3 reasons why Alex Abrines will return to the Oklahoma City Thunder next season
After spending four years with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Alex Abrines was released by the franchise last month. Abrines' release came after he had played just twice in a six-week period, and for much of the season, he had been listed as missing from games due to 'personal reasons'.
Neither Abrines or the Thunder have since revealed the exact reason behind his exit, although the Spaniard's departure was still a major surprise having already established himself as an important part of Billy Donovan's rotation plans.
Nevertheless, while Abrines will not feature again this season, it's not impossible that a return to OKC will not happen in the future. Here, we take a look at three reasons why Abrines could rejoin the team ahead of the 19/20 campaign:
#3 Shooters are costly and hard to find
While Abrines wasn't shooting the ball particularly well in the build-up to his release last month, the Spaniard has proven himself to be the Thunder's best catch-and-shoot player over the last three years. During the previous two seasons, he shot 38% from beyond the arc, and during last year's disappointing playoff defeat by the Utah Jazz, Abrines' accuracy shot up to an impressive 46%.
The 25-year-old's numbers dropped to a career-low 32% this season, however, when in- form, Abrines was far and away the Thunder's second best shooter from range after MVP candidate Paul George.
Evidently, the NBA is moving more towards the three-game than ever before, and long-range shooters are viewed as incredibly valuable assets. Due to this, the Thunder will find it hard to replace Abrines' range in the summer, and the most likely outcome is that the team will turn to the Spaniard once again.