Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Notes: Paul, Carmelo, Daigneault

October 5th, 2020 at 10:39am CST by Luke Adams

Making an appearance on Sunday night’s broadcast of Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Thunder point guard Chris Paul was asked how he feels about spending the “twilight years” of his career with a retooling Oklahoma City team. As Tim Bontemps of ESPN details, Paul expressed no complaints about his time in OKC and seemed to welcome the idea of remaining with the club.

“I just love to hoop,” Paul said. “(Former Thunder coach) Billy Donovan was amazing. My teammates have been amazing. So, for me, you call it twilight years, I call it a blessing. Just being able to compete at a high level at 35 years old, (I’m going to) just keep rolling.”

Trade rumors have swirled around Paul since the day he was sent to OKC in July 2019. Having traded away Paul George, Russell Westbrook, and Jerami Grant and stockpiled draft picks, the Thunder were viewed as a strong candidate to go all-in on a rebuild. However, the team ended up keeping Paul and exceeded expectations during the 2019/20 season, compiling a 44-28 record and pushing the Rockets to seven games in the first round of the playoffs.

Paul, who now has just two years left on his pricey contract, figures to become a trade candidate again this offseason. But if the Thunder front office doesn’t find a deal it likes, it sounds like the veteran point guard will be fine with returning to Oklahoma City for at least one more season.

Here’s more on the Thunder:

Like Paul, Carmelo Anthony says he liked playing in Oklahoma City, though he admitted that the Thunder team he was a part of in 2017/18 didn’t outperform its expectations like this year’s group did. “For me personally, I actually really enjoyed my time at OKC. That team, I enjoyed it. Being around those guys, I enjoyed it,” Anthony said during an appearance on J.J. Redick‘s The Old Man and the Three podcast (link via Nick Crain of Forbes). “Granted, we didn’t do what we were supposed to do. The goal was to win with that team. We didn’t do it. We underachieved. … I wish OKC would’ve worked out.”
If the Thunder decide to stay in-house and promote a current assistant to fill their head coaching vacancy, Mark Daigneault would be a prime candidate, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, who takes a closer look at the OKC assistant.
In case you missed it last week, Precious Achiuwa, RJ Hampton, Tre Jones, and Tyrell Terry are among the draft-eligible prospects who have met with the Thunder.

Draft Notes: Achiuwa, Jones, Hampton, Terry

September 29th, 2020 at 7:36pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Potential top-10 selection Precious Achiuwa has interviewed with a number of lottery teams, Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype tweets. Achiuwa, a power forward who averaged 15.8 PPG and 10.8 MPG as a Memphis freshman last season, has talked to the Kings, Wizards, Knicks, Nets, Cavaliers, Suns, Spurs, Pistons and Thunder, among others. He’s currently listed at No. 10 overall on ESPN’s list of this year’s top 100 prospects.

We have more on the draft:

Duke point guard Tre Jones has spoken with the Bucks, Suns, Thunder and Timberwolves, among others, according to Kennedy (Twitter link). Jones had an interview lined up with the Bulls, but it was postponed due to their coaching change. Jones anticipates he’ll be a mid- to late-first round pick. He’s currently listed at No. 34 overall by ESPN.
Combo guard RJ Hampton, who played last season in Australia’s NBL, has talked to the Wizards, Kings, Thunder, Pistons, Suns, Trail Blazers, Knicks and Bulls, Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington tweets. He posted modest stats in 15 NBL games before suffering a hip flexor injury and returning the U.S. Hampton is currently ranked No. 13 by ESPN and Hughes speculates he could be a late lottery steal like Michael Porter Jr., who sat out for a year after getting drafted by the Nuggets.
Stanford point guard Tyrell Terry has interviewed with the Suns, Thunder, 76ers, Raptors, Knicks, Nets, Warriors, Timberwolves and Bulls, Kennedy tweets. He’s pegged at No. 42 in ESPN’s rankings. He averaged 14.6 PPG, 4.5 RPG and 3.2 APG as a freshman.

