The Oklahoma City Thunder, who were picked to finish last in this NBA season’s Western Conference, have exceeded all expectations and are currently at 6-13. This is a respectable start considering they are the youngest team and are currently rebuilding.
This young Thunder team is hard working and will finish near the bottom in the standings. However, there are many things to love about this group if your Oklahoma City fan!
Shai Gilgeous Alexander, Luguentz Dorset, and Josh Giddey seem to be high-level talents that will guide this young core over many years, but we know Sam Presti, general manager, is still working on this roster.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, who were picked to finish last in this NBA season’s Western Conference, have exceeded all expectations and are currently at 6-13. This is a respectable start considering they are the youngest team and are currently rebuilding.
This young Thunder team is hard working and will finish near the bottom in the standings. However, there are many things to love about this group if your Oklahoma City fan!
The Thunder could trade veterans Mike Muscala and Derrick Favors this season. Kenrich Williams is also a possible candidate. Williams, who is about to turn 27, will be in his second season as a Thunder player. He did quite well last year.
Kenrich Williams made 66 games last year and averaged 8. points, 4.1 rebound, 2.3 assists, and 0.8 steals. He also shot an impressive 44.4% from the three-point line. Williams, who is currently on a $2M contract and has the $2M remaining unguaranteed for next season, is a valuable bench talent that could be traded to other playoff-bound teams.
The Memphis Grizzlies could be interested in trading for the Thunder wing. The Grizzlies, another young team in the NBA have seen tremendous growth over the past two seasons and are currently led by Ja Morant, soon to be All-Star point guard.
They don’t have many holes in their team, and it takes time for them all to play their best basketball together. However, it is always a good idea to add another bench player on the wing, especially considering Dillon Brooks injuries early this year.
Will the Memphis Grizzlies be active at the NBA trade deadline? And will they target Thunder’s wing Kenrich Williams as well? Let’s see what they would have given up.
Oklahoma City Thunder Get:G/F Jarrett Culver (via MEM), TOR 2024 2nd round Pick
Memphis Grizzlies Get:G/F Kenrich Williams
The Grizzlies can trade Kenrich Williams with Oklahoma City if they want Kenrich. Sam Presti, Thunder general manager, loves to acquire draft picks as well as young talents. This is why he might be willing to trade Jarrett Culver for a second-rounder in 2024.
Culver was originally drafted 6th in the 2019 Timberwolves draft, but injuries have limited him from being able to show his skills on the court.
Jarrett Culver is still considered an athletic, versatile wing. He just needs somewhere to play and get some time on the court. This will be something he won’t get with the Grizzlies.
Oklahoma City has nothing to lose when it comes to trying new things. This is why they might be willing to trade Jarrett Culver.
The Thunder would win this scenario since they have nothing to lose regarding Culver’s future.
If they make a trade, Jarrett Culver could be tested in the Thunder’s system for more than half a season. This will give them an idea of whether or not they would like to keep him around long-term.
If they don’t know the answer, then they will get a Kenrich Williams second-round pick!
They have a $4M trade exception for Memphis. It was created when they traded Grayson Allen from Memphis to the Milwaukee Bucks in this offseason. They could absorb Williams’ contract quite easily and his contract is not something they should be concerned about.
Kenrich Williams is another skilled player on the wing who can play any role. Memphis could trade for him this season in order to add some depth to their bench.
Is this a good trade for the Oklahoma City Thunder’s?
Oklahoma City is not in a position to compete for a playoff slot this season. Kenrich Williams has been a solid player for them, but they may as well move him because he will likely be waived in the offseason.
Although the Oklahoma City Thunder like him, at 27 years old he isn’t a good fit for what they are doing with their young players. The Thunder may have three or more first-round picks in 2022 NBA Draft. This means they will need to add 3 roster spots for these new prospects.
Kenrich Williams is a “odd-men out” for Oklahoma City at the moment, but this should not diminish his impact on this league.
He is 6’6″, and you will get a lot from him.
This is why Kenrich Williams could be a valuable trade asset this NBA trade deadline, as he has the potential to outperform other wing players in the league.
The Thunder can trade Williams for Culver, and they have a future second round pick. Who knows? Jarrett Culver might become a key building block that they can use moving forward.
Culver is a lesser contributor than Williams off-the-bench, and the Thunder will not be bringing him back next year. This is the worst scenario. The Thunder don’t have a cap problem so this is not a problem. They would still get a future draft choice.
Is this trade a good idea for the Memphis Grizzlies.
Kenrich Williams, who has a small trade exception and could use another wing off the bench, should be someone that the Memphis Grizzlies are interested in this season as a possible NBA trade deadline pick up.
Dillon Brooks has been injured to start the year. While they have veteran Kyle Anderson, rookie Ziaire Williams, and second-year wing Desmond Bane as backup options, Williams will be a great addition to the Grizzlies’ depth, especially considering his contract is so cheap.
Although Kenrich Williams might not be able to play in Memphis much, having him on the team gives them extra security in case of injuries. In today’s NBA, you can never have enough depth in your roster, especially on the wings.
Jarrett Culver, a young player who has the potential to be an impactful player at some point in his career is something the Memphis Grizzlies don’t need right now in terms of winning. There are many young players who will be ahead of Culver on the team’s depth charts, so they should be willing to trade him and give Williams a draft pick.
The Grizzlies are a sneaky-good team in the Western Conference. If they’re healthy, they might pull off a first round upset. Although they lost five games to the Jazz’s #1 seed last year, every game was hard-fought and tough for Utah.
They can do it again this year, and with Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant and Dillon Brooks all playing at a high level, keep an eye out for the Memphis Grizzlies within the Western Conference.