The Oklahoma City Thunder have one of the deepest rosters in the league, filled with young players who play hard. But when it comes to the big stage, they lack experience and it showed in their Emirates NBA Cup loss to the Bucks. The biggest problem for the Thunder is the backup point guard. When Shai Gilgeous-Alexander goes to the bench, their playmaking suffers.
NBA Cup Loss Shows Thunder Need Backup Point Guard
SGA might be the best point guard in the NBA right now, but the Thunder lack someone to spell him a couple of minutes, and ideally, play alongside him. In other words, the Thunder need their Derrick White, a player who can organize the offense, make shots, and make winning plays on either side of the floor. Now, they are not the only team looking for such a player. The entire league would love to have Derrick White or someone like him.
The Thunder, for their part, have a couple of players that can take over some playmaking duties in stretches. For example, Jalen Williams continues to improve and can eventually be their second playmaker. When Chet Holmgren returns, they can run the offense through him as well. The Thunder wanted Josh Giddey to take the backup point guard duty, but he wanted a bigger role. So, they traded him this summer for Alex Caruso, who is a great player, but not a playmaker.
With the trade deadline approaching, should the Thunder try to make a small move for another role player? They certainly have the assets to make any move, so let’s explore possible options.
Marcus Smart
Jaylen Wells has made Marcus Smart expendable in Memphis. The young rookie is playing well above expectations and even averages more minutes than Smart. Even when Smart returned from injury, Wells has continued to start.
Marcus is an experienced veteran who has been in plenty of playoff battles during his time with the Boston Celtics. He can become a bit careless with his shooting, but he will also make winning plays. He has this season and another year left on his contract. That is enough wiggle room for the Thunder to pay him until they have to include salaries for Williams and Chet on their payroll. The only challenge is whether the Grizzlies would want to trade with a rival in the Western Conference.
Malcolm Brogdon
Malcolm Brogdon is stuck on the worst team in the league, the Washington Wizards. They are not going anywhere for the foreseeable future, and have no need for a veteran point guard. Brogdon was good in Boston for a year when he won the Sixth Man of the Year award. He is already accustomed to playing off the bench and helping out the starters.
Brogdon has an expiring contract at $22.5 million, and the Wizards will definitely try to get something for him at the deadline. Playing alongside SGA will give him more space and open looks for sure.
Jordan Clarkson
Another player who has won Sixth Man of the Year, Jordan Clarkson might be amongst the hottest names on the trade market. Similar to Washington, Utah is going nowhere, and they might trade some of their veterans for future assets. The biggest challenge here is that Danny Ainge is the one responsible for trades in Utah, and he always tries to squeeze some extra juice.
Clarkson has never been a great three-point shooter, but he is a reliable scorer off the bench who can create his own shots and distribute for others. Out of the three options, he is the cheapest, with this and another year at $14 million.
