Marquese Chriss is a Short-Term Idea, Not Long-Term Solution
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Oklahoma City found itself back in the national basketball headlines again Thursday night.
The team was half of a two-team trade with the Houston Rockets, which involved eight players and a draft pick. Most of the players involved, at least the four heading north to OKC, could find themselves waived before they even find a parking spot downtown.
Given the benefit of timing though, Marquese Chriss could last longer than the other three, but buying a house in Oklahoma City may not be the best idea for the 25-year-old.
Chriss provides the Thunder offense with an interesting piece to the puzzle, which was previously missing. He adds length, coming in at 6-foot-9 and weighing 240 pounds, and athleticism, which brings along a lob ability. This was previously untapped in this year's Thunder roster.
Even if Chriss stays on the roster for a short stint, he’s likely not part of OKC’s long term plans, he’s an unrestricted free agent after this season, and the Thunder would let him walk, if he stays put through the season – another big if.
A crucial aspect to the decision would come down to would keeping Chriss for one season be better than keeping a player who’s been on the roster before Thursday's deal. The Thunder, despite now making two trades this week, remain over the roster limit, so someone on the long list of names has to go.
Chriss puts up a fight for one of the final roster spots. He struggled to find a role with Dallas last season he played in just 34 games and averaged under five points per game. In the 2020-21 season Chriss played just two games for Golden State.
In the 34 games last year, Chriss played just around 10 minutes per contest, but did shoot efficiently in that small sample size. He would give OKC a chance to spread the floor a little more and add a little more needed size to an otherwise small Thunder lineup.
Chriss though will certainly be viewed more so as a short-term fix more than a long-term solution. With the Thunder unlikely to be in any sort of contention, a short term fix seems less needed than keeping a player who’s been around the locker room and working toward the long term solutions.
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