According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, the Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to a deal with free-agent center Hasheen Thabeet.
Thabeet is a restricted free agent, so his former team, the Houston Rockets, will have the right to match the offer. If the 7'3" Thabeet does in fact sign with the reigning Western Conference champion Thunder, it will be his fourth team since being drafted second overall in 2009.
As a UCONN product by way of Tanzania, Thabeet came into the NBA highly touted after a three-year career that saw him average 10.5 rebounds per game and over four blocks.
Thabeet has largely struggled to show that defensive prowess at the NBA level, as he hasn't averaged over 10 minutes per game since his rookie season in Memphis.
As one of the premier teams in the league, the Thunder obviously don't need Thabeet to come in and contribute right away. With 34-year-old Nazr Mohammed most likely gone, the Thunder have room to take a chance on a young post player, and Thabeet should fit the bill.Â
Mohammed's role on the Thunder was very limited, as he averaged 2.7 rebounds per game in the regular season and was rarely used in the playoffs. If Thabeet can do anything close to that and maybe even block a few shots a game, the Thunder will be getting a great return on their investment.
With elite shot-blocker Serge Ibaka already in tow, it would be scary if the Thunder could develop yet another young, lengthy shot-blocker to bolster their defense.
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