Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images The Thunder saw their season end in a one-point loss against the Mavericks in the NBA playoffs, and feasibly could have given themselves a bit more margin for error by... not helping Dallas improve at the NBA trade deadline. Somewhere in the world, there is a current high schooler who the Oklahoma City Thunder might be able to select with the 2028 first-round pick swap they got from the Mavericks at the NBA trade deadline, and maybe they were even watching the series-deciding Game 6 between the two teams on Saturday night. Unfortunately for the Thunder’s current roster, however, that player was unable to help them on Saturday while midseason Mavs acquisitions Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington helped Dallas eliminate Oklahoma City from the NBA playoffs with a 4-2 series win. In a somewhat fitting ending to the series, Washington scored 6 of his 9 points in the fourth quarter, including the two game-deciding free throws with 2.1 seconds remaining after a pivotal offensive rebound to generate a three for himself a few possessions earlier. His intentional miss of the third free throw was even right on the money, leaving the Thunder short on time to generate a potential game-winning basket (Jalen Williams missed a 64-foot desperation heave) in the 117-116 loss. Gafford was much less critical than Washington in the series — he finished with a negative plus-minus in every game — but his addition allowed the Mavericks to move precocious rookie Dereck Lively II to the bench, where he ravaged the Thunder’s undersized second units for offensive rebounds to help swing the series. And beyond the plus-minus, Gafford’s presence also gave the Mavericks 48 minutes of capable center play rather than what they were dealing with before. Now, why is that relevant to the Thunder beyond the result? Well, there is a world where the Mavericks had to potentially choose between Gafford and Washington, or were at the very least unable to acquire the former. Let me explain. How the Mavericks got Washington and Lively Back in February, on the day of the NBA trade deadline, the Mavericks pulled off two separate trades: One for Washington, and one for Gafford. It was the latter move that the Thunder helped directly facilitate, accepting a 2028 first-round pick swap opportunity from the Mavericks in exchange for their own first-round pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, which was rerouted to the Washington Wizards for Gafford. The Thunder, facing a surplus of draft picks that includes nearly too many to count over the next several years, decided to trade out of a 2024 draft widely seen as weak in order to get the opportunity to swap picks with Dallas in 2028, when it’s possible Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving are no longer playing for them. It was a transaction in which one team chose to get as good as it could now, and one chose to add a theoretical high schooler four years from now. That kind of business happens all the time in the NBA, but usually it’s not a No. 1 seed taking on the long-term potential asset to help a play-in team go on a run that would ultimately leave them in range to upset them in the playoffs. Now, maybe that decision works out for OKC in the long run. But in a series during which the Mavericks won 4-2 despite both teams scoring exactly 636 points total over the six games... it’s fair to wonder if the Thunder helping the Mavericks get better by literally any margin was the difference. Washington was the hero, yes, and again, the Thunder didn’t directly facilitate his acquisition. But if they had not given Dallas the pick needed to get Gafford — in a deal that was reported as complete several hours before the Washington one on deadline day — it’s at least possible the Mavericks would have been forced to choose between the two players. It’s impossible to predict how things go from here, and maybe Luka leaves and Dallas implodes to make that 2024 swap juicy... but it’s hard not to feel like the Thunder may have shot themselves in the foot here, with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. While this series was obviously impossible to specifically predict at the point those trades were done, maybe the larger lesson is still hey, maybe it’s a bad idea to help a team in the lower half of the bracket in your conference get better at the trade deadline! Or, at the very least, don’t do it if you’re not willing to have it come back to bite you in semi-hilarious fashion in the same year.

