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2018 Offseason In Review: Oklahoma City Thunder

October 12th, 2018 at 9:59pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Hoops Rumors is breaking down the 2018 offseason for all 30 NBA teams, revisiting the summer’s free agent signings, trades, draft picks, departures, and more. We’ll evaluate each team’s moves from the last several months and look ahead to what the 2018/19 season holds for all 30 franchises. Today, we’re focusing on the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Signings:

Standard contracts:
- Paul George: Four years, maximum salary ($136.91MM). Fourth-year player option. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Jerami Grant: Three years, $27.35MM. Third-year player option. Re-signed using Bird rights.
- Nerlens Noel: Two years, minimum salary. Second-year player option. Signed using minimum salary exception.
- Raymond Felton: One year, minimum salary. Signed using minimum salary exception.
Two-way contracts:
- Deonte Burton
- Tyler Davis
Non-guaranteed camp contracts:
- Abdul Gaddy: One year, minimum salary.
- Donte Grantham: One year, minimum salary.
- Scotty Hopson: One year, minimum salary.
- Dez Wells: One year, minimum salary.
- Bryce Alford: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- K.J. McDaniels: One year, minimum salary (waived).
- Richard Solomon: One year, minimum salary (waived).

Trades:

Acquired the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo (No. 45 pick) from the Hornets in exchange for the Thunder’s 2019 second-round pick and cash ($243K).
Acquired Rodney Purvis from the Magic in exchange for Dakari Johnson and cash ($1,978,242).
Acquired Abdel Nader and cash ($450K) from the Celtics in exchange for Rodney Purvis.
Acquired Dennis Schroder and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot in a three-way trade with the Hawks and Sixers in exchange for Carmelo Anthony (to Hawks) and the Thunder’s 2022 first-round pick (top-14 protected) (to Hawks).

Draft picks:

2-45: Hamidou Diallo — Signed to three-year, minimum salary contract. First two years guaranteed. Third-year team option. Signed using taxpayer mid-level exception.
2-53: Devon Hall — Will play overseas.
2-57: Kevin Hervey — Signed to G League contract.

Departing players:

Carmelo Anthony
Corey Brewer
Nick Collison (retired)
P.J. Dozier (two-way)
Daniel Hamilton (two-way)
Josh Huestis
Dakari Johnson
Kyle Singler (waived)

Other offseason news:

Andre Roberson suffered setback, expected to be out until at least December.
Hired Bob Beyer as assistant coach to replace Adrian Griffin.

Salary cap situation:

Remained over the cap.
Carrying approximately $145.6MM in guaranteed salaries.
Projected tax bill of $73.8MM.
$4.5MM of taxpayer mid-level exception still available ($838K used on Hamidou Diallo).

Check out the Oklahoma City Thunder’s full roster and depth chart at RosterResource.com.

Story of the summer:

The Thunder knew that trading for Paul George a year before he hit unrestricted free agency was a huge gamble. George had already expressed his desire to return to his home state of California and play in Los Angeles, which motivated Indiana to seek the best deal it could find for the All-Star forward.

What made it an even bigger risk was that George would be joining forces with Russell Westbrook. Oklahoma City had already seen a former league Most Valuable Player, Kevin Durant, ditch the franchise in part because he never completely warmed up to the headstrong All-Star point guard.

The Thunder’s brass still figured it was worth a dice roll. In order to remain competitive in the Western Conference, the Thunder needed a top-shelf forward to complement Westbrook. When the calendar approached July 1st, everyone associated with the franchise held their breath. Turns out, they had nothing to worry about.

George decided weeks before the start of free agency he wasn’t going anywhere. He didn’t even bother meeting with the Lakers before signing a four-year mega-deal with OKC that includes a player option in the final year of the pact.

As George explained shortly afterward, “Loved the situation. Loved where I was at. I decided to stick around a little longer. … I just wanted my free agency to be over with.”

Without George, the Thunder would have become over-reliant on Westbrook, as they did the season after Durant bolted, and struggled just to make the playoffs. With him, they remain one of the few teams that could threaten Golden State’s supremacy.

Key offseason losses:

OKC’s other big move last offseason was to acquire Carmelo Anthony and his creaky knees from the Knicks.

Anthony proved to be surprisingly durable, appearing in 78 regular-season games, his highest total since the 2005/06 season. The problem was that Anthony never truly fit in with two other prolific scorers in the lineup. He attempted a career-low 16.8 shots per game and made 4o.4%, the worst of his career.

He was also a liability on defense and wanted out after seeing his playing time reduced during the postseason. Oklahoma City was fortunate to find a taker, though it had to forward a future first-rounder to sweeten the pot.

