A move that a lot of fans in Oklahoma City would want, and a move that could be very beneficial to a contending team in the playoffs has just opened itself up on Wednesday.
Mike Muscala, former beloved Thunder forward, has finalized a buyout agreement with the Detroit Pistons, leaving contenders with championship aspirations lining up at the 32-year-old veteran's door.
And after waiving four-year forward Aleksej Pokusevski on Feb. 23, the Thunder should be looked at as prime candidate to swing in and pick up the 6-foot-10 floor-spacer.
Sitting at a 41-17 record and tied for first in the Western Conference, Oklahoma City is slowly dialing in its sights for the playoffs. Adding veteran Gordon Hayward before the trade deadline was a step toward a conscious direction of implementing experience to blend in with the youthful energy of this Thunder team.
With the possibility of adding Muscala, he'd blend in seamlessly with his sharpshooting, floor-spacing skill set as a sizable big while providing the same level of veteranship and experience he did for Oklahoma City from 2019-2023.
In that four-year span, he averaged a 7.0 point boost for the team throughout his 168 games as a Thunder, with his best shooting season coming in his third year at 45.6% from the field and 42.9% from three on just under four attempts per game.
After finding his way to the Pistons following stops with the Boston Celtics and Washington Wizards, he's now averaging career lows nearly all across the board. In only 13 games played since his arrival to Detroit in mid-January, Muscala had seen some consistent rotational minutes while still flashing his 3-point shooting ability.
Creeping up on March, the Thunder will be looking to solidify its final roster spot as the team gets closer and closer to the playoffs in Oklahoma City, and Muscala could be a strong addition in their efforts.
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