Thunder Trade In For Dillon Jones

Keith Smith
Keith Smith, Resident NBA ExpertJune 27, 2024
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#nba #trade #oklahoma city thunder #new york knicks #dillon jones
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The Oklahoma City Thunder dipped into the draft pick treasure chest to effectively buy an additional first-round pick. The New York Knicks added a bunch of future draft capital, while clearing some room under the hard cap.

Here are the particulars:

Oklahoma City Thunder acquired: draft rights to Dillon Jones

New York Knicks acquired: five future second-round picks

Let’s dive in!

(Note: We are analyzing this deal as it has been reported. If the trade is adjusted to include additional players or teams, we’ll adjust the analysis.)

Oklahoma City Thunder

Part of the reason Sam Presti has been collecting and hoarding draft picks is so that he can move up to get a targeted prospect. That’s exactly what happened here with Dillon Jones.

The Thunder cashed in five second-round picks to move back into the first round to select Jones. Given they still have several additional picks, and they don’t have unlimited roster spots, Oklahoma City will never miss these picks.

As for Jones, the Thunder got a really intriguing prospect. Because Jones played at mid-major Weber State, he’s probably not familiar to a lot of fans, but he can really play. The 6-foot-6 guard was a three-year starter for the Wildcats.

As a senior, Jones’ game went to a new level. He took on increased playmaking responsibility and averaged 5.2 assists per game. That complemented his already solid scoring and rebounding.

In the NBA, Jones is probably more of a secondary creator vs a primary playmaker. If his shot improves, Jones’ ability to play off-ball will be a nice add to the Thunder rotation.

One last note: Jones’ profile looks somewhat similar to that of Jalen Williams. Mid-major star who got better each year, took on more creation responsibility and was a shaky shooter. Picking Williams worked out pretty great for Oklahoma City. There’s a chance they hit again with Jones.

New York Knicks

For the Knicks this was about adding back to their draft pick coffers, while creating financial flexibility. New York traded a total of five of their own first-round picks (four straight picks and a swap) in the deal to acquire Mikal Bridges. As they re-sign their core players, the Knicks are likely to face some second-apron restrictions. Having a bunch of additional second-round picks will help them replace some depth in the coming years, as well as giving them something to put into future trades.

In the immediate, New York cleared an additional $2.6 million in space under the first apron. Given the Knicks may find themselves hard-capped at the first apron as a result of the Bridges trade, that’s a big deal. New York should now have about $6.6 million in wiggle room under the first apron. They could even increase that some too, if necessary.

Creating flexibility under the hard cap is huge for New York. Getting a bunch of draft capital, when they were running a little low, makes this even better for the Knicks.

 


#nba #trade #oklahoma city thunder #new york knicks #dillon jones
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