Thunder Begin Offseason Moves
The offseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder is officially underway.
Following their loss to the San Antonio Spurs in a tightly contested seven-game series in the Western Conference Finals, general manager Sam Presti wasted no time in reshaping the roster. On Sunday, reports indicated that the Thunder traded Aaron Wiggins, a bench player, to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for two second-round picks.
These second-round picks will come into play in 2030, with the least favorable of the two being used in 2032.
Wiggins is under a favorable contract, raking in $9.2 million this season and $8.3 million for the 2027-2028 season, with a team option for $8.3 million next year. It seems, well, a bit surprising that such a young guard, who is playing on a decent deal, fetched only this much in return. Yet, this trade will ultimately save the Thunder about $61 million by bringing their luxury tax penalty down from $213 million to $152 million.
One has to wonder if the Thunder are positioning themselves to make a bigger splash at the upcoming NBA Draft.
Interestingly, Wiggins found himself buried on the bench, logging merely 5.8 minutes per game in the playoffs, the least he’s played in his career, even though he had been a solid contributor before. During the regular season, he averaged 21.8 minutes and scored 9.4 points per game, showing some defensive prowess with almost one steal per game.
Despite his lower role this past season, his 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per game were both personal bests, which is, I guess, something to consider.
It’s also worth noting that the Thunder didn’t hesitate to provide the Hawks with more strength, potentially giving them an edge against the Knicks after the finals. The Hawks actually managed to defeat the Knicks multiple times during the postseason, posing a significant challenge to them.
In addition, Atlanta has recently re-signed scoring guard CJ McCollum to a one-year deal worth $21 million, and this contract includes a trade kicker if he’s dealt. The Hawks had a remarkable turnaround after losing Trae Young last offseason, ending the season with a solid record of 46-36.
