This Lakers-Thunder trade sends Mike Muscala back to L.A.

Oklahoma City Thunder, Mike Muscala, Washington Wizards, NBA Rumors
Kevin C. Cox/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: F/C Mike Muscala

Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: F Alfonzo McKinnie, LAL 2025 1st Round Pick (Top-10 Protected)

If you want someone on the Thunder’s roster, all you have to do is offer a first-round pick and you can probably acquire them. The Oklahoma City Thunder have made it a mission to go out and acquire as many draft picks as possibly and GM Sam Presti has done a remarkable job in doing so. 

Over the course of the next 7 NBA Drafts, the OKC Thunder own the rights to 19 first-round draft picks and 32 total draft picks. This is an absolutely absurd amount of draft capital and if there is one thing we know, it is that GM Sam Presti and the OKC front-office have something big planned. 

There is no way they are going to be using all of these draft picks, as they could draft two teams worth of players with the amount of picks they have, which is why they could be gearing up to make a big move in the near future and which is why they would be interested in acquiring another future first-round pick at the cost of a bench player. 

Mike Muscala has been playing quite well this year for the Thunder, as he is averaging 9.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and is shooting 36.6% from three-point range. He is not really much of a factor defensively or on the glass, but he is more than capable of stepping out on the perimeter and knocking down a shot, making this Lakers offense more open with Davis sidelined. 

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Alfonzo McKinnie has barely played for the Lakers this year and is nothing more than an end-of-the-bench player, which is why they would not care if they had to give him up. The Thunder may keep McKinnie because “why not,” but they could also just buy-out his contract since he is owed $1.7M this season. 

Basically, the Lakers would be trading a future first-round pick with some restrictions on it in exchange for a “plug-and-play” frontcourt guy in Mike Muscala. With that being said, let’s take a closer look as to why this trade makes sense for both the Thunder and the Lakers.

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