Corey Brewer started all six of the Thunder’s playoff games but they didn’t have any interest in re-signing him. Josh Huestis saw action in 69 games, including 10 starts, but didn’t take enough advantage of those opportunities after spending most of his first two seasons in the G League.

Key offseason additions:

Atlanta soured on Dennis Schroder as its starting point guard but the Thunder, who acquired him in the Anthony deal, view him as a key part of their revamped rotation. Schroder brings more pop to the second unit and can start while Westbrook mends from minor knee surgery. The Thunder can also go with some two point-guard looks if the situation dictates, considering that shooting guard Andre Roberson is still dealing with complications from his major knee injury last season.

Jerami Grant played regularly on the second unit last season and the Thunder were determined to keep him in free agency, even when Anthony’s situation was still unsettled. He’ll now move into the lineup, taking over Anthony’s spot. Grant can’t approach Anthony as an offensive threat but he should be a better overall fit playing alongside George and Steven Adams on a regular basis. In the first-round playoffs, against the Jazz, the Thunder had a +8.9 net rating when Grant was on the court, and a -17.1 net rating when he was on the bench.

Management took a low-cost flier on Nerlens Noel, whose career has nosedived since a promising start in Philadelphia. Noel only appeared in 30 games with Dallas last season, in part due to injuries, but he can provide low-post scoring as Adams’ primary backup this season.

Outlook for 2018/19:

Assuming Westbrook doesn’t have any setbacks, the Thunder should be back in the postseason. The Westbrook-George duo will put constant pressure on opposing defenses and they won’t have to defer to another ball-dominant veteran (Anthony) this season. Adams, one of the league’s most underrated big men, delivers a physical presence and a measure of nastiness inside.

If Roberson can return during the second half of the season, their postseason outlook would brighten. He’s the closest thing the team has to a lock-down defender and the other options it has at shooting guard seem more like stopgaps than solutions.

Schroder adds another dimension to the offense and he should be a prime candidate for the league’s Sixth Man award.

The Thunder still don’t have the appearance of a championship team, at least not when compared to Warriors and Rockets. The return of George should get Oklahoma City through the opening round this season but an appearance in the conference semifinals looks like their ceiling.

Salary information from Basketball Insiders was used in the creation of this post. Photos courtesy of USA Today Sports Images. Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Thunder Waive Four Players

October 12th, 2018 at 6:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder have waived guards Abdul Gaddy and Scotty Hopson and forwards Donte Grantham and Dez Wells, according to a team press release.

The moves pare Oklahoma City’s training camp roster to 16 players.

Gaddy saw spot duty in four preseason games. He has mostly played overseas since going undrafted out of Washington in 2013.

Grantham, Hopson and Wells were signed earlier this week. All could wind up with the team’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, once they clear waivers.

Grantham was averaging a career-best 14.2 PPG and 6.9 RPG for Clemson last season before tearing his ACL in January.

Hopson played in Turkey last season, averaging 11.1 PPG and 3.6 RPG in 27 games with Galatasaray. He played one game with the Mavericks last year after signing a 10-day contract in February and played two games for the Cavaliers in 2013/14.

Wells played in Italy last season, averaging 11.3 PPG and 2.7 RPG in 52 games with Sidigas Avellino.

Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Schroder, Neto, Harkless

October 11th, 2018 at 8:41pm CST by JD Shaw

Thunder guard Russell Westbrook is progressing in his rehab from knee surgery, though it’s unclear when he’ll make his return to the court, Royce Young of ESPN.com writes.

Westbrook underwent arthroscopic surgery in his right knee on September 12, and the former NBA Most Valuable Player is still unable to participate in full-contact drills. His status for Tuesday’s season-opener against Golden State is uncertain.

“Every day for him, he feels better and better,” coach Billy Donovan said after a team practice Thursday. “I don’t want to say [if he’ll be ready for Tuesday]. I know you guys want to know that, but that’s too far out and there will be a lot of things that will go into that decision.

“There’s certain things he’ll have to go through to get himself fully cleared to play, but he’s certainly moving in the right direction and he’s worked really hard at his rehab to get himself back.”

Despite not being able to play with full contact, Westbrook has participated in portions of team practices this month. The Thunder hope he can make his return next week, but they refuse to rush the process.

“He’s been in controlled situations that the medical staff has allowed him to do,” Donovan said. “And hopefully with the way he responds physically after going through a workout, they’ll be able to add a little bit more and more.”

