2010 Draft Prospectus – Part V

(J.G.’s midseason draft look runs a couple days late because of the insanity of All-Star Weekend.)

Ironically this last part of the 2010 Draft Prospectus is the one I think most everyone will agree on. Sure, there may be a few people who dislike what I’m about to suggest but I’m almost positive this is the best course of action and would allow the organization to maintain all of the goals that it wants to going into this summer and into next season.

And sorry to some people, but it’s not bringing Oklahoma homegrown prospect Ekpe Udoh into the fold. It’s much, much more obvious of an option than that. And honestly, it’s probably the authentic #1 option for the Thunder in this draft considering where they’ll be drafting and what they need.

#5 – NO ONE – Trade Down – Save the Roster Spot and the Salary for a Trade now or a Free Agent Acquisition over the Summer

What? It’s not a cop-out, it’s the truth. Deep down, we all know it.

The Thunder don’t need more youth, don’t need more projects to develop or stash away and then patiently wait for two or three years with the hope that they develop. They need that missing piece and I’m sorry, but he’s probably not in this draft for where the Thunder will most likely pick.

So trade out of the draft, package the picks, do whatever you can to either get your hands on a legitimate free agent who can anchor the post or give yourself the opportunity to sign said player if you can’t trade the picks directly for one.

All year in almost every single Bolts or Commentary or Pre-Game Primer or Recap, some type of trade or desired free agent has been mentioned, listed or downright screamed for in all caps for the Thunder to acquire.

Well, here’s your chance.

This is the place for your Top 3 (or just best) trade or free agent acquisition to be listed with this season, free agency and next season in mind. And, please, make them realistic both salary cap wise and, you know, reality wise (this means no Dwight Howard for Etan Thomas and Nenad Krstic + filler, people).

I know you’ve all worked on your Trade Machine skills or envisioned what you would pull the trigger on if you were GM. Which big man and/or stretch-the-floor shooter you KNOW you could make a deal for if only your were in Presti’s shoes.

So dazzle us.

Or at the very least, get us thinking and talking.

I’ll get the ball rolling with a question: Can you see any way possible that Marc Gasol could be pried away from the Grizzlies? Or has Robin Lopez’s ceiling been raised after the first half of this year?

J.G. Marking is the author of the inspirational book, “A Voice Is Calling.” He’s currently working on his first fiction novel, “The Gift of the Greenstone.”