Would D’Angelo Russell Fit in Oklahoma City?

A few of Oklahoma City’s biggest flaws were exposed in the playoffs, and that’s exactly what the team wanted to happen. If the Thunder weren’t going to win it all, the next best thing to happen would be for management to know what additions were necessary to win it all down the road. And to an extent, that’s exactly what happened.

Of course, when the team is the No. 1 seed and wins a playoff series in dominant fashion, there’s not much that needs to change. Oklahoma City is truly close to contending for a championship. But there’s a few tweaks, changes, and additions that could put the Thunder over the top in one offseason.

While rebounding can certainly be improved, both Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault explained why it wasn’t a top priority. Lack of size creates advantages in other areas, and fixing one problem might create three other problems. Adding depth or an athletic power forward that can rebound might be the true answer there.

Oklahoma City could really use another creator and a big shot maker. Preferably, that player would come off the bench, but if it’s a good fit, switching up the starting lineup would be an option.

One intriguing name that will be available this offseason is D’Angelo Russell. He has a player option worth $18.7 million this offseason, and Oklahoma City is one of the few teams that could afford a deal like that. And honestly, a short-term rental is the perfect situation for this Thunder team. Two years from now, OKC will have to consider a Shai Gilgeous-Alexander record setting super-max and max extensions for both Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. Maximizing these next two years will be important.

Some Thunder fans will scoff at the idea of adding Russell, but it’s not all that far off in reality. He averaged 18.0 points, 6.3 assists, and shot 41.5% from 3-point range this season. Although he struggled in the postseason, he was a terrific fit alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

Russell has No. 1 option experience with the Brooklyn Nets and has played a handful of different roles on teams like the Timberwolves and the Lakers. He has veteran experience and can operate an offense when Gilgeous-Alexander is on the bench. He would help space the floor for Williams and could take some of the ball handling pressure off of him.

The main concern would be Russell’s willingness to come off the bench. He has been a starter for the majority of his career and only came off the bench in seven games for Los Angeles this season.

All things considered, it feels like an unlikely scenario. Russell, however, would be a better fit in Oklahoma City than most would presume.

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