Thunder acquire Theis, second-rounder from Pelicans

It's salary dump season. After rebalancing some second-rounders in a deal with Charlotte yesterday, OKC took on Daniel Theis's minimum contract and a 2031 second round draft pick to help New Orleans shed salary.

It’s unclear if the Thunder plan to hang onto Theis after acquiring him or if they’re just making the deal for the draft compensation. The veteran center could provide some frontcourt depth in OKC after averaging 4.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.6 assists in 16.3 minutes per game across 38 outings (nine starts) for the Pelicans... A rookie big man, Branden Carlson, has occupied the Thunder’s 15th roster spot for much of the season to date, first on a non-guaranteed contract and then on a pair of 10-day deals. If the team hangs onto Theis and doesn’t make any additional moves to open spots on its 15-man roster, a two-way deal would be the only path for Carlson to rejoin the squad. - HoopsRumors.com

Theis is not a serious answer for the Thunder's postseason frontcourt rotation, so I'm hoping guessing the veteran big won't be around past tomorrow's trade deadline.