The trade deadline is on Thursday and Sam Presti needs to make a trade because his $130 million dollar team plays like a piece of entitled junk without Andre Roberson doing the dirty work. You’ll notice when you watch the Super Bowl today that Tom Brady has offensive linemen who allow him to be magnificent. Same thing here with the Thunder. Sam Presti lost his Big Dog grinder when Andre went down.
Tom Brady can’t throw when he’s on his back. Know what I mean?
This is the personification of team building. You have a star caste system and then you have grinders. Nick Collison was a glorious grinder in his day. Why else do you think Sam Presti was smart enough to resign Andre for $10 million a year on his new contract.
Here’s the thing, Clay Bennett and his ownership group didn’t put together a $130 million dollar roster to lose in the first round of the Western Conference Playoffs. They put a team together to try and beat the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors. Period. If you’re going deep into the luxury tax to the tune of $20 something million then you make a move to salvage your investment. To show Paul George you’re serious about winning in Oklahoma City. To show Jerry West you’re tired of coming in second place.
Remember when Kevin Durant told the world he was tired of coming in second place on that Sixty Minutes interview. well…he meant it. Clay Bennett is a hedge fund guy amongst other things. I wish he would read my blog, because this is what I would do.BTW…I think Sam Presti is an extremely smart dude.
Avery Bradley for the Clippers would be fine, but he’s an unrestricted free agent and you have to assume Andre might not be ready to go next October. You have to hedge your position assuming Andre may or may not be himself for more than a year at the minimum. That’s a serious injury especially for a role where he’s has to put so much pressure on his wheels.
No way do I trade Jerami Grant. He stays. Jerami Grant now is the Thunder’s most versatile defender and can defend the 3, the 4, or the 5 depending if Billy Donovan is playing big or small. Jerami stays.
I’d like to keep Terrance Ferguson if possible. Terrance needs some serious work in the weight room though. Look at Andre’s body when he was a rookie and look at it now. Night and day, same with Steven Adams.
The trade I would make is Alex Abrines and Josh Huestis for Johnathan Simmons over there at Orlando. The salaries almost match. Presti got Oladipo, Sabonis, and Ilyasova for Ibaka by dealing with the Magic. Of course, Sam Presti’s Emerson College buddy Rob Hennigan was fired as the GM in Orlando, but the Magic are very much in the hunt for the worst record in the NBA this season. Maybe they’d be interested in Alex Abrines and Josh Huestis. I believe Simmons doesn’t become a free agent till the conclusion of the 2018-19 season. so, in essence you’re getting your guy now and hedging your position for next season if Andre can’t go.
The Magic might want Terrance Ferguson. This is where Clay Bennett and Sam Presti have to make a decision. But like I wrote, the future is now for Oklahoma City. Not two years from now, but now if they want to show Paul George he could win a championship in Oklahoma City. Tough decision. But that’s what GM’s get paid for. Know this though, OKC isn’t coming close to beating Houston or Golden State with what we’ve seen from the Thunder in these four games without Andre. They wouldn’t beat the Spurs or the Wolves as well. So, in reality I think Sam Presti knows what he has to do as much as it might hurt. Which means Terrance Ferguson is in play.
From Orlando’s standpoint, they would get two players for one. And make this clear, Ferguson or Abrines and Huestis will be much more effective players in the far less talented Eastern Conference. What Blake Griffin might notice is that Detroit isn’t California from a dream vacation destination, but night in and night out the opposition isn’t nearly as talented and guys like Ferguson, Abrines, and Huestis should be more effective and valuable in the East. Think of it kind of like playing linebacker in the SEC vs. the Big 12. See Oladipo and Sabonis in Indiana. They’re groovin’. It’s all about ‘your’ value in your competition pool.
So when you watch the Super Bowl this evening take notice of all those New England players on the O line and jot down their names because they’re the ones who enable Tom Brady to be magnificent.