The Thunder made some moves at the deadline but they still need to get bigger.
The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off one of the biggest moves at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. They sent Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, Davis Bertans, and two second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Gordon Hayward. Hayward may be plagued with injuries over the last half-decade, but there is no questioning that the guy can still play. He hasn’t posted an effective field goal percentage below 50% since the 2015-16 season. He was a great acquisition for the Thunder, but Oklahoma City did not address arguably its biggest need on their roster: Getting another big man. Luckily, there are a couple of options in the buyout market they can pursue in guys like Danilo Gallinari and Thaddeus Young.
Although Chet Holmgren has begun to fall behind Victor Wembanyama in the Rookie of the Year race, there is no taking away the fact that he has been utterly sensational this season. But after him, the depth in their frontcourt is a bit sparse.
Jaylin Williams is a serviceable backup center, but he has hovered in and out of the Thunder’s rotation and is shooting 38.7% from the field. That is bad. Oklahoma City’s alternative is to deploy Kenrich Williams as a small ball center. They need more bodies in that frontcourt. Luckily, at least two options are available for cheap. Let’s see how they would fit.
F/C Danilo Gallinari
Danilo Gallinari has alternated between the small forward and power forward positions for the majority of his career, but that has taken a turn in the last couple of seasons.
In the 2020-21 season with the Atlanta Hawks, 36% of Gallinari’s minutes played were at the center position. He was never above 2% in any season prior to that one. That number dropped to 24% in the 2021-22 campaign but has shot up like a rocket this season after he sat out the 2022-23 season due to injury. Seventy-nine percent of Gallinari’s minutes this season have seen him play the five spot.
Now, Gallinari at center hasn’t gone super great.
Opponents are shooting 71.9% at the rim on shots Gallinari contests according to NBA.com. The majority of players are around him are guards. But Oklahoma City does have stout defenders all over the floor that could take some pressure off of Gallinari (he couldn’t say the same when he was in Washington).
There may be defensive limitations, but Gallinari can still shoot the rock and allow the Thunder to play the five-out style on offense they’ve played all year long. He’s shot 35.5% from three this year. That’s low for his standards, but he is a career 38.2% shooter from distance.
For comparison’s sake, Kelly Olynyk, a player frequently connected to the Thunder before he got traded to the Toronto Raptors, is a career 37% shooter from three on less volume.
Lastly, there is familiarity with both parties. Gallinari spent one season in Oklahoma City before leaving for the Hawks in free agency. He reached the playoffs in the bubble with the Thunder and has played alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lu Dort. Head coach Mark Daigneault was an assistant at that time. That familiarity and a role on a legit contender could sway Gallinari to come back and help out this Thunder squad.
F/C Thaddeus Young, Center
Like Gallinari, Thaddeus Young has had to adapt to life as a center. Ninety-six percent of his minutes this season have been spent at center; he had one season prior to this one above 50%. That’s been met with some trouble defensively as well. Opponents are shooting 69% at the rim on shots Young contests this season. That’s not very good for a center in today’s NBA.
But, also like Gallinari, Young brings experience and offensive skill that could complement this Thunder squad. He is not the shooter Gallinari is, but he can pass it well for a big man. He’s averaging 5.1 assists per-36 minutes compared to just 1.1 turnovers.
That’s good for a guard, let alone a center. The Thunder emphasize movement and have a ton of players who are excellent at moving without the ball and making plays. Young can help with that.
It would be nice to find a center that specializes in defense, but the Thunder need any help they can get in their frontcourt to take pressure off of Chet Holmgren. Danilo Gallinari or Thaddeus Young would do that. They’d be great to get along with Gordon Hayward to help the burgeoning Thunder make a deep playoff run.
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