There’s more notes out of the Northwest Division:

Like Westbrook, Trail Blazers forward Maurice Harkless may also miss his team’s season opener, according to Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. Harkless has dealt with a sore left knee, a lingering injury that stems from when he underwent surgery in March. Portland opens its season next Thursday against the Lakers.
Jazz guard Raul Neto is slated to miss at least two more weeks of action, the team announced this week. Neto is dealing with a right hamstring injury and will be sidelined to start the regular season.
Dennis Schroder has refocused after leaving the Hawks and is looking forward to a new season with the Thunder, Brett Dawson of The Athletic writes.

Thunder Sign Scotty Hopson, Dez Wells

October 10th, 2018 at 6:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder moved back to the preseason limit of 20 players today, announcing a series of signings in a press release. Veteran guard Scotty Hopson and forward Dez Wells joined the team, along with forward Donte Grantham, whose signing has been expected since late August.

Hopson played in Turkey last season, averaging 11.1 points and 3.6 rebounds in 27 games with Galatasaray. He got into one game with the Mavericks last year after signing a 10-day contract in February and played two games for the Cavaliers in 2013/14.

Wells was in Italy last season, averaging 11.3 points and 2.7 rebounds per night in 52 games with Sidigas Avellino.

The Thunder created the openings this morning by waiving Bryce Alford, K.J. McDaniels and Richard Solomon , who may all wind up in the G League with Oklahoma City Blue.

Thunder Sign Donte Grantham

October 10th, 2018 at 6:42pm CST by clarkcrum

OCTOBER 10: The signing is official, according to Real GM.

AUGUST 26: The Thunder are signing former Clemson forward Donte Grantham to a one-year contract, reports TigerNet.com. Terms have not yet been disclosed but it’s likely a training camp deal with little to no guaranteed money.

Before tearing his ACL in January, Grantham was averaging a career-best 14.2 points and 6.9 rebounds per game for the Tigers while also shooting a career-high 56.0 percent from the floor and 41.9 percent from 3-point range.

Despite injuring his knee as a senior, Grantham, 23, still became just the sixth player in Clemson history to amass 1,000 points, 500 rebounds and 200 assists in a career. He finished his four-year career with the Tigers starting 113 out of 114 career games and leaves as the 33rd leading scorer in program history.

Meanwhile, the Thunder already have a roster full of guaranteed salaries, so it’s likely that the team is planning on Grantham playing for the Oklahoma City Blue, its G League affiliate.

Thunder Waive Alford, McDaniels, Solomon

October 10th, 2018 at 9:51am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have waived three players from their preseason roster, the team confirmed today in a press release, announcing that guard Bryce Alford, forward K.J. McDaniels, and center Richard Solomon have been released.

Although Alford, McDaniels, and Solomon joined the Thunder for training camp and the preseason, they were never considered likely to make the club’s regular season roster. However, they could end up playing in the G League for the Thunder’s affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, assuming they clear waivers.

After today’s roster moves, the Thunder now have 17 players under contract, including 14 on guaranteed salaries and two on two-way contracts.

While Oklahoma City could technically carry its current squad into the regular season, the club will likely leave its 15th roster spot open to start the season to avoid increasing its projected tax bill. Still, the team’s final non-guaranteed player – Abdul Gaddy – remains on the roster for now.

Northwest Notes: Roberson, Ingles, Timberwolves

October 6th, 2018 at 9:04pm CST by Arthur Hill

With Andre Roberson now out until at least December, the Thunder won’t rush into the free agency market to find a replacement, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Coach Billy Donovan plans to give closer evaluation to players who have either been injured or haven’t been used in prominent roles during training camp, such as Abdel Nader, Alex Abrines and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.

“That’s something [general manager] Sam [Presti] and I will probably talk about together with [assistant GM] Troy [Weaver], the three of us would,” Donovan said, “but right now having the number of players that we have on the roster for training camp, there’s enough.”

Oklahoma City has 14 players with guaranteed contracts, so a roster spot is available if the team opts for the free agent route. The Thunder are well over the luxury tax line with a team salary in excess of $145MM, but they cut their tax bill by about $20MM by waiving and stretching Kyle Singler. OKC has its entire $5.6MM taxpayer mid-level exception available.

