2018-19: 49-33 (1st rd playoffs)
Draft picks: 21
Signed for next season ($146.8m): Russell Westbrook, Paul George, Steven Adams, Dennis Schroder, Andre Roberson, Jerami Grant, Patrick Patterson, Terrance Ferguson, Abdel Nader, Hamidou Diallo
This squad is pretty well ready to go--expensive as hell, but complete. The move to make is trade Steven Adams and his ginormous paycheck, but getting back something that matches their needs is not going to be easy, so I figure they'll just run this team back next season.
This summer's free agents: Raymond Felton, Nerlens Noel (player option), Markieff Morris, Jawun Evans
They don't really need Felton or Morris, so I don't see any reason to bring them back.
Nerlens has a player option and a smaller paycheck than he can probably get elsewhere (Lakers, Knicks immediately come to mind), so I bet he's gone.
The Thunder will need to fill out their roster but they'll be looking for extremely low cost filler at the back end of that bench, which might include Evans but I suspect he can make more money elsewhere (Clippers, Lakers, Hornets, Grizzlies).
In this draft I think they should be looking for defense considering that Roberson, Patterson and Noel will likely be gone within the year. I don't know these recruits well enough but does that suggest Eric Paschall (Villanova) or Nicolas Claxton (Georgia) or Ty Jerome (Virginia)? I dunno but those seem like three guys in that range.
Next year's lineup:
PG Westbrook, SG Roberson, SF George, PF Noel, C Adams with Shroder, Ferguson, Diallo, Nader, Grant, and Patterson off the bench.
All depends on how badly this team wants to get cheaper for next year. The rest of the roster-fillers will be low-cost players, but if they move Adams that will bring significant changes to the roster (not saying they won't/can't trade Adams but I didn't see any deals out there right now that look particularly appealing).
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