The NBA trade rumors continue as fans continue to suggest moves for their team.
In a recent chat on Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler entertained a suggestion on the OKC Thunder trading for the Phoenix Suns' PJ Tucker.
"The Suns are in seller's mode, so it's possible," Kyler said. "I am not sure what the Thunder would part with to get PJ. The other part is the Thunder understand that too much offense is not a good thing. They value spacing and defense so maybe, but he is not a name I have heard mentioned."
The Thunder seems set on their roster as they only factors that caused them to fall short were injuries to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook or both. Kyler thinks the team has already made the changes last season and wants to see how far this roster reaches.
Thus, the question is raised, are the Thunder "real" contenders? This was addressed by Today's Fastbreak, and the result is not as optimistic.
Writer Joseph Nardone acknowledges that the team has two prime talents and could actually be strong enough to be contenders, but the problem lies in the quality of the competition.
"Durant and Westbrook are the type of talents that could literally carry a team on their backs," Nardone said. "I don't love them as a serious contender, though. If only in terms of 'second-tier' teams - those not named Golden State, San Antonio - then sure. They are as good, if not better, than the rest of the West."
The Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs have raised the bar so much that the other Western powers may be left on the outside looking in. The Thunder is just not consistent enough to be mentioned in the same breath as the two Western juggernauts.
