Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Paul George Discusses Lakers’ Chatter, Offseason Trade

January 2nd, 2018 at 6:56pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Paul George, who can hit free agency after the season, has been linked to the Lakers for years and all the chatter over the offseason resulted in Los Angeles absorbing a $500K fine for violating the league’s anti-tampering rules.

George previously described the talk of his desire to play in Los Angeles as “overstated,” while maintaining that winning is the top priority. Today, he told the media that he has no regrets about discussing the Lakers and reiterated that he’s not solely focused on playing in his home state.

“No, no regrets at all. All that was said was that a destination I would love to go to,” George said (via NBA.com). “There wasn’t, you know, a ‘hey, gunpoint to the head, send me here.’ I just stated somewhere that I wanted to go play. You ask 80, 70 percent of the guys in the league if they would love to go back home and play for their city, play for their home, that’s all I stated. I would have loved to go back home and play for my city.”

George also briefly touched upon the deal that sent him to the Thunder during the media session. “I thought this trade that went down was a win-win for both sides,” the small forward added. Oklahoma City sent out Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to the Pacers to bring PG13 to town.

George, who was a huge fan of Los Angeles and Kobe Bryant growing up, will play the Lakers in the Staples Center for the first and only time this season on Wednesday, as the Thunder will not make another trip to the city to take on Magic Johnson’s squad.

NBA Competition Committee To Review Out-Of-Bounds Replays

December 31st, 2017 at 7:15pm CST by clarkcrum

Just last week we highlighted how the growing tension between NBA players and officials had gotten to a point where leaders of their respective unions felt compelled to meet. Then, in response to an NBA Officiating Last Two Minute Report, LeBron James came out and stated that the issue irking him most about the officiating is when an official refuses to acknowledge that an infraction occurred (per Dave McMenamin of ESPN).

Now, based at least in large part on a call missed by the officials during the Bucks win over the Thunder on Friday night, the NBA’s competition committee will look into making missed out-of-bounds calls replayable, according to Royce Young of ESPN.

The controversial non-call occurred with less than 5.0 seconds remaining in the game. The Bucks called timeout and set up a play for Giannis Antetokounmpo, who spun around Josh Huestis and finished with a dunk over Russell Westbrook. However, replays visible in the arena clearly showed that Antetokounmpo stepped out of bounds on his way to the hoop.

Unfortunately for the Thunder, the officials were not permitted to review the play because it did not meet the criteria to trigger a review. In order for a review to be triggered under the current replay system, the officials would have needed to make a call on the floor signaling that Antetokounmpo was out of bounds.

As succinctly explained by head official Derrick Stafford after Friday’s game, “In any reviewable matter, there has to be a whistle called on the floor. There was no whistle blown for the play, so we couldn’t review it.”

The NBA’s competition committee will meet in March to discuss this and other issues, but a change, if any, would not be implemented until the 2018-19 season.

Northwest Notes: Westbrook, Huestis, Abrines, Jones, Jazz

December 30th, 2017 at 10:27am CST by marksuleymanov

In the middle of the Thunder’s resurgence and winning streak has been reigning NBA Most Valuable Player, Russell Westbrook. As Oklahoma City has tried to create a balance for Westbrook and two other All-Stars, Carmelo Anthony and Paul George, the team has struggled to find consistency. Playing behind Westbrook’s lead and not with him trying to lead is how the Thunder will find success, ESPN’s Royce Young writes.

After a slow start, OKC is in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 20-16 record. Anthony believes that Westbrook’s hot streak and the team’s improved play are no coincidence.

“I think the fact that Russ is just playing — not trying to defer to anybody, to any one of us — just playing his game and letting us play off him … I think he’s much more effective by doing that rather than deferring to myself or Paul,” Anthony said. “We know what we bring to the game. We understand it. We accept it. And by that, he’s able to just play his game, relax and do what he does best. We need that. We need that Russ out there. Not the one who defers to us. Let us figure it out.”

