Oklahoma City Thunder need to find second scoring option in free agency

The Oklahoma City Thunder suprised everyone this season, finishing as the sixth best team in the wild, wild Western Conference. They did so, one season after they lost their franchise player, Kevin Durant, to the Golden State Warriors. The big reason why they were so successful this season? A guy by the name of Russell Westbrook. But when you really look into their season, what exactly were they missing? They were missing a bonfied second scoring option. That is something that the team needs to address in the draft or in free agency.

There is a plethora of talent in the upcoming free agency period. Some of the names hitting free agency following the season include Gordon Hayward, Kyle Lowry and potentially Blake Griffin.

OKC has their strengths and weaknesses but their one weakness outweighs all of the strengths. Without a consistent secondary scoring option, the Thunder are going to finish sixth or worse once again in the Western Conference.

Some of the names that can fit that role and help the Thunder move up in the West include Gordon Hayward and Blake Griffin. Hayward would bring the team their biggest need in a second-scoring option. Hayward scoring more, would take pressure off of Victor Oladipo as well. Hayward has the ability to play the shooting guard position and the small forward position. The one-two-three in that starting lineup would be Westbrook, Oladipo, Hayward, and to be honest that sounds kind of scary. Hayward has to be the team’s number one option in free agency.

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The second option would be Blake Griffin. Griffin could also supply the team with a second scoring option but also help the team improve even more on one of their strengths. OKC has a fantastic ability to score the ball inside and Griffin could bring more of it, taking pressure off of Enes Kanter and Steven Adams.

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The dream situation would be for the team to sign both of these guys. They would give the team two more scoring options to go along with the triple-double king. One or two of there signings in free agency would take a lot of pressure of Westbrook, making the MVP even more of an efficient player.

With OKC’s season being cut short by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the Western Conferenc playoffs, it is time for the Thunder to find Westbrook the second scoring option that he desperatley needs.