Thunder urged to consider reunion with former star, and it’s not Kevin Durant

Since the conclusion of their 2023-24 campaign, many media outlets and media pundits have preached that this OKC Thunder team still needs some adjustments to improve their chances of contending for a title, with many citing both his lack of size, his physique, and overall experience as a major obstacle to the potential realization of these lofty aspirations.

A popular hypothetical move that many have banged their proverbial drum on is the concept of rekindling their relationship with former franchise legend and current Phoenix Suns power forward Kevin Durant.

Needless to say, the idea has been bandied about regularly among Oklahoma City fans.

Although it would essentially address all of the aforementioned factors that contributed to the club’s final demise in the second round against the Dallas Mavericks, while also adding another All-NBA talent along the way, to much of the faithful in the franchise, the bitter feelings of his departure from the Thunder in 2016 are still relevant and in full force.

Still, a reunion with a former star still playing at an All-Star level might not be such a bad idea to consider for this young and exciting franchise, and Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes thinks Paul George could be the perfect target to consider in such a situation. .

Given their enviable cap hit of around $33 million this summer, the Thunder are in a prime position to land one of the highest-rated potential free agents this year.

Of course, with George’s $48 million player option for next season looming, the most attractive way for a reunion to take place would almost certainly come via some sort of sign-and-trade between OKC and the LA Clippers, and Hughes proposed a trade of sorts that could benefit all parties involved.

“From George’s perspective, the Thunder offer a much clearer chance to compete and don’t need him to fill the alpha role that he never really fits into.

If winning is the goal, George may not be able to do better than Oklahoma City.

The Thunder don’t need to swing that big. They could accumulate their choices and focus on organic growth. At the same time, this exceptionally young team feels like it is just one player away from reaching the A-1 contender class.

Trade Giddey for George, and instead of an exploitable playoff weakness in the starting five, the Thunder would have an All-NBA star. Even if George slides as he advances into his thirties, he certainly won’t be someone who dares to shoot on offense and attack on defense. »

– Grant Hughes

Like Durant, George still finds himself producing at a high-end level at this point in his career and is coming off another All-Star season where he dropped nightly averages of 22.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3 .5 assists and 1.5 shooting interceptions. a high yield of 47.1 percent from the ground and 41.3 percent from deep.

Unlike Durant, however, the 34-year-old left the Thunder in good standing during the summer of 2019, coming off a campaign in which he finished third in contention for MVP and was selected to the All-NBA first team. , and posted sensational averages of 28.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

Without Sam Presti’s decision to trade Russell Westbrook and embark on a complete rebuild, it’s likely the forward would have remained in Loud City for the duration of his recently signed, four-year, $137 million contract . .

On top of all that, since joining the Clippers, George has shown an affinity for playing more of a second-in-command role rather than continuing to lead as an alpha dog for a team, which would probably be good augurs with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander already. serving as the latter.

Thanks to his well-documented defensive skills, his offensive expertise and his 6-foot-8 frame, in the event that the veteran returns to the Thunder, coach Mark Daigneault could have even more freedom regarding his entry. playing rotations, as he could continue to run his favored Chet Holmgren formation at five while inserting, in theory, the interchangeable George anywhere from the two to the four.

Although, in fairness, Hughes noted in his article that this hypothetical idea might “surprise” a lot of people, both from a place-on-the-team standpoint and, frankly, from an entertainment standpoint, Paul George’s return to Oklahoma City should be strongly considered by both. evenings.