PHILADELPHIA, PA – JANUARY 12: Jalen Williams #8, Josh Giddey #3, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of … [+] the Oklahoma City Thunder look on against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on January 12, 2023 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
Getty Images
Few NBA teams can stomach a slow-and-steady rebuild, particularly those in a small market. After a few years, impatience often leads to win-now moves with short-term upside and potential long-term consequences.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have proved to be the exception in recent years. They’re potentially poised to dominate the NBA throughout the latter half of the 2020s as a result.
Advertisement
Rather than spend their salary-cap space to pursue impact free agents—a la the Houston Rockets this offseason—the Thunder have instead preferred to take on unwanted contracts along with draft compensation. During the 2023 NBA draft, for instance, they sent the No. 12 pick to the Dallas Mavericks for the No. 10 pick and veteran forward Davis Bertans, who’s earning $17 million this coming season and has a $16 million early-termination option for the 2024-25 season.
The Thunder didn’t stop there. They took on an injured Victor Oladipo ($9.5 million) from the Miami Heat to acquire 2029 and 2030 second-round picks, and they acquired Patty Mills and 2024, 2029 and 2030 second-rounders from the Houston Rockets while only sending out cash considerations. They proceeded to send Mills to the Atlanta Hawks for recent first-round picks TyTy Washington Jr. and Usman Garuba, veteran forward Rudy Gay and a future second-round pick, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Following those trades, the Thunder now have 15 first-round picks and 20 second-round picks over the next seven years, per Wojnarowski. With the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement seemingly increasing the value of draft picks—both due to new financial restrictions for the league’s most expensive teams and the creation of the second-round exception and an additional two-way slot—the Thunder now have a treasure trove of future trade assets.
In the meantime, the Thunder’s young core is beginning to show signs of major promise.
Advertisement
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander earned his first All-Star and All-NBA nods last season while averaging a career-high 31.4 points on 51.0% shooting to go along with 5.5 assists, 4.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. He isn’t an efficient or high-volume three-point shooter, but his ability to slither through defenders and get to the basket helped him draw a career-high 10.9 free-throw attempts per game this past season. He knocked those down at a 90.5% clip, which blew his previous best (81.0%) out of the water.
Gilgeous-Alexander is the bedrock of OKC’s foundation, but he is by no means the only piece. Josh Giddey, the No. 6 pick of the 2021 draft, went from averaging 12.5 points on 41.9% shooting, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game as a rookie to 16.6 points on 48.2% shooting, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game this past season. The 6’8″ playmaker is likewise an iffy three-point shooter, but he’s otherwise a well-rounded complement to Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jalen Williams, whom the Thunder selected 12th overall in the 2022 draft, averaged 14.1 points on 52.1% shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game as a rookie en route to a first-team All-Rookie selection. Although he shot only 34.7% from deep, he knocked down 39.6% of his three-point attempts during his final season at Santa Clara in 2021-22, which suggests he has untapped potential in that area of his game. If he does become a more consistent long-range shooter, he’ll be the three-and-D archetype that every team wants.
OKC’s biggest wild card is Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick of the 2022 draft. He missed all of last season after suffering a Lisfranc injury to his right foot during a pro-am game in the offseason, but he was a standout at both the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas Summer Leagues this summer.
“We have a great group of guys with a lot of different talents, and I feel like I can complement a lot of these dudes, and these dudes complement me as well,” Holmgren told reporters in Vegas.
Advertisement
The Thunder have steadily built a solid supporting cast around Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, Williams and Holmgren in recent years. Lu Dort is one of the league’s more rugged perimeter defenders, although his shooting leaves much to be desired (38.8% overall and 33.0% from deep last year). Kenrich Williams is a steady three-and-D role player. Jaylin Williams looked like a second-round steal as a rookie last year. Isaiah Joe knocked down nearly 41% of his three-point attempts last year and is on a dirt-cheap contract for two more years.
The Thunder have another wild card in Vasilije Micic, whom they signed to a three-year, $23.5 million contract this offseason. Micic was named the EuroLeague MVP in 2021 and helped lead Anadolu Efes to back-to-back EuroLeague championships in 2021 and 2022. He averaged 16.0 points, 5.4 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 three-pointers in EuroLeague play this past season and should be smack dab in his prime at the age of 29.
OKC also has a pair of high-upside lottery tickets in Ousmane Dieng and Cason Wallace. The Thunder traded up last year to select Dieng one pick ahead of Jalen Williams, although he played only 569 total minutes across 39 games as a rookie. He showed some impressive flashes during summer league in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, though, averaging 14.1 points on 50.0% shooting, 6.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.9 triples, 1.0 steals and 0.9 blocks in 30.7 minutes per game.
Wallace, whom the Thunder selected with the No. 10 pick that they acquired from the Mavericks this year, was a bit more up-and-down in Las Vegas. He shot only 34.6% from the field, but he averaged 11.0 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 three-pointers and 1.4 steals in only 26.7 minutes per game. He might have a hard time carving out a huge role as a rookie, but the Thunder presumably traded up for him for a reason.
Throw in 2023 second-round pick Keyontae Johnson, who also impressed in Las Vegas, and the Thunder might have too many young players who are deserving of minutes. That’s a good problem to have—it certainly beats the alternative!—but those players won’t be on rookie-scale contracts forever. Giddey will become eligible to sign an extension next summer, while Holmgren will after the 2024-25 season.
