The Oklahoma City Thunder will have a chance to further improve their roster before the February 2017 trade deadline, and among the potential trade targets the team could consider is Toronto Raptors shooting guard Terrence Ross.
The Thunder could still be playoff-bound, with the team holding the seventh spot in the Western Conference and six and a half games ahead of the Portland Trail Blazers. But if Oklahoma City would want to make noise in the postseason like what it did last year, adding a reliable secondary scorer should be one of the team's priorities heading into the trade deadline.
Vytis Lasaitis of Bleacher Report listed potential trade targets the Thunder could pursue within the next month or so. One of the names included in the report is Raptors shooting guard Terrence Ross, who could be available at the right price.
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Ross is playing one of his best seasons in Toronto, despite only logging in 21.4 minutes per game off the bench. The 25-year-old is scoring 10.8 points a game, while shooting 45.8 percent from the field, including a respectable 38.1 percent from beyond the arc. Ross' addition would give the Thunder a complementary scorer and a versatile defender who could somehow fill the void left by Kevin Durant.
An ideal trade scenario the Thunder could look at is trading Enes Kanter's $36.5 million contract, although it would have to be on a three-team deal to make things work.
"OKC wouldn't want to give up much for Ross, who plays behind DeMarre Carroll. Toronto lacks depth at power forward, and the Thunder wouldn't mind cutting ties with Kanter. However, the salaries don't quite match, and Oklahoma City would likely have to include another team or throw in a first-round pick to get a deal done," Lasaitis wrote.
Kanter, who is averaging 13.7 points and 6.3 rebounds a game, seems the ideal acquisition for the Raptors, who lack frontcourt depth. The 24-year-old center isn't a defensive key cog, but he could be a clog on the driving lane and serve as a rim-protector for Toronto, who badly misses Bismack Biyombo's contributions on the defensive end.
It remains to be seen whether the Thunder would truly make a move for Ross, though. But getting rid of Kanter's contract would be favorable for OKC's future endeavors of acquiring another proven talent. If the Raptors would take the bait, it is a deal worth considering for the Thunder.
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