Tramel: How Rivers' Split With Clipers Could Benefit Thunder

September 29th, 2020 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

In a pair of columns for The Oklahoman, Berry Tramel makes the case that the Bulls’ future isn’t necessarily brighter than the Thunder‘s despite Billy Donovan‘s decision to leave Oklahoma City for Chicago, and explains how the Clippers’ split with Doc Rivers could indirectly help the Thunder.

Thunder Promote Rob Hennigan, Will Dawkins, Others

September 29th, 2020 at 10:08am CST by Luke Adams

Following the spring departure of vice president of basketball operations Troy Weaver, the Thunder have announced a series of promotions within their front office, including the filling of Weaver’s old role. Those promotions are as follows:

Rob Hennigan to VP of basketball operations
Will Dawkins to VP of basketball operations
Jesse Gould to VP of strategy and analytics
Wynn Sullivan to VP of strategy and design
Brandon Barnett to director of player personnel
Nazr Mohammed to pro personnel evaluator and GM of the Oklahoma City Blue
Paul Johnson to assistant GM of the OKC Blue

The Thunder also confirmed the previously-reported hiring of former Rivals.com analyst Corey Evans as an amateur scout.

“We are proud of the continued evolution of our Executive Team and the promotions of many long-tenured Thunder team members,” executive VP of basketball operations Sam Presti said in a statement. “These individuals have demonstrated a consistent commitment to our vision for Thunder basketball on and off the floor, and we are grateful for their contributions. The continued leadership development of our entire staff is essential to our focus of sustaining an elite basketball infrastructure.”

The promotions of Hennigan and Dawkins are most notable, as they appear poised to take on more senior positions in the front office following Weaver’s exit. Hennigan is in his second stint with the franchise, having left Oklahoma City to become Orlando’s GM for five years from 2012-17, while Dawkins has risen through OKC’s basketball operations department for over a decade after starting as an intern in 2008.

Mohammed’s new role is also worth noting. The former NBA center first joined Oklahoma City’s front office in December 2017 and has gone through an “extensive post-playing transition program for former players” during his three years as an executive, per today’s announcement from the team.

Windhorst’s Latest: Coaching Rumors

September 25th, 2020 at 6:18pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Pacers have interviewed more than 20 candidates for their head coaching opening and are now scheduling second interviews, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN.

Appearing on The Jump (video link) on Friday, Windhorst said that former Kings coach Dave Joerger, Bucks assistant Darvin Ham and 76ers assistant Ime Udoka are among the candidates expected to receive second interviews with the Pacers. ESPN analyst Chauncey Billups is also in the mix.

Windhorst doled out a number of other tidbits regarding coaching vacancies:

The Sixers have focused in on two high-profile candidates, Mike D’Antoni and Tyronn Lue, and that could impact what the Pelicans will do. New Orleans is “very interested” in Clippers assistant Lue, who won a championship in Cleveland with current Pelicans executive David Griffin. However, the Pelicans may have to wait until Philadelphia decides what it wants to do before pursuing Lue in earnest.
The Thunder appear to be going into rebuild mode and that increases the chances it will hire a first-time head coach. Timberwolves associate head coach David Vanterpool, Raptors assistant Adrian Griffin and perhaps Spurs assistant Will Hardy have emerged as contenders for the job.
As previously reported, the Rockets are looking seriously at Clippers assistant and former Houston player Sam Cassell and ESPN analyst Jeff Van Gundy.

Coaching Rumors: Donovan, Billups, Bjorkgren, Walton

September 23rd, 2020 at 11:04am CST by Arthur Hill

Bulls executive VP of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas made a personal connection with Billy Donovan that helped him land his new coach, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said this morning on “Keyshawn, JWill & Zubin” (video link). After Donovan left the Thunder two weeks ago, Karnisovas wanted to set up a meeting right away, according to Woj. The Bulls executive flew to Donovan’s Florida home a few days later and was able to sell him on the job.

Wojnarowski notes that Chicago has a recent history of taking chances on college coaches and veteran assistants, but has rarely hired someone with previous NBA head coaching experience. He adds that the Bulls have the talent to compete for a playoff spot in the East and Donovan could turn them into a desirable market for free agents.

