Category Archives: News

News involving the Thunder (transactions, legal transgressions, etc)

Durant out for the season with another broken bone in his foot

News

durant thunder

And the hits keep on coming. According to one of my sources, Kevin Durant suffered another broken bone in his foot. That bone could be the one the screw was rubbing against for weeks on in, while playing. For all intents and purposes, though, Durant will likely be sidelined for the rest of the season, to include the playoffs.

It was about a week ago that Thunder coach Scott Brooks announced Durant would likely be back within a week or two. But a week into that timeline, it became apparent that Durant wasn’t progressing as he should be. He wasn’t practicing with the team and he was still experiencing soreness after his individual workouts. While soreness is always to be expected when coming back from surgery, this soreness was reminiscent of the pain he was feeling before the screw was replaced. As Thunder GM Sam Presti reported today, Durant will be out indefinitely and will be removed from all basketball activities.

Thunder acquire Dion Waiters in a trade

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NBA: Oklahoma City Thunder at Cleveland Cavaliers

The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired guard Dion Waiters from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a 3-team deal that also involved the New York Knicks. The Thunder used the Thabo Sefolosha Trade Player Exception ($4.125 million) to acquire Waiters while sending over a protected first round pick to the Cavaliers. The pick is Top 18 protected in 2015 and Top 15 protected in 2016 and 2017. If the pick is not conveyed by 2017, then the Cavs receive the Thunder’s 2nd round picks in 2018 and 2019. In a separate transaction, the Thunder sent Lance Thomas to the Knicks in a three way deal that saw JR Smith and Iman Shumpert end up in Cleveland.

Waiters is averaging 10.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 1.3 steals on 40% shooting from the field and 26% shooting from the 3-point line this season. After having his best season as a professional last season (15.9 points, 36.8% shooting from deep), Waiters’ numbers dipped as he failed to fit in with LeBron James and the new look Cavs. He wasn’t quite the fit the Cavs were looking for at 2-guard when they made their big moves this offseason. Waiters started the first 3 games of the season, but was then relegated to being the 6th man after that.

Waiters gives the Thunder another scorer and ball-handler off the bench. He’s a bit of a streaky shooter, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing as the 4th or 5th option on a team. While not great defensively, he isn’t that bad either. He’s got a little bulldog in him and his strength and thick frame will allow him to guard bigger opponents.  The hope is that Waiters will pick up the slack on those games where Reggie Jackson is struggling from the field. Jackson appears to be either playing hurt and/or in a slump, and his inconsistencies have affected the team when the reserves are needed to either maintain a lead or chip away at a deficit.

This move may be the first of a couple for the Thunder. The Waiters acquisition probably knocks Jeremy Lamb completely out of the rotation and probably out of Oklahoma City by the trade deadline. Kendrick Perkins and Nick Collison are expiring after this season, and there were rumors the Thunder looked into obtaining Brook Lopez from the Brooklyn Nets for Perkins, Lamb, and Perry Jones. In addition, Reggie Jackson’s impending restricted free agency looms large on the horizon for the Thunder. If Waiters, who is a comparable player to Jackson, works out for the Thunder, look for them to move Jackson either before the trade deadline or at the draft.

Thunder release Sebastian Telfair

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telfair thunder

In a surprise move (at least, surprising to us), the Oklahoma City Thunder released point guard Sebastian Telfair after their game against the Jazz. Not only is the timing surprising, but also the fact that it was thought that Telfair had a fully guaranteed contract. That may still be the case, but if Telfair was released, and it is likely because he had a guarantee that was date-specific (i.e. the contract becomes fully guaranteed if the player is on the roster after Nov. 30th).

Telfair’s release coincides with the fact that Ish Smith’s 10-day contract was coming up to a close on Thursday. With Russell Westbrook set to return soon (possibly for their next game against the New York Knicks), the team probably decided that they’d rather go into the season with Smith as the 3rd string point guard. Smith is younger, but, more importantly to the Thunder, he’s probably a lot cheaper. Not only is he a lot cheaper in salary, but he’s also easier to get rid of, as he’ll probably just sign another 10-day contract on Thursday. If Westbrook proves to be healthy, then the need for Smith probably goes out the window in 2 weeks. Then, the Thunder could let Smith go, and gain their coveted empty roster spot that they like to go into the season with.

