NBA Trade Rumors: 3 Players that the Thunder need to trade away

When Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder in the summer of 2016, it looked as though the franchise would soon fall out of contention, due to the competitive nature of the Western Conference. Despite this, a Russell Westbrook inspired Thunder managed to make the playoffs in both the 16/17 and 17/18 seasons.

The franchise now looks to be in a position to compete again, as Paul George has committed his peak years to the team, and the Thunder have impressed during the early stages of the season, recording an 18-10 record.

The starting trio of Russell Westbrook, Steven Adams, and Paul George is incredibly strong, however, the Thunder need to add one more starter, as Terrance Ferguson has made little impact. So here are three players that the Thunder should trade, in order to bring in a new starter.

#3 Dennis Schröder

Schroder is the backup point guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder

Dennis Schroder is a starting calibre NBA point guard, and the German excelled in the absence of Russell Westbrook. The Thunder did a great job to obtain a player of Schroder's quality as part of Carmelo Anthony's exit, however, the 25-year-old does not fit in with the Thunder's future plans.

While it is a huge boost to have Schroder playing during the moments that Westbrook sits, the Thunder already have a capable back-up in Raymond Felton. The 34-year-old was the teams best player off the bench during the 17/18 season, and Schroder's arrival has drastically limited Felton's impact this season. The Thunder's plans to play Schroder alongside Westbrook have also not worked out, as the duo's overlapping skillsets do not compliment each other on the court.

Ultimately, outside of the untradeable trio of Westbrook, Adams, and George, Schroder has the most trade value, and the Thunder should look to acquire a starting calibre player in return for the point guard.

#2 Patrick Patterson

Patrick Patterson enjoyed a successful spell with the Toronto Raptors, although he has struggled in OKC

Patrick Patterson was expected to be a starter in OKC following his 2017 arrival, although the arrival of Carmelo Anthony forced the player to settle for a place on the bench. While Patterson was initially able to make an impact from the bench, his minutes dropped as the season progressed, and the 29-year-old averaged less than 10 minutes a game during the Thunder's playoff series defeat to the Jazz.

Carmelo Anthony's summer departure seemed to have presented Patterson with a starting spot, although the power forward still finds himself on the bench. His production has also dropped during the first 30 games of the season, as Patterson is shooting a career low of .293 from three-point range, and just .331 from the field. Ultimately, it appears that Billy Donovan doesn't trust the former Raptors man, and the Thunder should look to trade Patterson for a more efficient shooter.

#1 Abdel Nader

It is fair to say that Abdel Nader was a surprising offseason addition to the OKC roster. The 25-year-old played college basketball in for both Illinois and Iowa State before being drafted by the Boston Celtics as the 58th overall pick during the 2016 NBA draft, and it took Nader over a year to make his Celtics breakthrough. During the 17/18 NBA season, the small forward appeared in 48 games, averaging 3.0 points, 0.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds per game, although he averaged just 3 minutes per game in the 2018 playoffs.

Thunder fans didn't expect great things from Nader when the team traded him for Rodney Purvis in the summer, although he was expected to play a role in the rotation. Despite this, Nader has barely featured, which is surprising when you consider the number of injuries that the Thunder have suffered. Nader is now eligible for a trade, and the Thunder should look to move on the forward in order to free up a spot on their roster.