Donovan said he didn’t want to be part of a rebuilding job in OKC, but Wojnarowski believes that will be less of a concern in Chicago. He said the Thunder are “cycling down” with a lot of veteran players and draft picks and may bottom out for a while before becoming good again. The Bulls have “players on the uptick” and could become contenders with the right coach.

There’s more on the NBA’s coaching carousel:

Wojnarowski passed along a few other rumors today (video link). The Sixers are ready to start bringing in coaching candidates and have already started conversations with Mike D’Antoni and Tyronn Lue. Chauncey Billups is a name to watch for the Pacers, who have shown a willingness to hire former players with no coaching experience and surround them with a veteran staff. The Pelicans have been doing a “ton of background” and haven’t started formal interviews yet. The Rockets like interviewing a lot of people whenever they have an opening and will consider various combinations of head coaches and lead assistants. Woj expects the interview process to be lengthy in both Houston and Oklahoma City.
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told Sirius XM Radio that assistant Nate Bjorkgren has interviewed for the opening with the Pacers (Twitter link).
The Kings‘ front office shakeup shouldn’t affect the job security of coach Luke Walton, Sam Amick of The Athletic said on a recent HoopsHype podcast. Amick believes new head of basketball operations Monte McNair was told before he was hired that the organization is “pretty invested both financially and kind of spiritually in Luke.”

Kevin Hervey Signs With Russian Team

September 21st, 2020 at 1:11pm CST by Luke Adams

After spending most of the 2019/20 season with the Thunder, power forward Kevin Hervey has signed a one-year contract with Russia’s Lokomotiv Kuban, the team announced today (via Twitter).

The 57th overall pick in the 2018 draft out of UT Arlington, Hervey was stashed in the G League by Oklahoma City during his first professional season. He was eventually promoted to the NBA club in December 2019, when he signed a two-way contract with the Thunder.

Hervey spent the rest of the ’19/20 campaign in OKC, where he made his NBA debut but saw limited playing time overall, averaging 1.7 PPG and 1.2 RPG in 10 games (5.2 MPG). He had been set to reach free agency this fall, but it appears the Thunder let him out of his contract early, a signal that he wasn’t in the club’s future plans.

Hervey is one of a handful of NBA free-agents-to-be who have already lined up new deals with international teams, joining the likes of Ante Zizic (Maccabi Tel Aviv) and Johnathan Williams (Galatasaray).

Proposing Potential Trade Scenarios Involving Chris Paul

September 20th, 2020 at 6:48pm CST by JD Shaw

Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman proposes three trade scenarios for the Thunder involving star point guard Chris Paul, who led the franchise to a 44-28 record this season and received All-NBA Second Team honors. Multiple teams are said to have interest in Paul, 35, though his contract ($41.35MM next season and $44.21MM player option in 2021-22) would make any potential deal challenging. It’s also unclear how motivated Oklahoma City is to move him.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Discusses His Future In Milwaukee

September 19th, 2020 at 3:54pm CST by Arthur Hill

Bucks management had to be encouraged by Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s first public comments after winning his second consecutive MVP on Friday. Appearing from Greece on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Antetokounmpo speculated about a lengthy future with the franchise (Twitter link).

“As long as everybody’s on the same page and as long as everybody’s fighting for the same thing,” he said, “fighting for the same thing every single day, which is to be a champion, I don’t see why not to be in Milwaukee for the next 15 years.”

Antetokounmpo could go a long way toward making that happen by accepting a maximum extension that the Bucks have promised to put on the table this offseason. That new contract would take effect with the 2021/22 season and could be worth more than $250MM over five years, depending on what happens with the salary cap.

If Antetokounmpo turns down the extension and opts for free agency, he’ll become the top player in what could be a loaded market next summer. The Bucks could still offer more years and a higher salary than any of their competitors, but they would prefer to get a long-term deal completed as soon as possible.

