When the Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Paul George and Carmelo Anthony during the offseason, to join Russell Westbrook, many presumed the trio of stars would help the Thunder challenge the Golden State Warriors for Western Conference supremacy.
There was certainly a question of whether the three ball-dominant players could co-exist in the same offense. However, many analysts and fans expected the players to gel after a brief acclimation period.
The results were mixed.
Westbrook managed to repeat his remarkable feat by averaging a triple-double for the second consecutive season. George played well enough to earn his fifth career All-Star appearance. What about Anthony? After all, he waived his no trade clause and left his hometown to chase rings in OKC.
To paraphrase the great Aretha Franklin, “Great hoodies! Beautiful hoodies.”
Despite adding two players with All-NBA level nicknames, neither “Playoff P” nor “Hoodie Melo” could help the Thunder avoid getting ushered out of the first round by Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz.
Anthony might as well have played the fourth quarter of all seven games with a hoodie over his face. The 10-time All-Star only scored four fourth-quarter points the entire series. Those four points all came in Game 1.
If you recall, before the season Anthony scoffed at the idea of coming off the bench, even if it would help the team. During the team’s exit interviews, he doubled-down on his demands to remain a starter next season.
“Yeah, I’m not sacrificing no bench role,” Anthony told reporters, according to NBA.com. “So, that’s out of the question.”
Unfortunately for the Thunder, Anthony is expected to opt-in to his contract for another year at $27.9 million. A man who averaged only 11.8 points and 5.7 rebounds during the postseason will eat up a ton of salary cap space and likely throw a fit if he’s not in the starting lineup every night.
To compound the Thunder’s woes, George is an unrestricted free agent.
Nearly a month ago, in an interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, George seemed happy with the Thunder and open to returning.
I can see myself being here,” George said. “I’ve been happy here, I’ve been happy with the organization, happy with my teammates.
After being punted out of the playoffs, it appears that things may have changed.
On his podcast, ESPN’s Ryen Russillo cited a trusted source in proclaiming that George is “gone.”
Many have speculated that George could end up in a Lakers jersey (possibly alongside LeBron James). Others believe that George could flee back East to the Philadelphia 76ers.
It’s hard to imagine a scenario where Westbrook, George and Anthony are back all in Oklahoma City next season. Even if by some miracle, GM Sam Presti convinces George to stay with the Thunder, the addition of his max contract and Anthony’s opt-in would send the Thunder’s payroll and luxury tax spending in the $250M range for next season. That’s not happening.
Westbrook is the face of the franchise and signed a five-year, $205M extension in September. Unless he negotiates a lucrative buyout, Anthony has a choice between earning nearly $30M with the Thunder or commanding $10M-$15M on the open market. George can sign with any team.
It’s easy to see who’s hitting the road.
Though a trade or buyout of Anthony’s contract is certainly possible, the Thunder would be wise to simply welcome Anthony back into the fold and hope for the best. Without George, it’s possible that Anthony can slide back into his natural small forward position and get enough touches to remain respectable.
Right now, his trade value is at an all-time low. However, if he bounces back to respectability next season, the Thunder could move him mid-season to a borderline playoff contender or a team desperate for an expiring contract.
Westbrook is in Oklahoma City for the long haul. If the team wants to be successful with Mr. Triple-Double’s brand of bully ball, the franchise will need to mimic Houston and surround him with shooters and hustle guys.
Unfortunately for the Thunder, there are not many upcoming free agents that fit the bill. Many franchises are busy putting together plans to lure George, James, DeMarcus Cousins and other high-profile free agents. OKC should be hoping that the 76ers sign one of those stars to a max deal. Then they can make a run at J.J. Reddick.
If James chucks the deuces to Cleveland once again, the Thunder could attempt to swing a deal for Kyle Korver when the Cavaliers team is blown up. Otherwise, the Thunder’s best free-agent options will include guys like Trevor Ariza (Rockets), Avery Bradley (Clippers) and Seth Curry (Mavericks).
Unfortunately for Thunder fans, it appears that Presti’s gamble to win now with Westbrook, George and Anthony failed miserably. There doesn’t seem to be an immediate solution. That means next season, Westbrook could be in line to average a triple-double for the third-consecutive season. However, the team would also be in line for a first-round playoff exit for the third time in a row.
Follow Ishmael and In the Clutch on Twitter @ishcreates.
