Throughout all of the praise and attention the stars of the Oklahoma City Thunder have gotten over the last couple seasons, one of its unsung pieces has been Kenrich Williams.
At the age of 29, Williams has been one of the oldest guiding veterans for one of the youngest rosters in the entire NBA. Since Oklahoma City acquired him in a sign-and-trade with the New Orleans Pelicans back in 2020, he's made a significant impact in a mostly bench role.
The forward's role did start to take a hit last season, however, resulting in a fairly unremarkable 4.7 points and three rebounds in 14.9 minutes per game. His production was still done on an efficient basis — including a near 40% mark on two attempts per game from three — and he brings wing versatility that fits with about any player on the team.
The offseason always brings changes though, especially for a Thunder team looking to improve even more as it seeks an NBA Finals appearance. If a desirable trade pops in its radar, then Williams could be a player very likely to be included in that.
Any team would probably be interested in having Williams on their roster because of his consistency and plug-and-play ability. He does his job well, can fit into any lineup and won't make too many mistakes. He's shown his worth in Oklahoma City, but the larger role he once had is starting to diminish.
The veteran has two more years on his contract worth roughly $7 million — plus a team option at the back end — which is fair for a player of his caliber. On the flipside, it's also a perfect contract to be included in trades to match salary. The Thunder don't currently hold a lot of large contracts since most of its talent are on rookie deals, so he's one of the only true options.
Either way the pairing goes, Oklahoma City isn't going to be in a losing situation. If it gets an upgrade in talent that can help its championship push, then great. But if Williams stays on the roster for next season, there's nothing to complain about either.
It's possible Williams won't be a Thunder for too much longer, but it all depends on how the always wild NBA offseason goes this time.
More must-reads: