NBA Trade Rumors 2017: Oklahoma City Thunder Scores Big With Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott From Chicago Bulls
Oklahoma City Thunder scores big at the National Basketball Association 2017 trade deadline after acquiring Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott from the Chicago Bulls.
Thunder Gets a Great Deal
One of the big winners in the NBA 2017 trade deadline is Oklahoma City. They closed a deal with the Chicago Bulls to acquire Gibson and McDermott plus an unprotected second round draft pick in 2018. Meanwhile Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, and Anthony Morrow go to the other end of the table.
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The Thunder are all about beefing up the team. While they already have an all-around, scoring machine of a player in Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City front office knew they still need to give their star player more support on and off the court.
Reports have it that the addition of Gibson will bring back the seasoned front line play that the team started to miss after letting go of Serge Ibaka. Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti could not agree more, saying that they are a "better team" after the deal with Chicago.
Gibson Will Miss Chicago But He's Excited to Play With Westbrook
On the other hand, Gibson expressed that he felt a mix of sad and happy emotions after the trade had been sealed. While he is excited to play for Oklahoma City and with Westbrook, he maintains it is still sad to leave the Bulls where he played for more than seven years.
Associated Press (via NBA.com) quotes Gibson calling Westbrook a "great guy," adding, "I'm just hoping to go there and chime in and help any way I can."
The Oklahoma City front office is also equally excited in having McDermott as Presti said: "McDermott has a chance to be a very nice complement to our other players. We are really excited about adding him."
The same report added that McDermott could contribute in bringing the team up from their current ranking in terms of his three-point scoring. In terms of three-point shooting, the Thunder ranks 29th out of 30 teams in the league.
Other Winners at the Feb. 23 Deadline
Apart from the Thunder, the Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors are reportedly some of the biggest winners at the NBA 2017 trade deadline.
The Dallas Mavericks acquired Nerlens Noel from the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Justin Anderson, Andrew Bogut, and a protected first-round draft pick this year. Noel is expected to aid the Mavericks in the defensive end.
On the other hand, the Mavs waived Deron Williams right before the deadline and reports are rife that he might be signing with the defending champs, the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors adds P.J. Tucker to their roster. Tucker is expected to contribute greatly in the team's three-point shooting. The team's newest addition is also known for his ample defensive skills. In exchange for Tucker, the Raptors traded out Jared Sullinger and second-round draft picks.
NBA Star Players Stay Put
Despite being at the rumor mill for weeks before the deadline, big names such as Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Jimmy Butler are all staying in their respective teams.
While George stays in Indiana after the Thursday deadline, there are reports suggesting that NBA fans have not yet seen the last of the player's rumored transfer to his hometown's team, the Los Angeles Lakers.
ESPN reported recently that the Lakers' new general manager, Magic Johnson, called Pacers president Larry Bird about the All-Star player but that a trade happening prior to Feb. 23 was unlikely. There have been reports though that George is clearly aiming to go home to L.A. and wear a yellow-purple jersey once he becomes a free agent after the 2017-18 NBA season.
