Collison course
In less than two weeks, the Thunder’s roster went from under construction to close to completion.
The additions of Paul George, Patrick Patterson and Raymond Felton will address seemingly every rotation question the Thunder faced entering this offseason. George is the desperately-needed wing scorer. Patterson is the replacement for starter Taj Gibson. Felton is the stabilizing backup point guard to spell Russell Westbrook.
Where do the acquisitions leave Nick Collison? As the Thunder gets ready to unveil its latest additions this week, the 36-year-old’s future in OKC remains in doubt.
Collison, a 13-yearveteran, wants to play at least one more year, but there’s legitimate possibility it could come outside of Oklahoma City.
He’s a free agent and the Thunder’s payroll is hovering above $125 million, $6 million more than the luxury tax line of $119 million. That’s without counting the contract of unsigned rookie Terrance Ferguson.
The money isn’t so much the issue as the manpower in front of Collison. The Thunder wants him back and can sign Collison while above the salary cap since it has his Bird Rights — he’s never signed with another team as a free agent. Collison’s $3.75 million salary from last season isn’t much more than the veteran’s minimum ($2.3 million).
Collison wants more playing time. How much more is undetermined, but he feels he still can be a contributor. “I still think I have something to offer,” Collison said April 26 at his exit interview.
The problem, a good problem for the Thunder to have, is that a 28-yearold Patterson is the starter at power forward, Jerami Grant, 23, needs minutes, Enes Kanter, 24, can slide to power forward in big lineups, and Doug McDermott, 25, may see more opportunities at power forward than small forward with George on board.
Where are Collison’s desired minutes in OKC if he only played 6.4 per game last season and is returning to a similar frontcourt logjam? Even with the NBA expanding rosters to 17 players, the logjam doesn’t account for Josh Huestis or the possibility of adding Oklahoma City Blue forward Dakari Johnson on a two-way contract between the NBA and G-League.
At the end of April, Collison knew the Thunder had plenty to sift through during this offseason. “The team has got a lot of their plate,” he said, again taking a backseat in the Thunder’s pecking order. Collison was a utility man whose longest outing was less than 17 minutes in the middle of December.
That’s not to say Collison doesn’t have juice left, or that other teams aren’t interested in his services. But the free agent market is still sluggish for big men.
Despite playing just 20 games, Collison was never an inactive for the Thunder last season. A returning role would likely look the same, but creep the Thunder farther beyond the luxury tax line for minimal on-court return. For years, Collison has sacrificed minutes (while getting paid handsomely, mind you) at the expense of showing he could do more for another franchise with more opportunity.
Collison could fill the 15th roster spot on a oneyear deal, and Nos. 16 and 17 could go to two-way players in Johnson and 2016 second-rounder Daniel Hamilton. It would give the Thunder four inactives on game night.
The ideal situation for Collison would be to return to the Thunder and have the chance to see his minutes increase rather than drop or flatline for the seventh year in a row.
But if playing time is the priority, that ideal situation may not exist in OKC.