There’s more tonight from the Northwest Division:

Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau isn’t willing to brush aside his team’s slow starts as a product of the preseason, relays Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. Minnesota’s first unit fell behind 34-22 in Wednesday’s game against the Clippers and 31-20 after one quarter Friday against the Thunder. “You can fall into a trap thinking it’s preseason, we’ll get it, we’ll get it,” Thibodeau said. “That fact of the matter is, we open in 12 days. So the urgency has to be there.” Part of the problem, of course, is that the Wolves are missing a key member of their starting five as Jimmy Butler has remained in limbo since issuing his trade request.
Jazz forward Joe Ingles believes he’s among the league’s best shooters, relays Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News. He has the statistics to back up that statement, shooting 44% from 3-point range over the past two seasons. “The numbers I’ve shot, the percentages, they obviously are what they are and people are going to dissect everything,” Ingles said, “but, I honestly feel like they’re all going to go in when I shoot the ball.”
The Timberwolves have announced a few promotions, naming Todd Checovich as scout/GM for the G League Iowa Wolves, Nick Restifo as senior basketball operations analyst and Troy Sutton as head strength and conditioning coach.

Thunder Second-Rounder Kevin Hervey To Play In G League

October 4th, 2018 at 8:46pm CST by JD Shaw

Rookie forward Kevin Hervey has signed an NBA G League contract, tweets Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days. The Thunder selected Hervey with the No. 57 pick in the draft last June, with the team set to hold his rights in the G League.

Hervey, 22, spent four seasons at the University of Texas at Arlington before declaring for the NBA Draft. At 6-foot-8, 230 pounds, he has the ability to play both the small forward and power forward positions. He averaged 20.5 points per contest in his senior season last year.

The Thunder have opted to send other draft picks to the G League in recent seasons, including Josh Huestis and Dakari Johnson.

Hervey is represented by agent Michael Tellem of CAA Sports.

Andre Roberson Suffers Setback, Out At Least Two Months

October 4th, 2018 at 7:20pm CST by JD Shaw

Thunder forward Andre Roberson will miss at least two more months of action after suffering a setback in his rehab from knee surgery, tweets Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. Roberson had a procedure on Thursday to alleviate irritation in his left knee caused by a suture.

Roberson could be sidelined for more than two months, with the team set to reevaluate his status in early December. The setback stems from when he ruptured his patellar tendon in January. He resumed various running activities this fall, but was unable to participate in contact drills.

“You don’t replace him,” head coach Billy Donovan said at the time. “It’s no different than having a guy that gets 25 points a game and goes out. You’re not going to have one person go out and replace 25 points.”

Despite not averaging 25 points per contest, Roberson is an accomplished defensive presence and important cog in the team’s plans. He often guards the opposing team’s best player, willing to do whatever it takes to help his team win games.

Roberson, who was drafted with the 26th pick in 2013, is set to enter his sixth professional season. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team in 2017 and remains a top defensive player when healthy.

NBA GMs Weigh In On 2018/19 Season

October 3rd, 2018 at 9:48am CST by Luke Adams

NBA.com has completed its annual survey of NBA general managers, with John Schuhmann of NBA.com asking each of the league’s 30 GMs to answer an array of questions about the league’s top teams, players, and coaches. Unsurprisingly, the Warriors are once again viewed by the NBA’s general managers as the overwhelming favorites to be the last team standing, with 26 of 30 GMs (87%) picking Golden State to win the NBA championship for the fourth time in five years.

While there are many responses in the GM survey worth checking out, we’ll focus on rounding up some of the more noteworthy ones related to rosters and player movement. Let’s dive in…

LeBron James (30%) and Kevin Durant (27%) are viewed as the frontrunners for the 2018/19 MVP award, but two younger players led the voting for the player GMs would most want to build a franchise around starting today. Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (30%) and Pelicans big man Anthony Davis (23%) led the way in that category. Interestingly, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns didn’t receive a single vote this year after leading the way with 29% of the vote in 2017.
The Lakers‘ signing of James helped them earn 70% of the vote for the team that made the best overall moves this offseason. The Raptors, buoyed by their acquisition of Kawhi Leonard, finished second at 20%.
A ton of different signings and trade acquisitions received votes for the most underrated addition of the summer, with the Pacers‘ signing of Tyreke Evans barely leading the way with four votes. The Spurs‘ trade for DeMar DeRozan, the Bulls‘ signing of Jabari Parker, the Pelicans‘ addition of Julius Randle, and the Thunder‘s acquisition of Dennis Schroder received three votes apiece.
DeMarcus Cousins‘ decision to join the Warriors (35%) was considered the most surprising move of the offseason, followed by the Spurs/Raptors blockbuster trade (29%) and Paul George remaining with the Thunder (19%).
While Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is the strong frontrunner for Rookie of the Year, GMs expect Suns center Deandre Ayton and Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. to be the best players five years from now. Meanwhile, the Clippers‘ selection of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 11 was viewed by the most GMs as the steal of the draft.
The Sixers (47%) and Celtics (33%) dominated voting for the teams with the most promising young cores.