The Oklahoma City Thunder made a big move prior to the season when they traded away star James Harden to the Houston Rockets and while they may have hurt their team in the short term, they may have made an amazing move for the long term, as they received a protected first round pick from the Raptors that could net them a top draft pick.
The team traded Harden for guards Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb, two first-round picks and a second-round pick and if Sam Presti decides, he could try to trade up or down for more picks and players later on, but if he sits tight and the pick ends up being between numbers four and 14, he could end up with another talent similar to Harden at a small part of the price. The injury to Russell Westbrook in the playoffs and the play of the supporting cast for Kevin Durant showed by Harden was so valuable to the Thunder and while the team suffered by losing to the Grizzlies, they may win a championship down the line depending on how the lottery plays out.
The pick is protected in the top three spots, but if it slips past that the team will have a number of options to choose from, including Michigan point guard Trey Burke, Indiana center Cody Zeller, UCLA forward Shabazz Muhammad, Hoosiers guard Victor Oladipo as well as names like Glen Robinson III, Alex Len and CJ McCollum. Zeller could be an excellent addition to the middle after a great season with Indiana, but the most intriguing option could be Muhammad.
UCLA was carried by Muhammad this year and he could end up being one of the most athletic players in the draft and that could be perfect for what the Thunder want to do with the pick. Muhammad could be a hybrid Harden for the Thunder, as he has similar skills and size and his young age could give the team even more potential as he gets older and stronger. Burke could be an equal backup to Westbrook, while Nerlens Noel will likely be taken before the Thunder pick, as will Ben McLemore and Marcus Smart.
The team also could go after names like Mason Plumlee and Otto Porter, who had a great year for the Hoyas. The Thunder offered Harden a contract of offered Harden $55.5 million over four years, but he was looking for a max deal and instead of paying the team decided to trade him. While the Grizzlies took advantage and sent Durant home for the winter, adding a new draft pick in the top 10 could be the thing that puts the team over the top after the playoffs loss.