Check out other Northwest Division news below:

After the Thunder lost to the Bucks on Friday, head coach Billy Donovan said the team needs Alex Abrines to play better, Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman writes. Abrines, 24, got the start on Friday but OKC was down 24 points after one quarter and he never returned. “My feeling is that Alex needs to help our team, and trying to find ways to get him going would be positive for our team,” Donovan said. “That’s why I kind of started him.”
Following Abrines’ removal, Josh Huestis got the chance to play the rest of the game and showed some defensive promise against the Bucks, Dawson writes in a separate story.
With Jeff Teague sidelined 2 to 4 weeks with a left knee sprain, Tyus Jones will take over the Wolves‘ starting point guard role for the second time this season and he feels prepared, Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune writes. “Just because it’s not the first time now,” Jones said. “It’s something I’ve done, something we’ve gone through as a team. I’m just ready to go. My first-time experience, I learned it was still just basketball. You’re in the game to start rather than coming in a few minutes into the game, but it’s just basketball at the end of the day.”
The month of December has not been kind to the Jazz as the team searches for an identity, Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News writes.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/29/17

December 29th, 2017 at 6:12pm CST by marksuleymanov

Here are the G-League moves from around the NBA today:

The Spurs have recalled Derrick White from the Austin Spurs, according to the team’s website. White has played in seven games with the G League club and he’s averaging 11.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.
The Bulls have recalled big man Cristiano Felicio from the team’s G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune (via Twitter). Felicio, 25, has played well on both of his G League assignments, including a 22-point, 14-rebound, six-block performance in Windy City’s recent win over the Canton Charge. Felicio has appeared in 23 games for the Bulls.
The Thunder recalled guard Terrance Ferguson from the organization’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. OKC’s first-round pick from this year’s NBA Draft has appeared in 21 games this season and averaged 1.3 PPG in 6.7 minutes per game.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 12/28/17

December 28th, 2017 at 5:59pm CST by marksuleymanov

Here are the noteworthy G-League transactions around the NBA today:

The Hornets assigned rookie Dwayne Bacon to the organization’s G League affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, the team announced in a press release. In 28 games for Charlotte, Bacon has averaged 3.6 PPG and 3.1 RPG. He was acquired along with cash considerations from the Pelicans for draft rights to Frank Jackson during the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Thunder assigned guard Terrance Ferguson to the organization’s G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in a press release. OKC’s first-round pick from this year’s NBA Draft has appeared in 21 games this season and averaged 1.3 PPG in 6.7 minutes per game.
The Suns have assigned Davon Reed to the organization’s G League affiliate, the Northern Arizona Suns, the team announced in a press release. Danuel House was also assigned to the G League affiliate, tweets Scott Bordow of Arizona Republic. Reed was the 32nd overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft and is nearing an on-court return after undergoing a meniscus repair in his left knee in August. House has appeared in seven games for Phoenix and averaged 4.4 PPG.
The Grizzlies assigned forward Ivan Rabb to their affiliate, the Memphis Hustle, the team announced in a press release. The early second-round pick has appeared in 15 games for the Hustle, averaging 15.8 PPG and 9.9 RPG.

Spend Christmas With Us

December 25th, 2017 at 11:10am CST by Arthur Hill

One of the many great things about Christmas is a full slate of NBA games that begins at 11am Central and stretches throughout the day. We at Hoops Rumors welcome our readers to use this post to comment on all of today’s action.

The games tip off with a showcase of some of the league’s brightest young stars as the Knicks host the Sixers. Philadelphia center Joel Embiid has been medically cleared to play, joining teammate Ben Simmons and New York’s Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina in a look at the NBA’s future.

The spotlight game of the day comes next as the Warriors host the Cavaliers in a rematch of the past three NBA Finals. Both teams come into the contest near the top of their conferences and a fourth straight Finals clash seems likely, if not inevitable. Even though Stephen Curry will be sidelined and Isaiah Thomas isn’t quite ready to return, Cleveland-Golden State games are always special.

The Wizards and Celtics are next in a rematch of their thrilling series in last year’s Eastern Conference semifinals. It’s a battle of two of the league’s best point guards as John Wall faces Kyrie Irving in Boston’s first home Christmas Day game in 69 years.

Following that, last year’s top two vote-getters in the MVP race will be on display as Russell Westbrook and the Thunder host James Harden and the Rockets. The addition of Chris Paul has helped Houston post the league’s best record at 25-6. The additions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony were supposed to do the same for Oklahoma City, which may be coming together with four straight wins after a slow start.