Advertisement
At some point in the next few years, the Thunder will have to start deciding which of their players are long-term keepers. Those who don’t reach that threshold will be prime candidates to be included in an eventual consolidation trade. The Thunder have enough draft ammunition to force their way into trade talks for any star of their choosing. The only question is for whom (and when) they decide to push their chips in.
If Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid eventually becomes available, would the Thunder go all-in for him? Or would they prefer someone slightly younger than the soon-to-be 30-year-old? Are they waiting to see what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee and Luka Doncic in Dallas over the next 12 months? Would they consider taking a buy-low swing on Zion Williamson if the New Orleans Pelicans’ patience with him wears thin?
The Thunder have done a spectacular job amassing talent and draft capital over the past few seasons. Now comes the hard part of figuring out how best to maximize their hoard of assets in pursuit of a championship.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball Reference. All salary information via Spotrac or RealGM. All odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.
St. Isidore, which aims to serve 1,500 students online within Oklahoma by its fifth year of operation, has the backing of Republican Gov. Kevin Stitt as well as former state schools superintendent Ryan Walters. Proponents of the plan say the online school would be a boon for rural Oklahoma students who do not have a Catholic school in their area.
The Oklahoma Statewide Virtual Charter School Board had in April 2023 voted unanimously to disapprove the school’s application, later in June approving the contract 3-2 after revisions to the application.
Brett Farley, executive director of the Oklahoma Catholic Conference and a board member for the proposed school, told CNA following the first disapproval that the plan’s backers were “not discouraged at all.” He said at the time he believed Oklahoma’s government presents a “favorable environment to negotiate protections for religious liberty” to ensure that the school’s Catholic identity is not threatened by the acceptance of public funds.
The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City had pushed for approval of the school after former Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor issued an advisory opinion in late 2022 stating that because of the Supreme Court’s recent rulings, Oklahoma’s provisions banning religious schools from accessing public funds as charters could be unconstitutional. He cautioned that this legal change would not mean that religious schools using public funds “can necessarily operate however they want.” Drummond withdrew his predecessor’s opinion on the matter.
Advertisement
In a dissent to the Oklahoma Supreme Court’s majority opinion, Justice Dana Kuehn argued that St. Isidore’s would be a partner of the state, not a government entity, and thus the state denying funds to St. Isidore’s because it is religious would violate the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.
“St. Isidore would not be replacing any secular school, only adding to the options available, which is the heart of the Charter Schools Act,” she wrote.
“The state is not required to partner with private entities to provide common education. But if it does, it cannot close the door to an otherwise qualified entity simply because it is sectarian … Contracting with a private entity that has religious affiliations, by itself, does not establish a state religion, nor does it favor one religion over another.”
Jonah McKeown is a staff writer and podcast producer for Catholic News Agency. He holds a Master’s Degree from the University of Missouri School of Journalism and has worked as a writer, as a producer for public radio, and as a videographer. He is based in St. Louis.
SALLISAW, Okla. (AP) — An Alabama man accused in a string of killings in Oklahoma and Alabama has pleaded not guilty to two Oklahoma killings.
The pleas were entered on behalf of Stacy Lee Drake, 50, during a Monday court appearance, KHBS-TV reported. He faces two charges of enhanced murder.
Drake has has until Aug. 7 in the Oklahoma case to find a lawyer to represent him, or a public defender will be appointed for him, KHBS reported.
Relatives and friends of the victims packed the courtroom where Drake appeared.
Advertisement
Drake was apprehended Thursday in a wooded area in the Morrilton, Arkansas, area after a search that spanned multiple southern states, Arkansas State Police said.
Drake is accused of homicides and carjackings in Oklahoma, Arkansas State Police said. They said he’s also wanted on other felony warrants from multiple jurisdictions on charges including aggravated robbery, carjacking and murder.
A man and a woman were found dead inside a business near Gans, Oklahoma, near the Arkansas state line, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation said. Both had injuries consistent with homicide, and the agency said Drake is a person of interest.
In Alabama, Drake is accused of killing Russell Andrews on May 14, according to the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Capt. Jack Kennedy of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit said there is a warrant for Drake on a murder charge. News outlets reported that Andrews, 62, was found dead inside the Alcoholic Anonymous building.
Tuscaloosa authorities said Andrews’ vehicle was stolen when he was killed and hours later was picked up by cameras travelling along an interstate near the Arkansas-Oklahoma border.
OKLAHOMA CITY (CBS) — Alex Caruso has returned to where his pro career began, in Oklahoma City, after being traded by the Bulls to the Thunder for Josh Giddey last week.
Advertisement
Caruso was waived by the Thunder in 2016, and played for the NBA’s G-League’s Oklahoma City Blue. Now, he will join a young Thunder squad after a straight-up exchange between the Thunder and the Bulls.
But the defensive specialist’s time in Chicago won’t be forgotten.
“I loved playing my three years with Billy [Donovan]. He’s a great coach, and me and him had some really good conversations,” Caruso said. “Great memories—I’m not going to lose those relationships even though I’ve left Chicago. You know, I’ve made great relationships over three years with people in eth city, Chicago itself, and obviously, teammates and coaches.”
Caruso, an All-Defense guard who has spent the past three seasons with the Bulls after winning the 2020 championship with the Los Angeles Lakers, had been the subject of trade rumors for several years. The Bulls resisted offers built around draft picks throughout his entire time in Chicago.
But in Giddey, the Bulls land a former No. 6 overall pick who was in desperate need of a fresh start.
Advertisement
Caruso is one of the best defensive perimeter players in all of basketball. He is capable of guarding