Xander Schauffele hits his tee shot on the 17th hole during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship. | Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images Xander Schauffele made an error on the 15th hole Saturday, but rebounded to grab a piece of the lead at Valhalla. Xander Schauffele stood in the 15th fairway at Valhalla with a 9-iron in his hand, somewhat confused by the direction of the wind. He and his caddy, Austin Kaiser, determined that the swirling breeze was hurting them. As such, Schauffele and Kaiser decided to hit a low draw into this back-left hole location. The decision backfired. Schauffele pulled it, and his ball landed in some nasty, thick fescue beyond the green beside the gallery. A creek runs down the right side of this green, too, only adding to the difficulty. So not only did Schauffele face a daunting lie for his third shot, but he also knew that if he overswung, disaster loomed. And yet, a catastrophe still presented itself. Schauffele’s third shot went about five feet, settling in some lighter rough. But he could not get up and down to salvage a bogey. Instead, he made a double, immediately coughing up the two-shot lead he held at the time. “If there wasn’t a hazard over the green, I probably would have swung a lot harder,” Schauffele explained. Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images Xander Schauffele plays his third shot on the 15th hole during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship. “I knew it was going to come out dead. I just couldn’t get myself to swing at it. If I could go back, I would have hit it harder, obviously.” While Schauffele struggled, his playing partner, Collin Morikawa, made a birdie on 15, thus making it a three-shot swing in a matter of minutes. But instead of floundering over his final three holes, Schauffele bounced back with a vengeance. He made a par on 16, which settled his nerves. Then, he stuck a pitching wedge from 137 yards on the 17th to a couple of feet, leading to a birdie. He and Morikawa then walked to the par-5 18th, the easiest hole on the course, tied atop the leaderboard at 14-under. Both players then made routine birdies to close out their third rounds. They will begin Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship at 15-under par, holding a one-shot advantage over Sahith Theegala. “You want the lead,” Schauffele said about his mindset going into Sunday. Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America via Getty Images Xander Schauffele hits his fourth shot on the 15th hole during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship. “Against these guys, you want as many shots as you can possibly take, no matter how nerve-racking it can be.” Valhalla has produced recorded low-scoring conditions, which Schauffele has been able to take advantage of. He opened the tournament with a record-setting 9-under 62, which Shane Lowry matched on Saturday. “There’s blood in the water. Everyone kind of laughed, and then Shane Lowry almost shot 61 [Saturday],” Schauffele said. “I imagine someone in that threshold—now that it’s been done twice—is going to shoot something low and post a number early. I imagine that’s going to happen. Like I said, just staying in my lane is what’s going to make me play well.” All Schauffele can do is focus on his game and try to mitigate mistakes. Bogeys hurt, but players can recover from them. The same cannot be said for double-bogies. And yet, Schauffele, who will attempt to win his first major on Sunday, somehow bounced back after making his biggest blunder of the week. “All I can focus on are good golf shots and striking good putts,” Schauffele added. “At the end of the day, wherever the cards fall, they fall. [But winning] would mean a lot, obviously.” Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images The third round of the PGA Championship had numerous players launching up the leaderboard while others fell. The third round of the PGA Championship was relatively quiet after workers, fans and PGA Tour players dealt with a chaotic and tragic Friday morning at Valhalla Golf Club. However, the day began with another delay, this time due to fog, which led to later start times. Round two finished by mid-morning, and moving day officially began at 11:30 a.m. ET. Guys went out in threesomes on both sides of the course, but everyone completed their third rounds before dark. Saturday’s round earned its moving day nickname as various guys jumped up or fell down the leaderboard. Some made the most of the soft conditions, while others could not get anything to go their way. Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa lead by one heading into the final day. Schauffele looks to go wire to wire while Morikawa attempts to complete the third leg of the career grand slam. Winners: Sahith Theegala Sahith Theegala made the most of his day on Saturday. He fired off a 4-under 67 and sits in solo third at 14-under, one shot behind the leaders. One of the best moments from his round came at the 15th, where he chipped his ball in from the rough. It gave him his fifth birdie of the day. Sahith Theegala with the magic touch!