Telfair played well in spots for the Thunder during their tumultuous beginning of the season. He averaged 8.6 points and 2.9 assists on 36.4% shooting from the field. He provided a veteran’s touch when the going got tough for the Thunder. His professionalism and experience helped the team, and hopefully, some of the young guys learned a thing or two about being an NBA player from Telfair.

I See The Light: Thunder Injury Updates

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The beginning of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 2014-15 campaign has been pretty dark. With injury after injury after injury, it feels like we’ve angered the God of Moses and have been cursed 7 times over. In fact, seven has been the consistent number of Thunder players on the injured list at any given time. Reggie Jackson comes back, but Andre Roberson gets injured in the same game and replaces Jackson on the injured list. Again, still seven. Then Perry Jones gets injured in the next, bringing the number of Thunder wounded to eight.

After a day off yesterday, today provided a plethora of encouraging news from the Thunder practice facility. First of all, no one suffered any new injuries (whew!). Secondly, guys are starting to come back from their injuries. Here are a couple tweets from Royce Young of DailyThunder.com and Darnell Mayberry and Anthony Slater of the Daily Oklahoman.

So to recap: Kevin Durant and Mitch McGary are both out of their walking boots. Jeremy Lamb practiced hard and will probably be available for Friday’s game. Anthony Morrow and Andre Roberson shot around, but were limited. And there was no report on Perry Jones, who is likely out for Friday’s game. Also, the Thunder signed PG Ish Smith as their hardship exception signing.

It’s faint, but there is a growing light at the end of this injury tunnel. Hopefully, that light gets bigger and bigger with each passing day.

Thunder forward Mitch McGary breaks foot

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mcgary adams mozgov thunder nuggets

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie forward Mitch McGary suffered a broken foot in Wednesday’s preseason game against the Denver Nuggets and is expected to be out 5-7 weeks. First reported by Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman, McGary suffered the injury late in the preseason game and was receiving treatment after the game. McGary finished the game with 14 points and 4 rebounds in an impressive debut.

The 21st pick out of Michigan has had a history of injuries. After surprising everyone with his performance in the 2nd half of his freshman season in college, McGary took a step back his sophomore year while recovering from back surgery. Since being drafted, though, he has been reportedly healthy and working out in Oklahoma City.

The Thunder and the NBA’s Television Deal

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NBA Announces New Media Partnerships

With the historical TV deal the NBA signed on Monday, the salary cap is poised to jump up by at least $30 million dollars in the next 2-3 seasons. The increase in salary cap also means an increase in players’ salaries, of which is of keen interest to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team that has meticulously constructed itself around a developing nucleus of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and Serge Ibaka will be extremely tested in the next 2-3 years. The first series of extensions the players signed eventually led to the trade of James Harden. While the team wanted to keep the burgeoning quartet together, the economics of the day forced the Thunder to trade Harden, who was looking for a max deal, of which the Thunder could not afford without destroying their salary cap flexibility.

The first extension after the rookie deal is usually easy for a team to handle. At its apex, the 5 year max is only worth about $80 million dollars (or 25% of the salary cap). Its the second extension that can difficult for teams to handle. By the time a player has reached his second extension, he’s been in the league at least  7 seasons, which qualifies his max salary to take up at least 30% of the salary cap. Salaries for max players in their 2nd extension can easily climb above $20 million per season. If you are a championship contending team in the league, you more than likely have at least 2 players worthy of a max deal. And if you are paying them accordingly, then upwards of 55% of your cap space could possibly be used up on two players.

NBA: Playoffs-Los Angeles Clippers at Oklahoma City Thunder

Luckily for the Thunder, those two players happen to be Durant and Westbrook (aka the reigning MVP and arguably the best point guard, respectively). Both players will be up for extensions in consecutive years, beginning in the 2016 offseason. And both players, health permitting, will be deserving of max extensions. Here’s the beauty of the CBA though: max deals are determined by percentages of the salary cap. So it does not matter whether the cap is $63 million (2014-15) or $90-100 million (projected for 2016-17), a max player will only take up a percentage of the salary cap. Even though there is more money in the pot, the percentages for max players should remain the same. And if your GM knows how to manage the money within the parameters of the luxury tax line, then it should be business as usual.

