Friday Bolts: Trade Deadline
Entering the NBA trade deadline, the annual event that makes Twitter a bearable place to be, it was near certain that the Thunder would not be making any splashy trades. In fact, there was a belief among many that OKC may stand entirely pat.
I expect this to be a quiet day for the Thunder. At most a fringe move, but it's very possible they aren't involved in any way today.
— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) February 9, 2023
Well, despite the blockbusters that went down (KEVIN DURANT TO THE SUNS! RUSSELL WESTBROOK TO THE JAZZ!), OKC did make a few moves that at least will make some noise in the southern plains.
First, OKC traded fan-favorite Mike Muscala (aka Moose) to the Boston Celtics. Though not entirely a shock--the sharpshooter is exactly the kind of midseason vet pickup that a contending team wants to make--it's painful to Thunder fans because of how beloved Muscala was by the fans, and also because of how clear Moose was about his love of OKC and the Thunder.
Mike Muscala's last game in a Thunder jersey:
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) February 9, 2023
16 points
4-7 from 3
17 minutes
In a revenge game win against the Lakers on the most watched regular season game in 5 years on the night LeBron became the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
Legend. pic.twitter.com/0C1iJZpxsi
As a part of the trade, Oklahoma City picked up Justin Jackson and two second-round picks (2023, 2029).
The second and last trade of the day sent Darius Bazley to Phoenix to be reunited with Chris Paul for Dario Saric and a second-round pick (2029). This one was not surprising at all, as Bazley's minutes become increasing fewer and more inconsistent among the bevy of young players on the roster.
Darius Bazley trade was the expected move for OKC at the deadline.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) February 9, 2023
Baze will get a chance to earn some minutes for the Suns. Reunited with CP3, they had a great relationship in OKC.
OKC gets another 2nd rounder for a player that would be a free agent this summer. https://t.co/ggoovtydJi
Dario Saric is an intriguing addition. The 12th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Saric has had a productive NBA career, but is still regaining form after suffering an ACL tear in Game 1 of the 2021 NBA Finals. Saric has appeared in 37 games (12 starts) this season for the Suns and averaged 5.8 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 14.4 minutes per game.
Oh, and about that blockbuster Kevin Durant trade, Berry Trammel (The Oklahoma) tried to answer the question that I imagine few were asking--why didn't OKC try to land KD?
The thought of bringing back Durant is a pleasant dream. His departure was abrupt. He went from Superman to Lex Luthor before the firecrackers started popping on that fateful July 4. Bringing back Durant would bring closure to a horror show. But patching old wounds is not worth submarining the Presti rebuild. The Thunder is getting good and fast, the plan is working to near perfection, so why would anyone want to abandon the plan?
In other news, the Thunder went to Los Angeles on Tuesday to take on the Lakers with Lebron James just 36 points shy of being leading scorer in NBA history. Though James reached the pinnacle in the third quarter, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, OKC came away with the win. The victory was even more impressive considering the hoopla surrounding the game, with over 200 media being granted credentials, and the game being broadcast nationally. It was a playoff-like atmosphere, which can only benefit the young Thunder, who are on the fringe of the play-in game.