With Serge Ibaka heading to the Orlando Magic, the Oklahoma City Thunder acquire Domantas Sabonis. How does he fit with the Thunder?
The Player: Domantas Sabonis destroys those who try to defend him. The big man out of Gonzaga brings all of those things to the table, and more. He can rebound, score out to 18 feet (and possibly further), and absolutely attacks players trying to guard him in the post. If he can add the three-point shot he is rumored to be working on, he will be a long-term starter in the NBA. He faced off against fellow lottery picks Jakob Poeltl and Marquese Chriss during the year, and neither could do anything to stop him from scoring. He could be the steal of the draft.
The Fit: With Serge Ibaka heading to Orlando, and fellow power forward Ersan Ilyasova heading back to Oklahoma City, it’s hard to figure out what role there will be for Sabonis. If he can beat out Mitch McGary he could serve as the fourth big for this team, behind Steven Adams, Enes Kanter, and Ilyasova. His ability to score in the post will add another dimension for the Thunder’s offense, and his upside could even lead him to be the eventual starter at power forward.
The Spot: Fringe rotation big with upside
The Grade: A
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