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OKC Thunder gambled on Abdel Nader and its paying huge dividends

Originally waived by the Boston Celtics, the OKC Thunder offered Abdel Nader a lifeline by trading Rodney Purvis‘ non-guaranteed to acquire him. Given the Thunder’s salary cap issues, Nader’s $1.4-million-dollar guaranteed deal was a curious move by Sam Presti who clearly saw some potential in the Egyptian wing.

And what a revelation he has been.

After averaging 3.5 minutes per game through the first 33 games of the season, Nader is averaging 15.5 minutes in his last 10 games. During this span, the 25-year-old is averaging 7.4 points and 2.