After a summer devoid of speculation owing to more important matters, the Thunder has re-signed Robert Swift to a deal of unknown length and girth. (C'mon, OKC media! We need details!) I don't want to suggest there was a chance Swift could have found himself outside the NBA at age 22, but the outlook seemed bleak. Playing only 71 games in four season due to severe knee issues, compounded by playing like crap in most of those 71 games ... that's not reassuring when it's time to extend your career.Swift's qualifying offer for this season was $3.5 million, but I imagine the sides worked out a short-term deal for less, perhaps something similar to the contract fellow bust Patrick O'Bryant received from Boston. It's an issue with two sides for OKC: it doesn't hurt to sink some spare change into a once-promising project, but you do risk slipping into the hole of sinking money into a mistake you really should exile. The likelihood Swift turns into anything is slim.
Swift's best-case at this point might be Joel Pryzbilla or a Collins twin, which means Bob needs to bulk up. But can he bulk up on that awful knee of his? Overeager strength training ruined his '07-08 season. If he can't, he's stuck in no man's land: a plodding, sort-of thin center without discernible basketball skills. No offense to Swift or his continued recovery, but ... what's the point?
