3 potential targets for Thunder to replace Roberson

The Oklahoma City Thunder will be without an unsung hero for the rest of the season after the team announced Sunday that Andre Roberson's ruptured patella tendon will require season-ending surgery.

In a team loaded with superstar talent such as Russell Westbrook, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George, it was Roberson who allowed the trio to thrive on offense. With Roberson on the court, the Thunder posted a plus-10.0 net rating; without him, that number fell drastically to a minus-0.9 as Oklahoma City's opponents score a massive 11.9 points per 100 possessions more when he sits.

Reinforcements won't come easily, though. Thanks to the "Stepien Rule," the Thunder can't deal any first-round picks until 2024, which will limit their bargaining power. George's looming free agency decision will also hang over any possible Thunder moves, since locking themselves up financially elsewhere could impact their ability to re-sign the swingman in the summer.

That said, here are three possible players Oklahoma City could acquire to replace Roberson within their constraints:

Courtney Lee, New York Knicks

Lee has completely turned around his career in New York, averaging a personal-best 13.5 points a game this season. At 32 years old, however, a retooling Knicks side attempting to get younger likely won't have him in their future plans, especially not at the expense of Tim Hardaway Jr. Lee, though, is expected to be a hot commodity by the Feb. 8 trade deadline, and the Thunder will likely be competing with other teams to sway the Knicks.

Thanks to his ability to defend both wing positions, Lee would, in theory, mesh well with George on the Thunder, and he'd also give the rest of their stars a bit of a breather on the offensive end, providing Oklahoma City more incentive to try and facilitate a swap. The issue, however, will come in trying to match salaries: the Thunder's best young assets such as Terrance Ferguson and Jerami Grant are on bargain deals worth less than $2 million each, which could make matching Lee's $11.7-million salary difficult.

Rodney Hood, Utah Jazz

Hood hasn't exactly established himself as a defensive stopper this season - opposing teams actually score 3.7 points per 100 possessions more when he's on the court - but the Jazz are reportedly looking to ship the fourth-year swingman before they have to decide on extending him a qualifying offer this summer, which could roll in the Thunder's favor.

His defensive struggles this year may not be entirely on him, either. Last season, when he was flanked by George Hill and Gordon Hayward, Hood finished the year with a defensive rating of 102.6 - a stark contrast to his current mark of 106.9 with a lesser team. At 16.7 points a game, Hood and his 38.6-percent shooting from 3-point range would be more of an offensive threat for the Thunder, but he could be an ideal and affordable (he's earning just under $2.4 million this season) defensive fit alongside both Westbrook and George.

Avery Bradley, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons' campaign has not gone as well as they had optimistically hoped to begin the year. At 3.5 games behind the Milwaukee Bucks, Detroit now finds itself outside of the playoff picture looking in, and with the team mired in a seven-game losing streak, it could get worse before it gets better.

Though he established a reputation as a lockdown defender with the Boston Celtics, Bradley has struggled to replicate that proficiency in the Motor City and actually owns the team's worst defensive rating at 107.9 points allowed per 100 possessions. Acquiring the 6-foot-2 guard would be a risk for Oklahoma City considering his unexpectedly drastic regression, but with just an $8-million salary that's set to come off the books, giving Bradley a playoff-bound change of scenery could be a risk worth taking for the Thunder.

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