5:33pm: The signing is official, the Thunder announce via press release.
“We are excited to add Josh to our roster as he allows us to continue to increase our depth through his athleticism and versatility,” GM Sam Presti said. “Josh knows our culture and our organization as a result of his time with the Blue [Oklahoma City’s D-League affiliate] and we look forward to his continued development with the Thunder.”
JULY 30TH, 5:00pm: Huestis has signed his rookie scale contract, reports Shams Charania of RealGM (Twitter link), though the Thunder have yet to make an official announcement. The addition of Huestis gives Oklahoma City 15 fully guaranteed contracts.
JULY 14TH, 2:12pm: The Thunder are expected to fill the roster spot that their agreement to trade Perry Jones III will open up with Josh Huestis, last year’s No. 29 overall pick, reports Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). Huestis spent the past year in the D-League as part of unique arrangement in which he promised to play for Oklahoma City’s affiliate in exchange for having been drafted in the first round.
Huestis wasn’t a likely first-round prospect coming into the draft, but it appears he’s headed for a rookie scale contract. Such deals are given out only to first-rounders, and they include two seasons of guaranteed salary. His contract, should indeed he sign this year, would be based off the 2015 rookie scale, so he’d get a salary worth more than $1.140MM for this season, with another guaranteed year of more than $1.191MM coming his way if he signs for the standard 120% of the rookie scale. Assuming such, the full amount of his rookie scale contract would be nearly $5.818MM, as our table of first-round salaries shows.
The Toby Bailey client nonetheless seemed willing as of this spring to play another year in the D-League. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him make frequent appearances with OKC’s D-League team again this year, though if he’s on an NBA contract, he’d continue to draw his NBA salary while doing so. The small forward’s stats weren’t eye-popping this past season for the Thunder affiliate, as he averaged 10.3 points and 5.7 rebounds in 33.1 minutes per game.
He sorry bad movd
What are the Thunder gonna do about their luxury tax situation? Make another move now, or wait until the trade deadline to see if they’ll make the playoffs in the West? How much is Hinkie gonna charge them, Sixers already own their next years pick if they make the playoffs? What do they have to give? In order to move $11M, they’d have to get rid of Novak, Collison, Robeson and 1st round pick, Cameron Payne? Sixers need a point guard after plucking #8 pick Nik Stauskas from Sacramento. Portland’s the only team with space. What would they charge? Heat’s in the same boat as OKC, but worse cuz of the repeater tax. Is Justise Winslow worth $33M if that’s what Hinkie charges for taking on Chalmers, Anderson and Haslam? They’ll probably wait until the Trade Deadline too, to see if they’ll be getting that playoff cake. If injuries derail them again, either Portland or the Sixers have em over a barrel.
And riddle me this? What sense did it make for OKC to make a draft promise to Cameron Payne? OKC has Russell Westbrook and DJ Augustin? Is he gonna agree to be stashed? Or was that a leak concerning negotiations between Presti and Hinkie? Presti wins round one after Hinkie fails to trade into the back of the lottery for Jerian Grant or Delon Wright. He’s telling Hinkie he can have Payne right now if he takes the chaff and gives them back their 2016. Hinkie scoffs, insisting on Payne and that OKC release the protection on the 2016 pick (just in case OKC decides to tank after losing Durant), plus the right to swap picks from 2018-2020. Presti says no thank you, I’ll keep Payne and pay the tax, since the TV money is coming in. Hinkie says, “Cool, I owe Riley a call back anyway. You know the price goes up in February, though, right?”
If you’re not a contender, the best thing you can have is cap space.