LOOKING TO LASSO FIVE-STAR
One of the nation's top basketball recruits listed Oklahoma State among his final five schools on Thursday
The Thunder bought out Patrick Patterson's contract on Thursday, allowing the nine- year veteran to become a free agent. Here's what it means for the Thunder:
Clearing a logjam (a little)
The Thunder was going in a different direction at backup power forward even with Patterson on the roster.
Patterson started the first three games of the regular season in 2018 but was quickly replaced by Jerami Grant in the starting lineup.
Then, Markieff Morris was signed as a free agent during the All-Star break and Thunder coach Billy Donovan immediately gave Patterson's minutes to Morris. Patterson didn't play in 19 of the Thunder's final 25 games and played more than five minutes just once in those six post-AllStar break appearances.
Following the Thunder's offseason trades, particularly the trade of Grant, minutes could have opened up for Patterson. But the Thunder acquired Danilo Gallinari in the Paul George trade with the Clippers, signed free agent Mike Muscala and drafted forward Darius Bazley in the first round, and has a versatile second-year player returning in Deonte Burton.
With Grant gone, Gallinari is the first-choice starter at power forward. Muscala has had better Per-36 minute production than Patterson in the last two seasons, is younger (27 to Patterson's 30) and less expensive. Bazley, 19, showed off skills at summer league in Las Vegas which merit repetitions and Burton, 25, was a spark off the bench last season in limited minutes.
It adds up to a frontcourt logjam in which Patterson likely wouldn't have been prioritized.
Roster check
Not including two-way player Luguentz Dort, the Thunder now has 13 guaranteed contracts on its roster. A team can have a maximum of 15 guaranteed contracts.
The Thunder went into last season with 14 guaranteed contracts and two two-way players, so it's not out of the question that it enters this season with two open roster spots.
The Thunder also has a slot for another two-way player available, opening a door for a potential promotion of 2018 secondround pick Kevin Hervey or Devon Hall.
Money check
More savings for the Thunder.
In June, Patterson exercised his player option for the final year of his three-year, $16.4 million contract. Patterson was owed $5,711,200 in the final year of his contract, but agreed to a buyout less than that with the Thunder in order to get to the destination he wanted to go. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Patterson intends to sign with the LA Clippers.
With Patterson's full salary, the Thunder was $4.2 million over the luxury tax line of $ 132.6 million, but with a negotiated buyout, that number will fall under $4 million.
Failed signing
When signed in the summer of 2017, Patterson, a then-36.8 percent 3-point shooter, was supposed to be the floor spacing option at the power forward spot the Thunder lacked the previous season with rookie Domantas Sabonis. When Patterson signed, the Thunder had high hopes for his performance.
That was before the Thunder made a deal on the eve of 2017 training camp for Carmelo Anthony and Patterson was bumped from his role as starter. The next season, Patterson was pushed down the depth chart by Grant and Morris. At every juncture, Patterson thought he had a role, then was leapfrogged in the Thunder rotation either via a player acquired to take his minutes or role, or a demotion. Patterson's two lowest minutes per game averages of his career came in Oklahoma City.
To Patterson's credit, he remained professional throughout.
"(The) only thing that could ruin the team was me acting negatively about it," Patterson said. about the Thunder signing Morris. "So I tried my best to just remain a true professional.
"So I was more focused on the success of the team, thinking that him coming in and joining the team would only help us and make us better."
But in the scant minutes Patterson was afforded, the Thunder also received inconsistent performances. Patterson was coming off arthroscopic knee surgery in 2017 which hampered him physically and in 2018 he showed shaky touch around the rim and shot a career-low from 3 (33.6 percent) over a full season.
Patterson is just a season removed from shooting 38.6 percent from 3 and 87 percent from the line, numbers which suggest he can regain some form with the Clippers if he's healthy and gets an opportunity.