Warriors get: Kelly Oubre Jr.
Thunder get: 2021 first-round pick (top-20 protected)
Golden State Warriors: B
It didn't take the Warriors long to put the Andre Iguodala trade exception to use in replacing the injured Klay Thompson. Oubre's $14.4 million salary would have been too large for Golden State to acquire without sending back a core player after the Iguodala trade exception, worth up to $17.2 million, expired on Monday.
Certainly, no player the Warriors could add this offseason would be able to replace the entirety of Thompson's skill set, which has made him a five-time All-Star and three-time NBA champion with Golden State. Oubre is a significant downgrade in terms of both 3-point shooting and on-ball defense.
Shooting will probably be the swing skill for Oubre with the Warriors. He hit a career-high 35% of his 3-point attempts last season, putting him just about at league average. Ordinarily, we'd predict improved 3-point shooting for a player joining Golden State because of the high-quality looks generated by Stephen Curry and the team's offense. That might not do as much to help Oubre, who has actually hit no better on catch-and-shoot attempts than pull-up 3s during his NBA career, per Second Spectrum tracking (33% apiece).
Although not a lockdown individual defender like Thompson, Oubre can help the Warriors at that end of the court, too, particularly with his versatility. One question we had about Golden State is who might play the Harrison Barnes/Kevin Durant role in lineups with Draymond Green, and Oubre fits that bill better than incumbent small forward Andrew Wiggins. Oubre has played in a number of lineups featuring two interchangeable forwards alongside Otto Porter Jr. in Washington and Mikal Bridges last season in Phoenix.
If adding Oubre is just a matter of trying to salvage this season for the Warriors, I'm not sure that warrants giving up a possible first-round pick, albeit one with limited upside because of the protections (if the pick doesn't convey in 2021, it becomes two second-round picks). I suspect Golden State has bigger plans in mind. After all, Oubre will turn 25 next month, so he's got a chance to be a part of the Warriors' long-term future even though he can be an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Part of the logic for Golden State creating and utilizing the Iguodala trade exception was the possibility of using it to maintain a high payroll despite the cost in luxury-tax payments. Before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the Warriors were well positioned to outspend their opponents thanks to the revenue generated from the Chase Center.
Despite a plan to use rapid testing to host up to 50% capacity at games, outlined by ESPN colleague Ramona Shelburne, Golden State won't fully realize that potential this season. In future years, the Warriors might again have a huge revenue edge -- if they remain a contending team.
For now, Golden State will be taking a huge bath financially by adding Oubre to a roster already deep in the luxury tax. Under normal circumstances, the Warriors would be staring at a tax bill north of $130 million, which will be reduced at season's end based on the amount the NBA's basketball-related income (BRI) ultimately falls short of expectations.
Golden State will still have its $5.7 million taxpayer midlevel exception as well as a $9.4 million disabled player exception for Thompson once the league approves it. We'll see whether the Warriors are willing to add even more to the league's highest payroll.
Oklahoma City Thunder: B+
The Thunder are operating less like a basketball team and more like a waystation for players, collecting first-round picks along the way. Oubre is the third different player Oklahoma City has both acquired and traded this week, joining Danny Green and Ricky Rubio. And there's still time to add to that total.
I'm not sure the pick the Thunder got here is particularly valuable compared to the others. At best, it will be in the bottom 10 of the first round, and it otherwise converts to a pair of second-rounders next year. (One of those, from the Minnesota Timberwolves via the D'Angelo Russell trade, could land near the top of the second round.)
On the plus side, Oklahoma City locks in value now for Oubre and generates its own $14.4 million trade exception. The Thunder could use that to back salary at the trade deadline and add -- you guessed it -- even more draft picks.