NBA Rumors: OKC Thunder Could Trade Alex Abrines, Patrick Patterson, And Draft Pick For Terrence Ross
The Oklahoma City Thunder continues to show impressive performance in the 2018-19 NBA season, and as of now, they are sitting in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference with a 25-15 record. With Paul George and Russell Westbrook finally showing good chemistry, some people consider the Thunder as a legitimate threat to the Golden State Warriors’ throne.
However, in order to have a better chance of challenging the Warriors for the Western Conference supremacy, the Thunder should address some of the issues on their roster before the real battle begins in the NBA Playoffs 2019. Despite the absence of Andre Roberson, the Thunder currently rank No. 1 in NBA’s defensive efficiency, allowing 100.4 points per 100 possessions, per ESPN. Unfortunately, they hold the last spot in terms of three-point percentage and rank 24th in the three-point frequency.
According to Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report, the Thunder could improve their three-point shooting while remaining as one of the best defensive teams in the league by trading for Terrence Ross of the Orlando Magic before the February NBA trade deadline. In a proposed trade deal, the Thunder will be trading Alex Abrines, Patrick Patterson, and a 2020 second-round pick to the Magic for Ross. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine.
“Ross is a career 37.3 percent shooter from deep, and he’s averaging career highs in scoring (13.1 points per game) and made threes per contest (2.1). Though Abrines’ 36.8 percent career conversion rate might make it seem like Ross wouldn’t represent an upgrade, it’s long been clear that head coach Billy Donovan doesn’t trust Abrines to play meaningful minutes. When you’re trying to beat the Warriors, every minute is meaningful. Plus, Abrines has been out of action since Christmas because of a stomach illness and personal reasons. Who’s to say if he features in OKC’s plans at all?”
Ex-Raptor Terrence Ross writes Toronto a love letter https://t.co/9NURzkWZNM pic.twitter.com/GiDYL0GUFU
— Toronto Star (@TorontoStar) March 2, 2017
Terrence Ross will surely love the idea of playing on a legitimate title contender than staying on a team that is still in the middle of a rebuilding process. If Ross can become consistent with his performance and remain healthy throughout the season, he will definitely be a huge help for the Thunder with their plan to fully dominate the Western Conference this season.
For the Magic, trading Terrence Ross now will be their best option than losing him in the summer of 2019 as an unrestricted free agent without getting anything in return. The future draft pick they will be acquiring in the deal will enable them to add another young and promising talent on their roster.
