The Oklahoma City Thunder is adding some valuable veteran presence to its young roster. The team recently made a trade with the Atlanta Hawks that saw them acquire small forward Maurice Harkless.
According to Thunder’s press release, Harkless and a 2029 second-rounder are arriving in OKC from Atlanta, while sophomore point guard Vit Krejci is heading in the opposite direction.
According to ESPN’s salary cap expert Bobby Marks, Oklahoma City will absorb Harkless’ salary of $4.5 million into the $4.9 million Disabled Player Exception they received as a result of rookie Chet Holmgren’s season-ending injury. The move also allowed the Hawks to get under the luxury tax.
Maurice Harkless actually never put on the Hawks’ jersey, being traded to Atlanta in July as part of the deal that sent Kevin Huerter to the Sacramento Kings. Harkless spent the previous two seasons with the Kings and made 44 starts. He also played with the Orlando Magic and the Portland Trail Blazers, among other teams. His NBA career stats include 6.9 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Vit Krejci, who was the 37th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft, is coming off his first season in the NBA. He played 30 games in 2021-22, averaging 6.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists.
