11. Oklahoma City Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an extremely hard team to predict. Although they’re definitely now set to go through a revamp after parting with both of their stars in Paul George and Russell Westbrook, it isn’t really in their DNA to tank or full-on rebuild. As currently constructed, they have pieces that will allow them to stay competitive including Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and returning player Steven Adams.
Even though it appears as if CP3 will indeed be on the roster once the season starts, it doesn’t make sense that he would figure into their long-term plans, so we could very well see him dealt. If he remains for the entire 2019-20 season, though, he’ll do just enough to keep the Thunder competitive, especially alongside the other key vets and promising young guns.
That said, the Thunder simply were too big of losers in a Western Conference arms race that saw several other teams bulk up while OKC lost their two most prolific players. I don’t foresee the likes of Paul, Adams, head coach Billy Donovan or front office magician Sam Presti lying down for anyone, but I still don’t see the Thunder finding a way whatsoever to crack into the playoff mix, at least not for this season.
But regardless of OKC’s fate in 2019-20, they’ve set themselves up beautifully for a massive turnaround thanks to the treasure trove of assets they acquired in the George and Westbrook trades.