Is Lonzo Ball the perfect backup to SGA? A Thunder writer thinks so

As the Oklahoma City Thunder witness the stunning rise of stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams, other areas on the roster will be a similar focal point. OKC has as much depth as any team could ask for. With a roster of close to 10 players ages 26 or younger, there is much more room for growth than for a decline.

However, that's not to completely write off potential flaws. Oklahoma City still needs a reliable secondary facilitator in the SGA era. With teams inevitably catching on to the Thunder's schemes, the need for this position will continue to crystallize.

OKC is looking for a trade?

After acquiring Alex Caruso over the summer, the Thunder showed that they aren't afraid of exploring the trade market, which has led to speculation about the potential for another move.

In a recent mailbag by ThunderWire's Clemente Almanza, a fan asked what OKC's sore spot will likely be next season.

Almanza pointed out the glaring opening behind Gilgeous-Alexander for the team's backup point guard spot. While there aren't any indications that the blue and orange will look to address this area before the start of the season, the writer believes that another trade with the Chicago Bulls is on the table for OKC to secure a top asset.

"He's been out of the spotlight for the last two seasons, but Lonzo Ball could be a major contributor to a contender if everything breaks right for him. He's missed the last two years with awful luck from a knee injury that's required multiple surgeries. The 26-year-old has failed to heal and resorted to a cartilage transplant. After two hellish years, it looks like Ball has finally seen some light at the end of the tunnel. He was recently cleared for five-on-five scrimmage this offseason and has suffered no setbacks. He's on track to return this season after he last played in Jan. 2022," Almanza writes .

Why hasn't OKC made a move?

For many, it may be perplexing to think the Thunder went the entire offseason without adding another facilitator, as most expected. Despite a busy summer of moves, the franchise stood pat in this area.

While the Thunder have yet to have another true table-setter to rely on next season inherently, they may be putting their hopes in the rise of a couple of young ball-handlers on the team. With multiple players able to dribble the Ball up the court and make plays for others, OKC may already have a dependable option in-house.

"It's an intentional absence by the Thunder, who believe they don't need that archetype of their bench," continues Almanza. "[…] Josh Giddey's departure to the Chicago Bulls opens up ball-handling reps that the Thunder hope to funnel to Holmgren and Wallace. It's a smart plan to siphon those to Holmgren and Wallace. The Thunder don't rely on one player to facilitate while everybody else roams around the perimeter. Instead, they hope to have an offensive system where all five players can move the Ball and keep it moving at all times."

If the Thunder are hoping to transition to Cason Wallace as one of the backup distributors, it's a solid plan that will likely require much patience. Although it was only his rookie season, the guard, whose game is predominantly defensive-minded, carried just a 13.0% usage rate, a steep drop from the average backup point guard in the NBA.

Wallace had just an 8.9% assist rate and played more of his minutes at the shooting guard (36%) and small forward (34%) than he did at point guard (29%). The underscoring takeaway is that Cason is not an organic playmaker, although he can develop into one over time. OKC likely has higher hopes for No. 12 overall draft pick Nikola Topic, whose game spells that of a pass-first, old-school point guard. Next season, there will be an experiment for the Thunder, with Gilgeous-Alexanders' backup to be vacated by the committee. If the need for another playmaker increases during the season, a trade deadline move may be on the table. If not, the team has proven it won't stay quiet during the summer.

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