The Oklahoma City Thunder were built with a championship in mind this season. The problem? They weren't built for anything afterwards. With Paul George's contract expiring and his status uncertain -- though he has said publicly he'd like to stay with OKC, he's actually only 1-A in regards to the Thunder's offseason issues. 1-B is what in the world to do about Carmelo Anthony after a first-round exit at the hands of the Utah Jazz, especially in a season in which the Thunder were allegedly contenders.

In the two days since the Thunder were bounced out of the first round, Anthony has already said that he won't come off of the bench moving forward, calling it "out of the question." Now, he's taking a step further, saying that the Thunder didn't have any type of plan regarding bringing him in.

"I think the player that they wanted me to be and needed me to be was for the sake of this season," Anthony said, per USA Today. "Everything was just thrown together and it wasn't anything that was planned out. Wasn't no strategy to me being here, me being a part of the actual system and what type of player and things like that."

He probably isn't wrong. The problem is that he wasn't even the player they needed him to be "for the sake of this season." Anthony averaged 16.2 points per game this year, a career low. His 1.3 assists per game were also a career low, and his 5.8 rebounds per game were the lowest since the 2005-06 season. In the playoffs, he averaged 7.3 points per game, shot 21.4 percent from beyond the arc, 37.5 percent from the field, had 0.3 assists per game and a turnover per game. All of that put together made for a player that simply looked unproductive, and downright awful in the postseason.

Now the Thunder are nearly inevitably on the hook for Anthony's $28 million player option next season, which he'd have to be a maniac to not pick up, because he likely wouldn't get a quarter of that on the market -- let alone on a contender -- after the year he had. The Thunder could take the calculated risk of strong-arming Anthony out by saying that they plan on using him off the bench next season, forcing him to try to leave to take a starting role elsewhere, but this is what agents are around for. To make sure players don't fall into traps like that. The more likely scenario is that Anthony opts into the contract and makes the upcoming offseason a living hell for the team.

This looks like more than the Russell Westbrook Effect. James Harden and Victor Oladipo were in their primes with Westbrook, and they at least still looked somewhat capable. George had an excellent season and a strong postseason with Westbrook at his side, and the Thunder can win with those two and a good supporting cast. Even Enes Kanter, who was involved in the Anthony trade, had decent seasons for OKC. For those players, it was about setting. Anthony had looks. He had shots. And they just didn't go for him.

Anthony needs to come off the bench for the Thunder next season if he's with them. Billy Donovan's stubborn refusal to bench him for Jerami Grant may well have been a contributor to the Thunder's early exit. Now, the team has to retool for next year. Anthony will almost certainly be there. But George's decision is looming over the team as it decides how to move forward. George is the most important piece for the Thunder to retain. But Anthony is the team's biggest problem in figuring out what to do moving forward, and how to take the next step in a Western Conference that's only getting deeper.