#PGAChamp pic.twitter.com/jYu5dZcig0— PGA Championship (@PGAChampionship) May 18, 2024 The 26-year-old continues to gain confidence. His 67 on Saturday was a massive momentum booster for him at a major championship, and he seems happy to be in this position. “It means everything. This is why we play—to get in contention late on Sunday,” Theegala said. “I haven’t been in this spot before. My other nice spot in a major was a mega back door. It’s going to be a different feel tomorrow. I felt a lot of those feelings today and was able to overcome the nerves and stick to my process. I’ve been playing so well, so I want to keep it rolling, and I’m going to have a lot of fun tomorrow. I’ll be nervous and it’s going to be great to embrace those nerves because it’s a feeling you don’t get often.” Shane Lowry and Team Europe Shane Lowry tied the scoring record as he shot a bogey-free 9-under 62 on Saturday. He matched Schauffele’s Thursday score to give this tournament a pair of 62s—the lowest in major championship history. The Irishman shot 20-plus spots up the leaderboard to put himself into contention. He will play with Theegala on Sunday as he looks to win his second career major. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images Meanwhile, numerous other Europeans are in the mix at Valhalla Golf Club. Lowry, along with three of his fellow Ryder Cup teammates sit inside the top 10. Viktor Hovland shot a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, giving him back-to-back 66s in the event. The Norweigan golfer continues to find immediate results since Hovland and swing coach Joe Mayo reunited. Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre both sit at 12-under after impressive rounds. Rose shot the second-lowest score of the day with a 7-under 64, while McIntyre carded a 5-under 66. Team Europe is right in the mix and could steal this second major from the Americans. Bryson DeChambeau Bryson DeChambeau’s exhilarating hole-out for an eagle was one of the best moments of the championship. It shot him up the leaderboard to tie Lowry and Hovland at 13-under. BRYSON!! WOW!!!Big bird at 18 has him one back!!! pic.twitter.com/XOdPRpggRh— Playing Through (@_PlayingThrough) May 18, 2024 “Exhilarating. I haven’t felt like that in a long time,” DeChambeau said about his hole-out. “The only other time I felt like it was when I shot 58 at Greenbrier. That was pretty exciting there. I was pretty pumped.” He produced a Tiger Woods-like fist pump to celebrate. His 4-under 67 has him two shots behind the leaders. Not to mention, DeChambeau could give LIV Golf its second straight PGA Championship after Brooks Koepka won it in 2023 at Oak Hill. Losers: Scottie Scheffler Scottie Scheffler shot his first over-par round since last August. He plummeted down the leaderboard without Ted Scott on his bag. Could it have been the effects of what happened on Friday lingering around, or did he have a bad day? Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images Regardless, he shot a 2-over 73 on Saturday, starting the day with a double-bogey on the 2nd and back-to-back bogeys on the 3rd and 4th holes. After he shot a 66 on Friday, many thought Scheffler would contend. But Scott left for the round to attend his daughter’s graduation. He will be back on Scheffler’s bag for Sunday’s round. Scheffler sits at 7-under and seven shots behind the leaders. Justin Thomas overcame that deficit a couple of years ago in Oklahoma. Yet, Valhalla is too soft and gettable for something like that to happen. Navigating Valhalla Getting around Valhalla can be tricky if one is unfamiliar with the track. Not to mention, the cell service gets worse the further away you are from the clubhouse. Fans have congested the walkways. Like most major championships, they are packed around the greens, but it feels discombobulated all the time. The concession areas are clustered together, and multiple points across the course seem to be too far away from everything. While the amenities are plentiful, there could have been a better layout. These instances are more reasons why Valhalla may not be the best track for a major championship but potentially a regular PGA Tour stop. Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images Rory McIlroy Rory McIlroy also fell down the leaderboard on moving day. He sits in a tie for 19th on the leaderboard as he carded a 3-under 68. He started his day with a bogey on the 1st but got red hot through the middle of his round. The Northern Irishman fired off five birdies in seven holes. However, he would cough up two shots on 14 and 16. The 4-time major winner did birdie the 18th, but he seems too far down the leaderboard to make a run at the title on Sunday. It appears the major championship drought will continue for McIlroy. Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

Collin Morikawa during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship. | Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America via Getty Images Morikawa contended at The Masters, but mistakes down the stretch cost him. He believes he has learned from those and is ready to win again. After a disappointing Sunday at Augusta National this year, Collin Morikawa talked about how “greed” cost him a chance at winning a Green Jacket. Mistakes down the stretch sealed his fate, specifically on the 9th and 11th holes, where he got too aggressive with his approach play. But Morikawa, after firing a 4-under 67 at the PGA Championship on Saturday, has a share of the 54-hole lead with Xander Schauffele. He also believes he has learned from his previous missteps. “I learned a lot over this past month, over these past two years, over the past five years of being a pro,” Morikawa said. Photo by Darren Carroll/PGA of America via Getty Images Collin Morikawa plays the 17th hole during the third round of the 2024 PGA Championship. “I think everything that I’ve gone through over the past couple of years, I’m ready for these moments. A month ago [at Augusta], I felt like I was ready. Made a couple of errors. Tomorrow, hopefully, we don’t.” After bursting onto the scene at TPC Harding Park in 2020, when he won his first Wanamaker Trophy, Morikawa added the Claret Jug to his resume the