## 7. Thunder acquire a jillion players and 800 second-round picks
Oklahoma City had cap space this summer, and like a lot of teams with room, they struggled to use all of it optimally (see Houston above and [Sacramento](https://theathletic.com/nba/team/sac-kings/) below). As I noted earlier this month,[ cap space ain’t what it used to be](https://theathletic.com/4660230/2023/07/02/nba-free-agency-2023-salary-cap-space/).
The Thunder have used their room to take in unwanted contracts, first by absorbing [Davis Bertans](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/dvis-bertns-0isdLTfkZ7z8J9Hb/) in return for moving up two spots in the draft, and then by swallowing Mills and [Victor Oladipo](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/victor-oladipo-pq0wroLdaXy9NiOV/) in two separate trades that accumulated second-round picks.
The real fun, however, is that the Thunder realized they didn’t’ need to stop there. Oklahoma City was out of cap room after briefly acquiring Mills, but still had about $20 million beneath the tax line to potentially absorb other contracts. Given the widened salary-matching bands in the new CBA, Oklahoma City could use its extra float beneath the tax line to generate picks by swapping small salaries for large ones. That’s exactly the deal the Thunder made with the Hawks, earning yet another second-round pick and a possible free shot at a point guard prospect in Washington.
The Thunder are taking this strategy to the absolute limit; the offseason roster limit is 21 players (up from 20 in the old CBA), and Oklahoma City has 22 if you count the agreed-to but still unsigned deals for [Jack White](https://theathletic.com/nba/player/jack-white-r0G7lT6RZ7tfnYkE/) and Vasa Micic. That’s with only one of their three two-way spots filled. Oklahoma City also has to get its roster down to 15 players by opening day; while some of the cuts are easy (Oladipo and Gay), the Thunder face some hard choices.
They still have some time, though, to engineer yet another deal that takes on more money (they have $15.7 million left below the tax line) in return for yet another second-round pick. The Thunder could trade Gay, for instance, and take back a contract worth up to $13 million, or trade Oladipo for a contract worth up to $17 million. Oladipo and Bertans can also be aggregated with existing Thunder contracts since they were acquired with cap space (but not with Gay, Washington or Garuba). Eventually Oklahoma City will need to cull the roster, but keep an eye on the Thunder on money deals between now and September.
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Article link for those with a subscription: [HERE](https://theathletic.com/4686199/2023/07/13/nba-free-agency-john-hollinger-analysis/?source=dailyemail&campaign=601983)
by MakeCocktailsNotWar
2 Comments
Presti is a genius
athletic’s gonna hit you with a takedown notice for posting this. they’re real sticklers these days.