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On Friday morning, news emerged that the OKC Thunder have parted ways with Aleksej Pokusevski. He was a first-round pick back in 2020, but never panned out at the NBA level.
The Thunder, now sitting in second place in the Western Conference, are looking to take the next step in their rebuild. With an abundance of young talent already on the roster, players like Poku were never going to get the opportunity they needed to develop.
Standing at seven-feet tall with the ability to move around the floor, Aleksej Pokusevski is still an interesting prospect. At just 22-years-old, he's still a relativley young prospect. When Poke was given a chance to play consistently, he averaged 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists.
Now that he's set to enter the free-agent market, here are some potential landing spots for Pokusevski.
Possible landing spots for Aleksej Pokusevski:
1) Golden State Warriors
While they are still fighting to make the playoffs this year, the Golden State Warriors have also slowly begun looking to the future. Aleksej Pokusevski is an interesting prospect who they could consider adding to their young core.
As someone who does a little bit of everything, the Warriors' system could get the most out of a player like Poku. He'd also be giving them length at the forward position with his seven-foot frame.
2) Miami Heat
Another franchise known for getting the most out of their players is the Miami Heat. While it'd be a bit of a gamble, they could try and roll the dice on Aleksej Pokusevski.
With his rebounding and playmaking abilities, Poku could help the Heat off the bench in a limited roll. If Miami was able to help him reach his full potential, he'd be the latest addition to their list of hidden gems over the years.
3) San Antonio Spurs
Moving over to teams early in their rebuild, the San Antonio Spurs could wind up taking a look at Aleksej Pokusevski. They'd have to make some room on the roster, but the former OKC Thunder forward could make sense for them.
Led by star rookie Victor Wembanyama, the Spurs are gearing up for the next phase of the franchise. Still years away from contending, they're in a great position to take a flier on interesting prospects. The Spurs could give Pokusevski an extended opportunity to play, possibly allowing his game to develop in the process.
4) Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are stuck in limbo at the moment, but could still be a landing spot for Aleksej Pokusevski. As they start collecting promising young talent, he's the kind of player worth taking a flier on.
While Jordan Poole and Kyle Kuzma want to make the Wizards competitive, that's not how things are playing out at the moment. Washington needs to look to the future and start putting together a young core. Given how young he is, Poku is someone who could play big minutes for them and potentially turn into a rotation-level player down the road.
5) Charlotte Hornets
Rounding out this list is the Charlotte Hornets. If they wanted to build a roster full of length and size, Pokusevski could add to that.
The Hornets already have a big backcourt with the pairing of LaMelo Ball and rookie Brandon Miller. Throwing Poku in the mix could give them another versatile player with length on the perimeter.
Charlotte is still towards the bottom of the Eastern Conference, but trending in the right direction. Poku's do-it-all style could thrive alongside the pair of blue-chip prospects.
