Just before Thursday’s NBA trading deadline, former Creighton great Doug McDermott was shipped to Oklahoma City as part of a package deal. McDermott heads to the Thunder along with Taj Gibson and a second round draft pick forย Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne and Anthony Morrow.
McDermott had been averaging 10.2 points per game in his third year with the Bulls, and heads to a Thunder team headlined by one-time Creighton recruit Russell Westbrook. No, really: the eventual UCLA great and NBA All-Star visited Omaha in September 2005, and was almost a Creighton Bluejay. Here’s the recruiting visit itinerary, courtesy of none other than McDermott a few years back on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/dougmcdermott/status/336561474522718209
The Bulls were likely to miss the playoffs and feature a front office in turmoil, with John Paxson,ย Gar Forman and coach Fred Hoiberg all rumored to be on the hot seat. Meanwhile, the Thunder are preparing to try for a run through the Western Conference playoffs — though Kevin Durant left in the offseason for Golden State, they remain a formidable team.
Here’s some quick articles on the trade from around the internet:
- “Reports: Bulls trade Doug McDermott, Taj Gibson to Thunder” – Sports Illustrated
- “Sources: Bulls send Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott to Thunder” – ESPN.com
- “Bulls trade Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott to Thunder, pending league approval” – Chicago Tribune
- “Thunder Acquire Taj Gibson And Doug McDermott For Cameron Payne” – Deadspin
- “Chicago makes Oklahoma City’s day, sends Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott to Thunder” – Yahoo Sports
- “Thunder Land McDermott, Gibson” – Up The Thunder
And here’s some of the early reaction on Twitter from around Creighton Nation and elsewhere:
https://twitter.com/sheaserrano/status/834853020139651072