The night will end at Staples Center as the Lakers host the Northwest Division-leading Timberwolves. Lonzo Ball will miss the game with a sprained left shoulder, but Rookie of the Year candidate Kyle Kuzma is still worth watching as L.A. faces Jimmy Butler and the new-look Wolves.

The staff of Hoops Rumors extends Merry Christmas wishes to all our readers. Thank you for your loyalty throughout the year and please consider spending part of your holiday with us.

Anthony Accepting Off-Ball Role With Thunder

December 24th, 2017 at 4:32pm CST by marksuleymanov

Carmelo Anthony‘s struggles this season have mirrored that of the Thunder: struggling to find consistency. Anthony has been primarily a ball-dominant player in his career but he has changed that approach recently, helping the Thunder in the process, Royce Young of ESPN writes.

Knicks Rumors: Carmelo, P. Jackson, Porzingis

December 21st, 2017 at 8:56am CST by Luke Adams

After a year of non-stop drama, there’s an air of optimism and hopefulness surrounding the Knicks that was noticeably absent during last season’s Phil Jackson vs. Carmelo Anthony standoff, writes Ian Begley of ESPN. While the Knicks have had played well, with a 16-14 record so far, their on-court success isn’t the only thing contributing to the positive mood within the organization, as one team source tells Begley.

“Everyone just seems a little lighter,” the source said. “The drama Phil created with Carmelo really affected the team and the joy factor.”

In an in-depth piece for ESPN, Begley revisits that Jackson-and-Anthony saga, highlighting some of the incidents and confrontations that ultimately led to both men leaving the franchise. Begley’s feature is worth checking out in full, especially for Knicks fans, but here are a few highlights:

Some members of the organization knew back in summer 2015 that they wanted to trade Anthony, and by the following year, that sentiment was shared by virtually all of the Knicks‘ top decision-makers, says Begley. “The feeling in meetings was almost unanimous: They felt he just wasn’t a winning player,” one source said. “They thought they could turn everything around if they just moved him.” Anthony was aware of this stance, despite some of those execs insisting they were still on his side, which was a big reason why he soured on the organization.
Jackson regularly interrupted Knicks practices and overrode Jeff Hornacek‘s instructions to ensure that the triangle offense was being implemented properly, despite two veteran players telling him directly that the system wasn’t working, per Begley.
Jackson presided over mindfulness meditation training with the Knicks during his last year in New York, as he had done with his previous teams. However, some Knicks players didn’t take it seriously — during the final sessions, Anthony would sometimes pretend to be asleep when Jackson told the players to open their eyes, witnesses told Begley.
During a March 12 loss to the Nets last season, Anthony and assistant Kurt Rambis blew up at each other during halftime. Anthony told Rambis that “this place is a f—ing joke,” and Rambis questioned Carmelo’s effort (in equally colorful language), according to Begley.
After Kristaps Porzingis skipped his exit meeting in the spring, Jackson discussed possible trades involving the young big man. While those discussions were framed by some as Jackson teaching Porzingis a lesson, there were members of the front office in favor of moving the Latvian at the time, sources tell Begley.
For a portion of the summer, Anthony strongly believed that he’d end up in Houston, expressing a belief that LeBron James would eventually join him and Chris Paul on the Rockets. Although the Rockets tried to make a deal, discussing one three-team iteration that would’ve involved Jabari Parker and the Bucks, it ultimately didn’t work out, resulting in the trade that sent Carmelo to the Thunder.

Deveney: Thunder Will Look To Add Shooter, Depth

December 20th, 2017 at 3:47pm CST by Luke Adams

According to Deveney, the Thunder figure to be targeting a shooter who can help create space and possibly an extra defender to bolster their depth.

[SOURCE LINK]

Thunder Recall Terrance Ferguson From G League

December 20th, 2017 at 3:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Rookie guard Terrance Ferguson has been recalled from the G League by the Thunder, according to a press release from the team. Assigned to the Oklahoma City Blue on Tuesday, Ferguson recorded 11 points and six boards for the Thunder’s G League affiliate last night.