The trickier part of the equation will be Ibaka. The Thunder signed Ibaka to 4 year/$49 million dollar contract two seasons ago. It has turned into one of the better bargains in the NBA. If Ibaka continues on his developmental trajectory, will he be satisfied with a slightly below level max deal again? The Thunder saw how valuable Ibaka is when he missed the first two games of the Western Conference Finals. With no rim protector in the middle, the Spurs had their way with the Thunder, blowing them out in both games. In addition, Ibaka’s value to the offense as an offensive rebounder and perimeter release valve became even more apparent through the year last season. If Ibaka were a free agent right now, he’d likely fetch a slightly below market max deal. While Ibaka does appear to be extremely loyal, loyalty has to run both ways to be effective.

reggie jackson thunder

Then there’s the Reggie Jackson situation. As discussed in a previous post, Jackson wants to start and wants to get paid. The Thunder may be able to accommodate the monetary issue, but probably won’t be able to appease Jackson on the starting issue. The Thunder like to start a big defensive-minded SG. Unfortunately, Jackson is similar in stature to Westbrook. Jackson is in the unenviable position of being up for an extension about a year or two before the big money starts to flow in. Which means, even if he signs a big contract now, it may pale in comparison to similar contracts 2 years down the line. In the end, much like Harden, Jackson may be the odd man out,, when it comes to getting paid by the Thunder. Or Jackson may choose to sign a shorter deal with an eye towards the big money in 2-3 seasons.

A team is not just composed of 2-4 players, though. This is where the arduous planning of Thunder GM Sam Presti starts to take effect. If you’re going to have 3-4 players making max or close to max money, then you have to fill your roster with a mixture of specialists, veterans, and young players that are all relatively inexpensive. This is where Presti’s “kiddy-gloves” handling of the Thunder’s finances (keeping them under the luxury tax line) and asset usage begins to pay dividends.

adams jones roberson thunder

 

Presti has mostly done a great job of turning assets into usable parts and more assets. The Harden trade netted the Thunder Jeremy Lamb and 3 draft picks, which turned into Steven Adams, Mitch McGary, and Eurostash Alex Abrines. But it’s the Thunder’s penchant for stockpiling young talent that will make re-signing their core as a possibility. In addition to the 4 young players obtained in the Harden trade, the Thunder have stockpiled another Eurostash in Tibor Pleiss and a domestic draft and stash in Josh Huestis. Also, 2014 2nd round pick Semaj Christon appears to be in the Thunder’s future plans as he begins his career with the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, the Blue.

Why is this important? Because the Thunder’s current young players are all up for their first extension in the next 2-3 seasons. Of the current group of Jackson, Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, Andre Roberson, and Steven Adams, it is possible the majority of them will not be with the Thunder within the next 2-3 seasons. All these players have value, and the Thunder like to maximize the value of a player if they don’t necessarily see a future with them. With a cupboard full of young (unused) talent, the Thunder will be able to replace their current group of young players with cheaper alternatives within the next 2-3 seasons.

As the Thunder (and the NBA as a whole) ventures into this great unknown of luxury, it is good to know the Thunder are in prime position to continue doing what they are currently doing. They own the Bird Rights to their core players and can offer them more money than any other team. They are one of the few teams in the league that has a present and a foreseeable future when it comes to championship contention. If the CBA remains the same, the Thunder should be operating in the same manner 2-3 seasons from now.

Kevin Durant re-signs with Nike

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durant nike kd

In what became an unexpected bidding war between Nike and Under Armour for the rights to put Kevin Durant’s name on their sneakers, Ol’ Faithful (Nike) beat out the upstart (UA) to hold on to Durant as one of their basketball flag bearers. Nike retained the services of Durant by offering a 10-year deal that will end up being between $265 and $285 million dollars.

Under Armour was rumored to have offered Durant a similar deal, with stock options and a rec center in his mother’s name to be included. Once the offer was made, Durant basically entered himself into restricted free agency, giving Nike the opportunity to match the offer. He informed Nike of what Under Armour had offered him and gave them a deadline. If the terms were not met by the deadline, then Durant would be taking his name to Under Armour.

At the 11th hour, Nike matched the monetary offer made by Under Armour. The deal puts Durant on par with LeBron James in terms of shoe company earnings.

Does this have any effect on Durant’s future in 2016? Probably not. While connecting the imaginary dots, many Thunder fans began to fret when Durant was considering Under Armour. The Baltimore-based company is located near Durant’s home town, and many thought the next domino to fall after signing with Under Armour would be to sign with his hometown Washington Wizards. But now that he’s stuck with Nike, what will people hinge their predictions concerning Durant’s future on?

