sportingnews
The Oklahoma City Thunder are officially the first team to complete a trade this offseason.
According to ESPNs Shams Charania, the Thunder traded Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks for two second-round picks in an effective cost-cutting move (according to NBA salary cap analyst Yossi Gozlan, the move helped the Thunder decrease their roster expenses from $549 million to $476 million).
In Bleacher Reports Zach Buckleys opinion, the Thunder could be busy moving forward, as he suggested that acquiring a disgruntled Los Angeles Lakers guard following their Wigginis deal is an intriguing possibility.
He (Lu Dort) is equal parts stingy and disruptive, Buckley wrote Monday.
His tools are toolsy, his effort is relentless, and his instincts are sharp.
He can cycle through perimeter assignmentstypically against the best and brightest stars in the leagueand not miss a beat.
He is a tremendous talent on that end of the floor.
So, again, if the Thunder let him go, they'd need to get more than financial relief.
That makes for a not insignificant worry when the Lakers are already relatively light on trade chips.
They're already down two future first-round picks and virtually all of their seconds.
And they don't have young sweeteners to enhance a trade offer.
Dalton Knecht might be the closest they have to a young prospect.
He is 25 years old and saw about one-third of the floor time during his sophomore season that he did as a rookie.
Injuries were not to blame; he just fell out of the rotation.
Teams aren't seeking him out.
Even if they think they can breathe life back into his three-point shot, they'd want a very low- (or no-) cost flier to try it out.
Per a late January report from Offsides Anthony Irwin, Knecht tried his best to accelerate his inevitable departure from the Lakers by requesting a trade.
Considering the Feb.
5 trade deadline was right around the corner, it made sense for the former first-round pick to seek a fresh start before the second half of the 2025-26 campaign.
Things didnt work out the way Knecht wanted, though, explaining why hes still on the Lakers roster in late June.
However, the Lakers are reportedly attempting to grant Knechts wish this summer, and perhaps the Thunder will be open to the challenge of reviving his struggling NBA career.
Joining another win-now contender likely wouldnt be great for Knechts long-term development.
Still, if the Tennessee product can serve as a serviceable can-and-shoot contributor off the bench, he could be a respectable second-unit asset for Mark Daigneault and the title-craving Thunder.
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