With the NBA season now less than a month away, all 30 teams are making their final necessary roster additions and adjustments ahead of training camp. No team has made more of a last minute splash than the Oklahoma City Thunder when they swung a trade for Carmelo Anthony and another key addition on that same day.
According to The Vertical’s Shams Charania, free agent guard Trey Burke is finalizing a deal with the Thunder:
Free agent guard Trey Burke is finalizing a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, league sources tell The Vertical.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 23, 2017
Charania added that the deal was non-guaranteed, making this deal possibly temporary.
UPDATE: The deal between Burke and the Thunder apparently fell through and he will return to free agency.
Update: Burke has changed course on deal with OKC and will remain a free agent, league sources say. https://t.co/O6CYwtHU9A
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 24, 2017
The Thunder remain on the hunt for a backup to superstar and last year’s MVP Russell Westbrook. Last year, that duty was split by guards Alex Abrines and Semoj Christain with some late-season help from Norris Cole. Without a stable and reliable backup to Westbrook, the team often found themselves relying too heavily on their franchise centerpiece.
Obviously now with stars Paul George and Carmelo Anthony in the fold, Russ won’t have to bear the same burden he did last year but Trey Burke could still play a key role with this team.
He would surely have to win his job in training camp before being given the reigns to this bench unit. Last year with the Washington Wizards, Burke only posted career-low per-game averages of 5 points and 1.8 assists in 57 appearaces.
