The Oklahoma City Thunder made a trade on Wednesday and, unsurprisingly, landed a draft pick in it.
ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania is reporting the New Orleans Pelicans are sending center Daniel Theis and draft compensation—a 2031 second-round pick—to the Thunder.
This may seem odd, but the real reason New Orleans is unloading Theis while giving away a draft pick is purely a financial move. The Pelicans were $1.4 million above the luxury tax threshold before the deal and are now below it after unloading Theis's $2.1 million salary. Theis signed a one-year deal with New Orleans this offseason.
In 38 games this season, Theis is averaging 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per contest. He's a pure bench option for the Thunder, who currently have the NBA's best record at 39-9.
The Pelicans are in the midst of another lost season as they sit 12-38 with the second-worst record in the Western Conference. They lost guard Dejounte Murray to a torn Achilles tendon on Friday which was just the latest in a long line of bad injury luck.
It makes sense for them to get their financial house in order before the deadline.
