Singler faces uncertain future
As Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kyle Singler enters the final guaranteed year of his contact, the team has more options with that contract than in the past.
When Kyle Singler speaks, you typically can count on the question.
Put Singler in front of a group of reporters, and it’s a virtual certainly that someone will ask the Thunder forward about his holistic approach to preparation, about the stretching or the floating or whatever other new wrinkle he’s adding to his workout.
It’s in part because Singler sometimes has a lot to say about his holistic approach to preparation, about the cutting-edge techniques he employs to keep his body ready to play.
And it’s in part because it’s hard to talk hoops with a guy who so rarely gets to play any.
As much as Singler says he’s enjoyed his time in Oklahoma City — he’s been here since the Thunder traded for him in February 2015 — his minutes have been on the This is the seventh in a 15-day series looking at the Thunder’s roster entering the offseason.
Up next:
Sunday: Billy Donovan/Sam Presti
Monday: Dakari Johnson
Tuesday: Raymond Felton
Wednesday: Steven Adams
Thursday: Josh Huestis
Friday: Jerami Grant
Saturday: Carmelo Anthony decline since he arrived.
They bottomed out this season, when Singler appeared in a career-low 12 games. He averaged 4.9 minutes per game, 7.1 fewer than his previous career low, set last season.
“The whole idea is to get out on the court and compete, to play the game, to be able to put your work in and go against someone else that’s doing the same thing,” Singler said. “This summer I’ve got to get better and find a way to get on the court.”
Maybe the way will lead somewhere other than OKC.
The 2018-19 season is the final guaranteed year of the contact Singler signed in July 2015. It will pay him $5.3 million next season.
As Singler moves into the final guaranteed year of the deal — the 2019-20 season is not guaranteed — the Thunder has more realistic options with that contract than in the past.
A trade is more viable this summer, given that a new team would be on the hook for only one season of Singler’s salary. A team looking to open cap space in the summer of 2020 could consider taking Singler in a deal.
And though the Thunder was reluctant to waive Singler with multiple years left on his contract, a release or buyout makes more sense with one guaranteed season remaining.
If OKC chose to, it could employ the stretch provision, paying the remaining $5.3 million of Singler’s salary over the next five years.
That would mean a little more than $1 million each year counted against the Thunder’s salary cap and luxury tax, which could create some tax relief in 2018-19 by reducing what Oklahoma City owes the 30-yearold veteran.
There’s always the chance that Singler could return, but there was little indication this season that he’d be a contributor in 2018-19.
Only once this season did Singler play more than six minutes, in a 22-minute aberration against the Nets in Mexico City in which he scored a season-high nine points. He scored 14 the rest of the season combined, and didn’t play after Feb. 11.
Singler wasn’t on the active roster for the Thunder’s final 17 games nor for any of its six playoff games.
“A little dry, a little dry year for me,” Singler said, though he said added that he “got better as a basketball player.”
Asked what he meant by “dry,” Singler gave a literal interpretation.
“Didn’t get any sweat in really, wasn’t out there on the court,” he said.
In the offseason, Singler likely will find a creative way to get his work in.
But the odds are that if he’s going to sweat on the court next season, it might have to be in a different uniform.