NBA Rumors: There's one potential trade deadline target that could be the missing championship piece for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
On paper, the Oklahoma City Thunder may not have that many weaknesses. In fact, especially with how they've played of late, it's hard to pinpoint one. But despite their dominating 20-5 start to the season, in which they've raced off to a three-game lead atop the Western Conference standings, there is one clear weakness that could prevent them from winning a championship this season.
And it's their inconsistencies from the 3-point line. For as good as the Thunder may be everywhere else on the floor, their 3-point shooting remains one of the team's only metric that points to them being a below-average team compared to the rest of the league. That was very much on display as the Thunder lost the NBA Cup Finals to the Milwaukee Bucks. Going 5-32 from deep, the Thunder shot just 15 percent from 3-point range as Milwaukee blew them out.
How the Oklahoma City Thunder could solve their 3-point shooting woes
As the team inches closer to the NBA Trade Deadline, this is something that is going to be in the back of the front office's mind - how to solve this issue that could end up costing the Thunder a legitimate chance to win a title. If they wanted, there is one target who would make a ton of sense and who seems to be readily available on the trade block. That player or potential missing piece of their championship puzzle is Cameron Johnson.
Whether the Thunder wants to move in that direction remains to be seen but, in theory, they would seem to have the necessary pieces to get a deal done. Johnson has been a good 3-point shooter for the majority of his career in the NBA and is averaging 19 points on 43 percent shooting from deep this season.
As a player the Brooklyn Nets could end up trading next, likely before the deadline, the Thunder should be exploring every avenue to potentially get a deal done. As a 3-point specialist, there's reason to believe that the Thunder could be such a move away from emerging as arguably the most complete team in the league, save for the Boston Celtics.
The Thunder has an elite defense and offense, even despite their inconsistent 3-point shooting. But making this one move could be all the difference for the team when it matters most in the NBA postseason. I'm sure there are other targets who may be on the Thunder's radar that would cost less but this might be the moment when this team should be willing to go all-in.
If Oklahoma City is serious about winning a championship this season, they may have to make a big move at the NBA Trade Deadline to help solidify this roster. With how the team is currently built, it does seem as if they need another reliable offensive threat from deep. Johnson might be the perfect target heading into the deadline.