Even though the Oklahoma City Thunder lost Kevin Durant, they will still need to pay a pretty penny to keep their current core together.
Weird, right?
Russell Westbrook is slated for free agency next summer, and the Thunder will invariably try to renegotiate his contract soon, ensuring he doesn’t have the ability to leave for nothing. And yet, even if they trade him, their nucleus still gets pricey.
Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo and Andre Roberson are all extension-eligible and set to hit restricted free agency next July, amid another salary cap boon. Though Roberson won’t enter max-contract territory, Adams and Oladipo are a different story. Adams is almost sure to command max money, and Oladipo, despite ostensibly plateauing statistically, is already seeking a max extension from his new team, per ESPN.com’s Zach Lowe:
The money crunch hits every team that spends a half-decade in the lottery. Great prospects get expensive once their rookie deals expire; you eventually have to shed someone. Utah is staring down this dilemma, and the Magic have already addressed it by dealing Harris, Harkless, and Oladipo — with the latter up for a mega-extension, and (for now) seeking the maximum salary, sources say.
Signing Oladipo to a max extension probably isn’t the immediate play if Westbrook renegotiates his contract. The Thunder already have Cameron Payne on the roster, and there’s no guarantee ‘Dipo works as well off Westbrook as even Dion Waiters. The Thunder would need to get a feel for that dynamic before making any decisions, thus dragging Oladipo’s contract situation into the summer.
If Westbrook is traded, it makes more sense to pay him. He can be your primary ball-handler, and you can start rebuilding your team around him, Adams, Paynes and Roberson. Of course, at that point, the Thunder have to wonder if they’ll be footing the bill for an expensive squad that’s too good to net them more high-end draft picks, yet too bad to ever be the fulcrum of a championship contender.