following year. It seemed as if more majors would undoubtedly follow, but they haven’t. Instead, he has had numerous close calls, including at this year’s Masters. He also has three other top-10 finishes in majors since his triumph at the 2021 Open Championship. “I’ve just got to be focused on myself,” Morikawa added. “Look, I’ve played against all these guys. It’s not like any of these guys are new. They all have their accolades within themselves, and really anyone can go low.” Valhalla has produced record low-scoring conditions, as Schauffele and Shane Lowry have each carded 9-under 62s this week. Fifteen players sit at 10-under or better through 54 holes, a major championship record, per Elias Sports Bureau. Six players also sit within two shots of the lead, which, funny enough, has not happened since the 2020 PGA Championship. Despite that, Morikawa intends to stick to his game plan, which has worked well so far. “I’m going to take it one shot at a time,” Morikawa said. Photo by Scott Taetsch/PGA of America via Getty Images Collin Morikawa on the 18th green. “If I need to press, it’s going to be in the last two to three holes if I need to. I [need to] stick to the game plan I’ve been working through; it’s been working. It’s put me in a tie for the lead today through three rounds. So I’ve got a job to do tomorrow for 18.” Nothing equates to the pressure felt on a Sunday afternoon at a major championship. Players will hit poor shots, but it depends on how they bounce back. Whoever mitigates their mistakes while taking advantage of their opportunities usually emerges victorious. Morikawa knows that, but he let his mind get ahead of him at Augusta National. “I think looking back at Augusta, I felt sharp in everything, but I feel like I could have had a little bit of self-talk before I went out on that first tee and really just not got ahead of myself,” Morikawa said. “If I hit a bad shot, I don’t get ahead and try something new on the next shot because I hit a bad one. It’s just a poor swing, poor effort, go on to the next and try and execute the next one.” Hopefully, for Morikawa’s sake, he arrives at Valhalla mentally sharp after giving himself a quick 60-second pep talk. But at the end of the day, the old adage in golf remains the same: the most important shot is the next one. Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images Bryson DeChambeau vaulted himself into the mix after he finished his round in a big way at the PGA Championship. Bryson DeChambeau kept himself close most of the day at the PGA Championship, but his hole-out for eagle on the par-5 18th put his second major within reach. DeChambeau hit a mind-blowing chip that dropped into the hole, sending the crowd into a frenzy. It was one of the loudest moments on the course all day long. Not to mention, his fist pump celebration was a memorable one. “Exhilarating. I haven’t felt like that in a long time,” DeChambeau said. “The only other time I felt like it was when I shot 58 at Greenbrier. That was pretty exciting there. I was pretty pumped.” BRYSON!! WOW!!!Big bird at 18 has him one back!!! pic.twitter.com/XOdPRpggRh— Playing Through (@_PlayingThrough) May 18, 2024 Dechambeau totaled a 4-under 67 on moving day to jump up the leaderboard and into contention. Dechambeau, Shane Lowry, and Viktor Hovland, who shot a bogey-free 66, all sit tied at 13-under. The LIV Golf captain could become the second straight player from the Saudi-backed circuit to win the PGA Championship after Brooks Koepka did so at Oak Hill last year. DeChambeau has a lot of momentum and likes his position on the leaderboard. Through 54 holes, he has hit 40-of-54 greens in regulation. Not to mention, the former SMU Mustang sits in fourth place in total strokes gained, picking up 11.9 on the field. Around the greens, he has picked up 3.6 shots, ranking seventh among the remaining players. “Got to keep strategizing around this golf course and putting the golf ball in the right areas, but I missed it in the right place and hit a bunch of greens out here,” he said. “It’s iron play. The key is iron play this week, and I haven’t done my best but got up and down nicely. Man, I made a couple of clutch shots when I needed to.” DeChambeau won the 2020 U.S. Open after so many thought he would never become a major champion. The 30-year-old was not one of the fan favorites on the PGA Tour. However, since he left for LIV Golf, the golfer has transformed. His personality blossomed through his YouTube channel and other social media platforms. DeChambeau understands what golf needs to do to grow. “I‘ve worked hard to have people hopefully understand who I am a little bit better. YouTube has been a great platform to help that out,” DeChambeau said. Getty Images Bryson DeChambeau tosses his golf into the crowd. “I love doing it. It’s a lot of fun. It keeps my brain fresh and in entertainment mode, and realizing what the game is all about, not for myself and winning money or trophies but entertaining, as well. We all want to win trophies, but being able to entertain the fans is what we’re all here to do, and I think that’s what’s the most important thing.” That shot on 18 showed off his personality, and the fans around the green gave him a roaring ovation. He is not the same bulky guy that left the PGA Tour. Instead, DeChambeau appears to have learned a lot and has taken his brand to the next level. Now, he sits within two strokes of the leaders, Xander Schauffele and Collin Morikawa. Will Sunday be the day DeChambeau wins his second career major? Perhaps. Regardless of what happens, he will begin his final round at 2:15 p.m. ET along with Hovland. Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.