Oklahoma City Thunder: 3 Players that will play a vital role in OKC's ongoing rebuild
The Oklahoma City Thunder spent the entire 2017-18 season attempting to convince Paul George to commit his long-term future to the franchise. Many inside the NBA believed that the All-Star would head back to his native Los Angeles and join the Lakers in free agency, although the Thunder shocked the NBA by signing George to a four-year extension.
The move seemingly sealed the Thunder's status as contenders, however, following another early playoff exit, Sam Presti made the tough decision to trade PG13 to the Clippers. Russell Westbrook soon followed, leaving the Thunder facing a longterm rebuild.
As the Thunder continue to look toward the future, high earners such as Steven Adams, Chris Paul, and Dennis Schroder are expected to be traded. Nevertheless, not every member of the roster is considered expendable, and here are three young talents that are set to play an important role in OKC's future.
#3 Hamidou Diallo
Heading into the 18-19 season, few basketball fans had heard the name Hamidou Diallo, although the exciting guard announced himself to the NBA with a memorable performance during the 2019 Slam Dunk Contest.
Before lighting up All-Star Weekend, Diallo had also started to make an impression from the Thunder bench, scoring a career-high 18 points during a November loss to the Sacramento Kings. Surprisingly, Diallo dropped out of Donovan's rotation during the final months of the season, although the rookies raw potential was clear during 51 regular-season appearances.
Diallo's averages of 3.7 points and 1.9 rebounds per contest don't make for the best reading, although the shooting guard has all the skills to become an excellent two-way player if afforded the time.