OKC Thunder: Despite Large Contract, Davis Bertans Could Prove To Be Valuable Piece This Season

Forbes Business SportsMoney OKC Thunder: Despite Large Contract, Davis Bertans Could Prove To Be Valuable Piece This Season Nick Crain Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Following Oct 4, 2023, 10:01pm EDT | Press play to listen to this article! Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Oklahoma City Thunder forward Davis Bertans poses for a photo during the NBA basketball team’s media . .

. [+] day, Monday, Oct. 2, 2023, at Oklahoma City Convention Center.

(AP Photo / Kyle Phillips) Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. In what was a breakout 2019-20 campaign with the Washington Wizards, Davis Bertans produced 15.

4 points while shooting 42. 4% from deep on 8. 7 attempts per contest.

This resulted in him earning a new five-year, $80 million contract with Washington as he appeared to be part of the Wizards’ long-term core. The very next season, his production, playing time and shooting efficiency declined. The season after that — during the 2021-22 campaign — Bertans began to fall out of the rotation in Washington and was essentially a salary dump as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade with the Dallas Mavericks at the deadline.

Before being shipped out that season, Bertans averaged just 5. 7 points in 14. 7 minutes per contest while shooting 31.

9% from beyond the arc. While the Latvian forward did ultimately gain some of his efficiency back in Dallas, he never truly carved out a role in the nightly rotation. Through 67 games with the Mavs over two seasons, he produced 4.

8 points in 11. 9 minutes per game while knocking down 37. 9% of his 3-point attempts.

In effort to clear a roster spot and gain salary relief, the Mavericks traded Bertans to the Oklahoma City Thunder on the night of the 2023 NBA Draft. The incentive for Oklahoma City was moving up two spots in the event, where the Thunder selected Cason Wallace with the No. 10 overall pick.

Although Bertans ended up not living up to his contract, and is owed $17 million this season alone, he still could end up being an impactful piece in OKC this season. Furthermore, only $5 million of his $16 million due in the 2024-25 campaign is guaranteed. As such, his contract could actually prove to be attractive at the trade deadline as it’s not far off from an expiring deal.

MORE FOR YOU ‘Shocking’ Leak Blows Up Mystery Of Bitcoin Creator Satoshi Nakamoto 855 000 Borrowers Will Receive Student Loan Forgiveness After Latest Group Approved Alert Test Will Hit Every U S Cell Phone Today People With Hidden Phones For Safety Have A Workaround Entering this season, Bertans is a career 39. 8% shooter from beyond the arc on nearly five attempts per game. He’s 6-foot-10 which allows him to rise above defenders and convert on contested looks.

He isn’t a very good defender at this point in his career at age 30, but provides value as a jumbo floor spacer still. Just last week, Thunder GM Sam Presti said Bertans is still a player he considers one of the best shooters in the league. As a player that shoots 3-pointers on high volume, highs and lows are just part of the game.

As good as Bertans has been holistically in his career as a 3-point shooter, he’s experienced up and down seasons and has faced inconsistency season-over-season. Luckily for him, this season in Oklahoma City could work out in his favor. Not only is he carrying the momentum he built at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, but Bertans will also be reunited with his favorite shooting coach this season with the Thunder.

Chip Engelland — one of the best shooting coaches in the world — joined the Thunder staff just over a year ago. Before coming to OKC, he had spent many years in San Antonio with the Spurs. As such, he was a key piece of Bertans’ early development when he played for the Spurs from 2016 to 2019.

During the 2018-19 season, Bertans shot a career-high 42. 9% from beyond the arc in his final season with Engelland as his shooting coach. “I’m glad to be on the same team with him again,” said Bertans at Thunder Media Day.

“He’s definitely one of the top shooting coaches in the world. ” Bertans would go on to mention that Engelland is the only coach that he’s ever allowed to make any sort of tweak to the mechanics of his jumper. While the Thunder is Bertans’ third team since the 2020-21 season, he seems eager to start helping the franchise win games, however he can.

He’s made it clear that he isn’t focused on his role or playing time, but rather putting in the work and staying ready for whatever the coaching staff needs him to do. At the start of training camp, he told the media that when the trade from Dallas to OKC occurred, he was back home at Latvia and asleep due to it being early in the morning. A few hours after the trade was reported, Bertans’ wife woke him up and told him he was headed to Oklahoma City for the upcoming season.

“I’ve heard only great things about the organization,” said Bertans on Monday. “That it’s one of the top class organizations in the league. ” While he isn’t guaranteed any minutes and could end up being a player that gets his time on the court inconsistently as the team needs a spark, there’s reason to believe that Davis Bertans could have a renaissance of a season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

While he likely won’t live up to his contract, that doesn’t mean he can’t be a key piece in a playoff push. Follow me on Twitter . Nick Crain Editorial Standards Print Reprints & Permissions.