In all honesty, Durant’s decision about 2016 will always be what it was going to be: a basketball decision. His shoe deal has no bearing on his basketball deal. Durant, like Lebron, is a stand alone superstar that transcends market size. Who would’ve thought that the two most popular players on the planet play in Cleveland and Oklahoma City. Would Nike make more money if Durant played in New York or Los Angeles? Of course. But even in Oklahoma City, Durant makes Nike enough money to justify signing him to a large endorsement deal. And that alone should make Thunder fans less frightened of the future.

Thunder trade Hasheem Thabeet to the Philadelphia 76ers

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Hasheem Thabeet, Maalik Wayns

The Oklahoma City Thunder traded center Hasheem Thabeet (along with cash considerations) to the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday. In return, the Thunder received a protected 2nd round pick (likely highly protected) and a $1.4 million dollar Traded Player Exception as the 76ers are severely under the cap and didn’t need to send the Thunder a player back. The 76ers will likely to waive Thabeet.

The Thunder like to go into the season with at least one roster spot available. This allows them more flexibility for possible trades or to sign a disgruntled veteran for a late season playoff run after the trade deadline. The Thunder had until the 1st of September to do something with Thabeet, as his salary would have become fully guaranteed after that date.

I don’t usually care too much about third string players, but Thabeet was a great locker room presence and the ultimate team guy. His positive attitude rubbed off on anyone he met and he performed well enough on the court whenever he was called upon. I will always the remember the ejection that was rescinded 5 minutes later in James Harden’s first game back in Oklahoma City as a member of the Houston Rockets. Best wishes on your future endeavors Hash.

Kevin Durant and Under Armour – Power Moves

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Kevin Durant shoes nike

The saying goes, “Never judge a man until you’ve walk a mile in his shoes.”. The person who initially said that statement probably never met a superstar athlete with a shoe contract. All NBA fans (or wearers of athletic sneakers, for the matter) have walked around in a “man’s” shoes sometime in their lifetime. Be they Jordans, Kobes, LeBrons, KDs, D.Roses, Melos, etc, etc. Most of these shoes have one of 4 insignia on them: the Jordan Jumpman, the Nike swoosh, the Adidas 3-Lines, or the Reebok vector.

With Kevin Durant rumored to be signing a 10 year/$325 million dollar contact with UnderArmour, a new insignia might be forcing it’s way into our collective basketball minds. Under Armour got its start as a football-centric company, with their moisture-wicking clothing and testerone-induced advertising (“We Must Protect This House!”). Within the last 5 years though, UnderArmour  has been making a big push onto the hardwood. Their first big basketball move was signing recently graduated high school star Brandon Jennings, who eschewed the NCAA in favor of playing professionally overseas. Without the constraints of the NCAA, UnderArmour signed Jennings to a multi-year deal to promote their brand overseas. Although he has forged a good career, Jennings never quite became the star he was touted to be coming out of high school.

In September 2013, UnderArmour snagged their current flag bearer for the company’s basketball division. Steph Curry switched from Nike to UnderArmour, bringing clout to the company’s desire to ascend into the conscious (and bank accounts) of basketball fans everywhere. They had an okay stable of players on their roster, but Curry gave them a recognizable star to hang their hat on. But like the great teams in the league, one superstar is good, but two superstars are better.

steph curry shoes

Durant would push UnderArmour into a different stratosphere. The reigning MVP is fast becoming one of the most recognizable figures in the sport, not only nationally, but worldwide. His dominance in international play and constant presence in the later rounds of the playoffs have thrown Durant into the conversation for best player in the world. For UnderArmour’s name to be associated with Kevin Durant’s shoes would be a coup for the upstart company.

There would also be a hometown connection at play with UnderArmour. Their HQ’s are located in Baltimore, MD, which is relatively close to where Durant grew up. It can be speculated that Durant and UnderArmour CEO Kevin Plank have crossed paths numerous times in the DC/Maryland area. While Nike is the “it” brand in the NBA, Durant has let it be known that he is his own man. And if there is anyone that would be willing to take a chance on a hometown product, it would definitely be Durant.

A small side note on Durant: If he signs this deal, he will be on tap to have earned over $500 million for his career in salary and endorsements.

  • 2007 – Nike – $60 million
  • 2007 – Rookie contract – $16 million
  • 2010 – Contract Extension – $85 million
  • 2014 – Rumored Under Amour deal – $325 million
  • ________________________
  • Total – $486 million
  • Sprint, BBVA, Panini, 2K Sports, Skull Candy, Kind snacks, etc = Has to be over $14 million.

