How Much Weight Does OKC Thunder's Roster Crunch Hold?
The Oklahoma City Thunder has been in the news cycle over the course of the offseason because the team has accumulated more players than it's allowed to take into the regular season.
The reason this has stirred up media attention is because the bottom of the Thunder's roster is not only competitive but littered with players that have legit potential for an NBA team.
However, the team only acquired these players because they were taking on assets to do so. The Thunder didn't reach out and send out value to bring these players in. Both TyTy Washington Jr. and Usman Garuba were sent to Oklahoma City with value attached to them.
So, while the roster crunch looks like the Thunder is departing from NBA-level talents that will be swooped up immediately as they enter free agency, which has proven to not be the case, the team is making decisions on players that won't impact winning from an on-court perspective.
The Thunder have an interesting core of players. The same players that are driving the ship are still being developed themselves. The starting lineup won't have a player under 25-years-old in it. The bench will be very similar. So where's the benefit in bringing more and more raw talents waiting to be developed when the starting lineup and rotation are full of players that fit that mold?
Focusing on the roster crunch is fun for the offseason when it's the only thing in the news cycle, but when the season comes around, all the focus will be turned back towards the live development from players on the court actively and already on the roster, and the potential 16-18 guys on the roster won't even be in fans' memory.
So, while it seems like these decisions and moves will have a long-term impact, that's not necessarily the case, and the team will likely roll into the season with the 15 players that best suit its current situation.
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