NBA Mock Trade: OKC Thunder Add Veteran Big-Man to Bench Unit
On Monday morning, ESPN released its list of "big trades" that could be intriguing prior to the deadline.
One of the hypothetical trade scenarios that the popular sports news outlet wrote about involved the Oklahoma City Thunder making a move that would likely satisfy many Thunder fans.
In its article, ESPN slotted Chicago Bulls center Andre Drummond to OKC in return for Aleksej Pokusevski, a 2025 second-round pick and two 2027 second-round picks.
Drummond is in his 12th season in the NBA and is a two-time All-Star and four-time rebounding champ. At 30-years-old, the Connecticut product is averaging 7.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 55.5% from the field.
The main reason that Drummond would be so enticing for Oklahoma City fans is his rebounding ability and size. While Chet Holmgren has had a great rookie season, the former Gonzaga standout is 70 pounds lighter than Drummond and offers a different skill set at the center position.
Additionally, Drummond is only playing around 16 minutes per game in Chicago. This is similar to how he would be used in OKC, as the Thunder need a good backup big man to help get rebounds when Holmgren is off the floor or against heavier centers.
The one aspect of Drummond's game that doesn't fit in Oklahoma City, however, is his lack of perimeter shooting. The 6-foot-11 big man has a career 3-point percentage of 0.0 and doesn't offer much passing or shooting skill, which are both pillars of OKC's offense.
Since Drummond is not as good of a decision-maker or perimeter shooter as Jaylin Williams and some of the other players who currently see minutes behind Holmgren, there is a chance that Mark Daigneault and company are not interested in adding the 12-year veteran.
For the Thunder, though, trading away Pokusevski and three future second-round picks is a very low asking price. While Pokusevski has potential and could develop into a solid, versatile player with the Bulls, he has only played in eight games this year averaging six minutes per contest.
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