The Oklahoma City Thunder seem more likely to retool rather than make any drastic moves this offseason on the heels of their Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The Thunder are hoping to immediately re-enter the NBA title mix next season after once again finishing with the best record in the league this year.
Recently, ESPN NBA insider Jeremy Woo projected the Thunder to select recent NCAA champion Yaxel Lendeborg out of Michigan with the number 12 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.
“His ability to produce right away puts him in the best available discussion, even if he falls, where some of the age-related risk — he turns 24 in September — is mitigated. He could provide immediate valuable rotation depth for Oklahoma City,” noted Woo.
Woo also reported on how the Thunder’s loss to San Antonio is influencing their strategy this offseason.
“There’s some thought that the Thunder will prioritize deepening their frontline in the aftermath of their seven-game series with the Spurs,” reported Woo.
It certainly makes sense that the Thunder would want to add more size and length to the roster, given that future battles with Spurs star Victor Wembanyama are almost certainly on the horizon. While Lendeborg might not have the height to fully contend with Wemby, his physicality, along with the unusual strength he figures to have for a rookie, should help out Sam Presti in his quest to add more frontcourt talent.
Overall, the Thunder still have arguably the best roster in the NBA when healthy, which they were not in the series against the Spurs, so it would be a surprise to see them make any huge splashes over the summer.
The NBA Draft is set for June 23.
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