Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 players who could leave the Thunder in the coming weeks
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered the 2018/19 season with the belief that they could compete for a first NBA title, although the Thunder's season ended with an increasingly familiar first-round playoff elimination.
OKC fell to a 4-1 series defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers, and Billy Donovan's team have failed to win a playoff series since Kevin Durant exited the team back in 2016. This is a worrying trend, as Paul George could leave in 2021, while Russell Westbrook is also entering the twilight of his prime.
With one of the biggest salary bills in the NBA, the Thunder are also believed to be looking to offload a number of high earners this summer, rather than add new additions. This puts a few players at risk, and here are three players that could leave the Thunder in the coming weeks.
#3 Dennis Schroder
The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired Dennis Schroder as part of the trade for Carmelo Anthony last summer, although the team is already believed to be keen to part with the German.
Schroder performed well in his debut season in OKC, averaging 15.5 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game and the 25-year-old was also widely lauded as the NBA's best backup point guard. However, Schroder still has two years remaining on the four-year, $70 million deal he signed with the Hawks, and the Thunder simply cannot afford to pay a backup point guard upwards of $17 million per season.
Schroder was also exposed on the defensive end during the playoffs, and Sam Presti will be hoping to rid the Thunder of Schroder's deal while also bringing in a reliable shooter.