Related note: He’s only 25 years old. He’s halfway to earning a billion dollars with at least 10 years of earning potential left. Unless he “Tiger Woods” his life or is visited by the Injury Reaper, the basketball player from Oklahoma City may be well on his way to being one of only a few billionaire athletes. Kind of kills the whole “you need to be in a big market to increase your earning potential” talk.

Josh Huestis and the Paul George Injury

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paul george injury

First off, let’s get this out of the way. Josh Huestis is not Paul George. George is a two time All-Star, a two time member of the All-NBA third team, and a member of the 2014 NBA All-Defensive first team. Huestis, on the other hand, barely registered on the draft radar until he was surprisingly chosen at the end of the 1st round by the Oklahoma City Thunder. To say that these two would somehow intersect in the basketball stratosphere, would be surprising at best and insulting at worst. But in the wake of George’s catastrophic leg injury in Thursday’s Blue and White scrimmage, a case could be made that somehow intertwines their two stories.

As I previously wrote, Huestis and the Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to a one of  a kind deal the NBA had never seen. The American born Huestis agreed to become the first domestic draft and stash player that was drafted in the first round. He would hold off on signing his guaranteed rookie contract, and instead, would develop for a season under the guise of the Thunder’s D-League team. Huestis’ earnings would go from a guaranteed high of $900,000 to about $30,000. After a bit of backlash from NBA media members, the truth finally revealed that it was a joint deal concocted by both the Thunder and Huestis and his agent.

durant love coach k colangelo

After the George injury, Dallas Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban got back on his pedestal and started bellowing into his megaphone about the risk the teams were taking with their top players participating in international competition. In some respect, I do agree with Cuban. The NBA team takes all the risk when it comes to their player(s) participating in basketball related activities outside of the team’s scope. Players participating in USA basketball are the best of the best and their salaries usually reflect that. The Indiana Pacers signed George to a max contract (5 years/$92 million) last summer. This past season was the last year of George’s rookie contract, so his extension kicks in this upcoming season. Unfortunately for the Pacers, George will probably spend the first two years of his max extension working his way back into form. By the time he is fully healed, the championship contending Pacers team we’ve seen the the last two season may look entirely different.

While I do agree that NBA teams take the brunt of the risk, I don’t agree with his quest to stop NBA players from playing in international competitions. The USA basketball program under Jerry Colangelo and Coach K has been very organized and has had a near clean track record in regards to the health of the players. If I’m an owner, I would much rather have my guys practicing under the guise of an NBA-like practice, instead of playing with a bunch of no names on the blacktops in Manhattan or at the Drew League. In addition, while the competition between NBA players is fierce, there is probably a modicum of restraint in practice as all the players know the bigger goal in mind is making it to the gold medal game healthy and making it to training camp healthy.

josh huestis summer league

 

The one variable that was different between the Paul George injury occurring in the Thomas and Mack Center and that injury occurring in an NBA arena was the amount of space between the court and the goal’s stanchion. The play itself, a fast break block attempt, is one that happens numerous times in a game. Paul George has probably made that play thousands of times in his life time. This time, all the variables went against him, and he ended up with a grusome injury. That could have happened in the Thomas and Mack Center, just like it could have happened at Pauley Pavillion, just like it could have happened at Rucker Park, just like it could have happened at the Staples Center. Players play. That’s what they do. And they’d rather do it with their peers, as opposed to doing with a coach and a bunch of stationary chairs positioned on the court. As Kevin Durant said, “Steel sharpens steel.” Players push each other to get better. That is a rite of passage every offseason. I’d just rather have it done with Coach K screaming at the players instead of Hannibal “The Most Electrifying”.

But back to Huestis. While the teams are taking all the risk when it comes to international basketball, Huestis is taking all the risk when it comes to his career. The Thunder own Huestis’ rights, but if Huestis were to suffer a Paul George or Shaun Livingston-like injury in the D-League, it will be very interesting to see if the Thunder will just cut their losses and renounce Huestis’ rights, thus making him an unrestricted free agent. That was the objection that a lot of NBA writers put up when they heard about this deal. And that was all before the Paul George injury pierced through each one of our optic nerves. Now that we’ve been reminded that freak accidents happen when human beings are jumping and sprawling all over the place, I’m almost hoping that Huestis makes it out of this next season completely healthy. I have no doubt the Thunder would honor the first two years of Huestis’ contract out of sheer loyalty. Say what you want about how the Thunder operate, but player loyalty is never something they are lacking in. I just hope it doesn’t have to become a decision.