Bobby Marks of ESPN offers a preview of what the market for Antetoukoumpo might look like. He notes that Milwaukee has strung together two straight impressive regular seasons and won’t need a full roster overhaul to be in the title race. Marks suggests the Bucks might be interested in Thunder guard Chris Paul, but isn’t sure if a package of Eric Bledsoe, Robin Lopez (if he opts into his current deal), Ersan Ilyasova, D.J. Wilson and draft picks would be enough to get a deal done.

If Antetoukoumpo opts for free agency, Marks has Miami in the “driver’s seat” to land him. The Heat already have two All-Stars in Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, along with a collection of young talent. They can keep their current core together by offering free agent guard Goran Dragic a one-year, $20MM contract this summer, then renouncing his rights to clear room for Antetokounmpo in 2021 and re-signing Dragic with their $4.8MM room exception.

Marks lists the Raptors, Mavericks and Knicks as other serious contenders to add Antetoukoumpo in free agency, along with the Lakers if LeBron James is willing to sacrifice $16.2MM in his 2021/22 salary.

NBA Announces 2019/20 All-NBA Teams

September 16th, 2020 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA has officially announced its All-NBA teams for the 2019/20 season. Voting was completed prior to the league’s restart in July and was based on results through March 11.

Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Lakers forward LeBron James, widely considered the two frontrunners for this year’s MVP award, were the only two players to be unanimously voted to the All-NBA First Team this season. Rockets guard James Harden, Lakers big man Anthony Davis, and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic rounded out the First Team.

The full All-NBA teams are listed below, with their vote totals in parentheses. Players received five points for a First Team vote, three points for a Second Team vote, and one point for a Third Team vote, so Giannis and LeBron scored a perfect 500 — First Team nods from all 100 voters.

All-NBA First Team

Guard: James Harden, Rockets (474)
Guard: Luka Doncic, Mavericks (416)
Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks (500)
Forward: LeBron James, Lakers (500)
Center: Anthony Davis, Lakers (455)

All-NBA Second Team

Guard: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers (284)
Guard: Chris Paul, Thunder (199)
Forward: Kawhi Leonard, Clippers (371)
Forward: Pascal Siakam, Raptors (168)
Center: Nikola Jokic, Nuggets (311)

All-NBA Third Team

Guard: Ben Simmons, Sixers (61)
Guard: Russell Westbrook, Rockets (56)
Forward: Jayson Tatum, Celtics (153)
Forward: Jimmy Butler, Heat (147)
Center: Rudy Gobert, Jazz (110)

Among the players who just missed the cut were Bucks forward Khris Middleton (82 points), Sixers center Joel Embiid (79), Wizards guard Bradley Beal (32), and Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (26). A total of 11 other players also received at least one All-NBA vote — the full results can be found right here.

Today’s announcement is great news from a financial perspective for Siakam and Simmons. As a result of Siakam’s Second Team nod and Simmons’ Third Team spot, both players will earn starting salaries worth 28% of the 2020/21 salary cap, rather than 25%. Players who sign rookie scale extensions can earn maximum salaries up to 30% of the cap if they negotiate Rose Rule language into their deals.

The exact value of those new contracts will depend on where exactly the ’20/21 cap lands. Assuming it stays the same as in 2019/20 ($109.141MM), Siakam’s four-year extension would be worth $136.9MM instead of the $122.2MM it’d be worth if it started at 25% of the cap. Simmons’ five-year pact would be worth $177.2MM rather than $158.3MM.

While it’s also worth noting that All-NBA berths are of great importance to players seeking super-max contracts, there aren’t any real developments to report on that front as a result of this year’s votes. Antetokounmpo and Gobert remain eligible for super-max extensions, but they’d already qualified based on their previous accolades.

Embiid would have become super-max eligible in 2021 if he had earned an All-NBA spot, but he’ll need to make an All-NBA team next season to gain eligibility now, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets.

Hoops Rumors readers accurately picked 12 of this season’s 15 All-NBA players in our spring poll. Beal, Embiid, and Devin Booker were your picks who didn’t make the official list. Of the 12 who made it, 11 made the exact team you projected, with Paul (who made Second Team instead of Third Team) representing the only exception.

Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.