OKC Thunder: 3 Players the Oklahoma City Thunder should keep out of trade talks
Despite much anticipation heading into the 2019 postseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder suffered a third consecutive first-round playoff exit as Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers proved too strong. Nevertheless, with much of the roster under contract, the Thunder were expected to regroup and have another go the following season.
However, just a year after pledging his future to Oklahoma City, Paul George requested a trade to his native Los Angeles, and Sam Presti sent the superstar to the Clippers in return for a historic draft haul. Meanwhile, Russell Westbrook also completed a quickfire trade to the Houston Rockets, a move that put the Thunder into rebuild mode.
Despite having no chance of competing in the immediate future, the Thunder still have plenty of talent left on a surprisingly stacked roster.
Naturally, more talent will leave in the coming months as Presti pushes forward with his rebuild plans, however, here are three stars that OKC should keep out of trade talks.
#3 Terrance Ferguson
During the first half of the 18-19 season, Terrance Ferguson started to grow into an important part of the OKC starting lineup. The 21-year-old helped fill the void left by Carmelo Anthony's departure and Ferguson made an immediate impact at both ends of the court thanks to his tremendous work rate.
However, Ferguson’s form was patchy after the All-Star break, and the Oklahoma native struggled during OKC’s woeful postseason run. After exiting to the Trail Blazers, Ferguson was linked with a trade, although with the Thunder now looking to develop youth, his place on the roster should be assured.
As a hometown talent locked in for another three years, Ferguson is a name the team should keep around for the considerable future.