Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors: Alex Abrines attracting interest from Europe; OKC return in doubt

What's the rumor?

Alex Abrines has been tipped to return the NBA this summer, however, European basketball analyst Xavi Ballesteros is reporting that Abrines is attracting interest from his native country:

Àlex Abrines is the plaayer that Barça desire for its perimeter to form a partnership with Cory Higgins (CSKA). The Balearic left the Thunder for personal reasons after playing 174 matches with the Oklahoma franchise with averages of 5.3 points, 1.4 rebounds and a 37 percent success in the triples. Abrines has a whole race ahead and the Palau Blaugrana seems to be the ideal place to recover the excitement of basketball and to unleash his full potential and talent.

In case you didn't know...

Alex Abrines was selected by the Thunder with the 32nd overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, although he didn't make his NBA debut until 2016. The shooting guard went on to spend three seasons with the team, and he was consistently among the Thunder's most deadly shooters from three-point range.

However, his final season was cut short by an unspecified 'personal matter' - that resulted in Abrines making just 33 appearances.

The heart of the matter

During the 18/19 season, the Thunder recorded the fifth lowest accuracy from beyond the arc, and Abrines' range was missed during their playoff series defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers.

It is also worth noting that the Spaniard departed the organization on good terms, and continued to attend home games. Evidently, Abrines is still well liked around the organization, and if he is willing to sign a one-year minimum deal, the Thunder should urge him to snub Barcelona in favor of a return to Oklahoma City.

What's next?

The Thunder hold the 21st pick in the upcoming NBA draft, and the franchise also needs to address the futures of Nerlens Noel, Raymond Felton, and Markieff Morris.