for Anthony next season (which he’d be foolish to opt out of), there really isn’t a path for the Thunder to add much talent to this group via free agency or the draft (no first round pick in 2018) in the foreseeable future.
That harsh reality may not be enticing enough for George to stay for the long haul in his new Western Conference home. If that’s the case and the Thunder don’t have a real shot of making a deep playoff run this year, Presti may be forced to turn into a seller to ensure his top offseason acquisition doesn’t walk away for nothing this summer.
George’s modest $19.5 million salary (for his production) makes him an intriguing trade candidate for any team with legitimate playoff aspirations and/or hopes to convince him to stay long-term with their franchise. However, I’d be surprised if the Celtics were one of the teams that went after the wing if he does become available in the next couple months.
The problem with trying for George for Danny Ainge is two-fold:
1. A lack of salary on the roster he’d want to move. The Celtics would have to find a way to come close to matching George’s $19 million salary in any offer, and that’s not an easy fit with the construction of their roster. After Hayward, Horford and Irving, no other player on the roster makes more than $5.6 million. Combining a couple of veteran salaries (Marcus Morris at $5 million, Aron Baynes at $4.3 million) and a couple of the non-Tatum rookies still puts the Celtics a bit short on the money front. That reality means the Celtics could have to blow up their rotation to land George, which isn’t an ideal proposition for a likely rental.
2. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are playing too well to trade for a potential rental. The youth and cost control for both players are integral parts of the team’s current and future core. Neither guy is untouchable at this point, but moving either one of their modest salaries for a half season of George is a non-starter for this front office (without assurances of an extension from the All-Star that aren’t likely to come). The Thunder would likely ask for one of them (partially to make the math work) if they consider moving George and that just isn’t going to happen in my mind.
So while the Celtics would likely sit out a potential George derby, there could be plenty of other suitors looming in the East. The Cavs have enough salary to match, along with a collection of first round picks (including the Brooklyn pick) that they could use in a desperation ploy to convince LeBron James to stay beyond this year. The Raptors, Wizards and Pistons are all in cap jail and could see George as being a game-changer in their quest to make a significant push in the East this year as well.
The Thunder could still turn things around enough to convince Presti that George is worth hanging onto for one playoff run, but the longer this team is fighting for merely a playoff spot, the louder these whispers will become.
Other nuggets around the league
- The Rockets are 15-0 when Chris Paul is in the lineup, including 13 straight wins that have catapulted them to the NBA’s best record. General manager Daryl Morey has created the perfect blend of playmaking and small-ball lineups with Paul and James Harden at the helm, with a team that’s positioned well to give the Warriors an actual series this May. The Celtics will get a firsthand look at this group next week at the Garden.
- Former Net Sean Kilpatrick will sign with the Bucks, according to ESPN.com. The shooting guard was a productive bench scorer last year with the Nets but he was waived to make room for Jahlil Okafor after last week’s trade.
- The Celtics can feel a little bit about their blowout loss to the Bulls earlier this week after Chicago rolled off five straight wins. Nikola Mirotic has been on a tear over that span, averaging 20 points per game and 50 percent shooting from 3-point range.
- Another bad injury break for Jazz center Rudy Gobert, who will miss a month after suffering a PCL sprain in his left knee during Friday’s game against the Celtics.