Thunder get: Kristaps Porzingis (3yr/$100m); Mavericks get: Al Horford (2yr/$53.5m), Gabriel Deck (3yr/$11m/mostly non-guaranteed)
Personally I think Al Horford took too much shit for his time in Philly--that team was a trainwreck and they overhyped their signing of a dude that wasn't really right for them. And in OKC the fear was he might actually win some games and was promptly sent home. I think Horford is ready to win, I think he's a solid do-what-it-takes crafty veteran, I think he fits with Coach Carlisle and Luka, I think he can do the middle of the lane game that Luka had going with Boban in the playoffs. Granted he's a little pricey but he's way cheaper than Porzingis, who has already shown he can't hang, and he's only on the hook for two more years rather than three. As for Deck, I have no idea who he is or what he does, but his contract looks to be very disposable, so if he fits keep him (if not, see ya). (*) This move brings back a player that can be useful as opposed to attaching assets to dumpe Porzingis.
For the Thunder, they have no desire to win for the next two years anyway, so a wildly overpriced bust is perfect for them. Dallas needs a place to bury this body and OKC is open for business! I know this sounds glib but their eye is on the 2022 draft: OKC's pick is top 14 protected (they will absolutely suck, so that's a top 5 pick); they have the Lakers unprotected 1st rd pick (obviously the dream scenario is AD and Lebron both get hurt, the team goes into a tailspin and OKC is gifted another top 10 pick); and the Suns's top-13 protected pick (this should be, like #25, not great but not nothing). So for the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander and Dort are keepers, Bazeley, Pokusevski, Jerome, Maledon and Kenrich Williams are probably just filler but they've got two seasons to figure it out.
The Thunder plan going forward: for 2021-22, let SGA become an all-star, let Porzingis do whatever (as long as it doesn't win games), pump Dort for DPOY or 6th Man, see if Pokusevki can hang, see what they got with the 2021 pick (say, Jonathon Kuminga), see if anyone blossoms from the bench. Roll heavy into the 2022 draft, run it all back in 2022-23, then give SGA a bunch of money, ride out the Porzingis contract, hope the youth movement pans out while holding a gajillion 1st rd picks. Winning any games at all next season would just be a waste of time and that will likely carry over another year after that, too.
Horford is too useful to just not play in OKC, whereas Porzingis is precisely the kinda guy that looks like a star but won't damage the draft prospects. Win-win, don't even need to add 2nd rd picks or any of that crap, if I was Dallas I'd call this in right now.
(*) Does this move keep them from re-signing Tim Hardaway? I don't think it affects Hardawy. It might keep them from bringing back JJ Reddick, Boban Marjanovic and/or Niccolo Melli....is that a problem? I'm not sure. Porzingis is the problem, not what replaces him.
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