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Falling five wins shy of their back-to-back ambitions, the Oklahoma City Thunder went back to the drawing board. They said goodbye to a handful of longtime role players this summer. While the cost-cutting moves juxtapose a championship window, there's some basketball sense behind it.
The Thunder traded Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. The three moves netted them seven future second-round picks. All went to the East, too — Dort and Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks; Joe to the Detroit Pistons. With the moves, OKC's payroll was slashed by one-third and is now below the dreadful second apron.
Of course, Thunder fans have zero interest in how much money OKC ownership saves — and deservingly so, too. But you can also justify all three salary dumps from a basketball point of view. All three were basically on the outside of their playoff rotation by the end of the year.
If you can't help out deep in the NBA playoffs, it makes little sense to ignore that takeaway. Especially with replacements waiting in the wings. Expect Cason Wallace, Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain to receive a boost in minutes and importance. That trio will likely absorb most of the vacant minutes and shot attempts.
One person who has full faith in the Thunder staying in their championship window is Chet Holmgren. He recently commented on OKC's cost-cutting moves at a USA Basketball Foundation charity event. The All-NBA talent understands the business side of things and believes Sam Presti can walk the delicate dance of multitasking ownership's calls.
"I have complete trust in our team and the moves they make," Holmgren said. "I trust what they're doing is to get it right. It's my job to be in the gym all summer to get my stuff right."
We'll see how things look for the Thunder. For the first time in a couple of years, we're seeing some fresh faces make OKC's rotation. Heck, the back end of their bench is filled with question marks. Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz have played a combined 10 career regular-season games. So a lot of room for growth and your imagination in what they could turn out to be.
If you've followed OKC's payroll situation for years, the Thunder moving on from a handful of role players this summer shouldn't be a shocker. Can't have the same group of guys for several years. Roster changes are inevitable. Now, it's about whether the fresh crop of talent can make up the difference.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Chet Holmgren has 'complete trust' in OKC Thunder amid roster changes
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