What’s next for Thunder newcomer Kemba Walker? If history is our guide, probably not Oklahoma City. Walker, who appears to have taken a vow of silence since the trade (Al Horford, by contrast, shared his thoughts on Instagram minutes after joining the Celtics Friday morning), shouldn’t get too comfortable in OKC. Given the Thunder’s MO under GM Sam Presti, this is probably just a pit stop for the veteran, who can probably expect another trade in the near future.
That’s not just speculation, either. Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim Bontemps of ESPN have both alluded to that possibility with Bontemps acknowledging that Oklahoma City plans to “work” with Walker on finding a “suitable new home.” Which begs the question, will the 31-year-old ever actually suit up for the Thunder? Trevor Ariza and Kelly Oubre, both dealt last offseason, never did. Neither did Danny Green, who was shipped to Philadelphia (with Horford included as part of the return package, ironically enough) before ever pulling on a Thunder uniform (seriously, you can check Google Images). Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony’s stints with the Thunder were similarly short-lived, both lasting a mere season in OKC.
It seems all the Thunder are worried about right now—and it’s certainly not winning or cap space—is draft capital. OKC’s rebuilding efforts, in many ways, mirror the prolific “Trust the Process” movement championed by former 76ers GM Sam Hinkie, whose objective was, through trades and blatant “tanking,” to secure as many draft assets as humanly possible. The thesis, of course, being that if you shoot enough arrows, eventually, you’ll hit a bullseye or two (Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, for example). Between Oubre, Paul, Horford, Paul George, Russell Westbrook and Steven Adams, the Thunder have made a cottage industry out of flipping proven talent for future picks, stockpiling an unheard of 18 first-rounders over the next seven drafts.
As the player empowerment movement has come to the forefront, stars like James Harden and Anthony Davis have quickly realized that if they don’t want to play for a particular team, they don’t have to anymore. Though the even-keeled Walker isn’t the type to whine or moan (he spent nine years in Charlotte without complaint), he surely doesn’t want to spend more time with the Thunder (a below-average team playing in a non-existent media market) than he has to.
Of course, given his salary (he’s due a combined $73.67 million over the next two seasons), durability concerns and how willing the Celtics were to throw in the towel on him, moving Walker a second time will be easier said than done. Perhaps the sides could agree to some sort of buyout, allowing Kemba to land with a team of his choosing a la Blake Griffin or Andre Drummond. ESPN’s Marc Spears suggested Walker would make sense in Los Angeles, where he would serve as a veteran scoring presence while also taking some of the ball-handling stress off LeBron James, who, for too many years, has burned the candle at both ends. Kyle Kuzma, who has seen his role drastically diminish since Anthony Davis’ arrival two years ago, would be a logical return piece.
Who knows, maybe Walker will embrace his fresh start in Oklahoma City and want to stay a while. Just don’t blame me when your Kemba Thunder jersey becomes obsolete in a few months.
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