Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Place Kemba Walker On Waivers

August 6th, 2021 at 5:00pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have officially waived point guard Kemba Walker, the team announced today in a press release. The two sides agreed to a buyout earlier this week and have now finalized that agreement.

Walker, 31, was limited to 43 games for the Celtics in 2020/21 due to knee issues, but put up strong numbers in the games he played, averaging 19.3 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.0 RPG on .420/.360/.899 shooting in 31.8 minutes per contest.

Oklahoma City acquired Walker from Boston back in June in Brad Stevens‘ first major roster move as the Celtics’ president of basketball operations. Although that deal was considered a salary-dump, with the Thunder receiving a first-round pick for taking on Walker, a report last week stated OKC believed it might be possible to flip him to another team for an asset. Those efforts were ultimately unsuccessful.

The move will open up more playing time for the Thunder’s young ball-handlers (besides Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), including Theo Maledon and Josh Giddey.

Walker, meanwhile, is now on track to clear waivers on Sunday, assuming the Thunder officially released him by 5:00pm ET today. Once he clears waivers, the veteran guard will sign with the Knicks.

Walker’s deal with the Knicks will be a two-year contract worth about $8-9MM annually, as Ryan McDonough of NBC Sports Boston first reported earlier in the week. The four-time All-Star will join a Knicks backcourt that also features Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, and second-round pick Miles McBride.

Celtics Holding Discussions With Dennis Schröder

August 6th, 2021 at 4:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

4:34pm: Although there’s mutual interest between the Celtics and Schröder, he’s still considering a few options, a source tell Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe (Twitter link). Himmelsbach adds that if Schröder ends up in Boston, it’s unlikely to happen via sign-and-trade.

1:28pm: The Celtics are holding negotiations with Lakers free agent guard Dennis Schröder, Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report tweets.

Boston has been shopping for a point guard since trading Kemba Walker to Oklahoma City in a salary dump. It’s likely that the Celtics would dangle their mid-level exception to Schröder, whose value declined after a subpar postseason performance against Phoenix. Boston could theoretically pursue a sign-and-trade with the Lakers, but there would be a number of hurdles to clear to make that type of transaction.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, confirming the Celtics’ interest in Schröder, hears that the team could offer a one-year deal or a two-year deal with a player option.

Schröder’s foray into free agency has been a disappointment. He reportedly turned down a four-year, $84MM extension offer from the Lakers and bet on himself that he’d receive on the open market.

The door closed on a return to Los Angeles when the team agreed to acquire Russell Westbrook from the Wizards. Other clubs have not made an offer near what Schröder had hoped. The Knicks thought about signing Schröder but were lukewarm about that prospect even before they agreed to sign Walker (once he clears waivers) on a two-year deal in the $8-9MM annual range, according to Marc Stein of Substack.

If he fails to reach an agreement with Boston, it’s possible that Schröder could look to return to one of his former teams. according to Stein. The Thunder could give him a one-year contract above the $9.536MM mid-level exception that most teams can offer, though it’s unknown whether OKC would be interested in signing him.

Oklahoma City could use Schröder as a trade chip, while he could try to pump up his value and re-enter the market again next summer.

Thunder Rescind Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk’s Qualifying Offer

August 4th, 2021 at 9:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder have pulled their qualifying offer for Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, tweets Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. The third-year swingman will now be an unrestricted free agent.

The offer was valued at about $2.08MM and it covered just the upcoming season. By rescinding it, Oklahoma City no longer has the opportunity to match any offer that Mykhailiuk might receive in free agency.

The Thunder acquired Mykhailiuk in a March trade with the Pistons. He appeared in 30 games for OKC, starting nine, and averaged 10.3 points and 3.0 rebounds per night.

Eastern Rumors: Dinwiddie, Wizards, Avdija, Oladipo, Knicks, Bitadze

August 4th, 2021 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The Wizards continue to work through their complicated sign-and-trade acquisition of Spencer Dinwiddie, according to multiple reports.

Quinton Mayo (Twitter link) has heard the Bulls and Thunder mentioned as teams that could end up getting involved in a multi-team trade involving Dinwiddie. Mayo also reports that the Nets asked the Wizards for Deni Avdija during those negotiations, which Kristian Winfield of The New York Daily News (twitter link) corroborates.

If and when the Wizards, Nets, and other potential trade partners figure out a deal, Dinwiddie is expected to get a three-year, $62MM deal from Washington, reports Winfield (Twitter link).

Here are a few more updates from around the East:

Although Victor Oladipo‘s camp is optimistic that he’ll be able to return to action sometime between late December and early February, some Heat people believe March is a more realistic target, tweets Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Oladipo, who underwent quad tendon surgery in May, agreed to a minimum-salary contract with Miami.
Following up on an Ian Begley report that stated the final year in the Knicks‘ deals with Nerlens Noel, Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, and Evan Fournier aren’t guaranteed, ESPN’s Zach Lowe (Twitter link) clarifies that all four deals are expected to have standard team options in their last years. Noel, Burks, and Rose will have those options in year three, while Fournier’s will be in year four.
Pacers big man Goga Bitadze wanted to play for the team in Summer League this month, but he missed Indiana’s first two SL practices due to back soreness and is now away from the club due to a personal matter, writes Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files.

Kemba Walker Agrees To Buyout With Thunder, Will Join Knicks

August 4th, 2021 at 12:55pm CST by Luke Adams

12:55pm: Walker’s deal with the Knicks will be a two-year contract worth about $8-9MM annually, league sources tell Ryan McDonough of NBC Sports Boston (Twitter link).

9:03am: Veteran point guard Kemba Walker has agreed to a contract buyout with the Thunder, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link), who reports that Walker will sign with the Knicks once he clears waivers.

The Thunder acquired Walker from Boston back in June in Brad Stevens‘ first major roster move as the Celtics’ president of basketball operations. Although that deal was considered a salary-dump, with Oklahoma City receiving a first-round pick for taking on Walker, a report last week stated the Thunder believed they might be able to flip him to another team for an asset. It appears those efforts were unsuccessful.

While Walker clearly wasn’t in Oklahoma City’s long-term plans, the fact that the team agreed to buy him out already is a little surprising, since the 31-year-old still had two years and nearly $74MM left on his contract. We’ll have to wait for details on how much of that money he’s giving up as part of the agreement with the Thunder.

The move will open up more playing time for the Thunder’s young ball-handlers besides Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, including Theo Maledon and Josh Giddey, notes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link).

The Knicks, meanwhile, are on track to add Walker using their leftover cap room. Based on the terms of their reported contract agreements to date, the Knicks project to have about $8-9MM in space available, and it sounds like the team won’t be making any additional cost-cutting moves to clear extra room to accommodate Walker, per Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link).

Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report confirms (via Twitter) that Walker’s deal with New York will be worth about $8MM annually, though it’s unclear how many years it will cover.

Walker, was limited to 43 games in 2020/21 due to knee issues, but put up strong numbers in the games he played, averaging 19.3 PPG, 4.9 APG, and 4.0 RPG on .420/.360/.899 shooting in 31.8 minutes per contest.

The four-time All-Star will join a Knicks backcourt that also features Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley, Alec Burks, and second-round pick Miles McBride. The team is also signing veteran swingman Evan Fournier in free agency to add some more scoring punch to its lineup.

The move represents a homecoming for Walker, who has been linked to the Knicks multiple times in the past. He was born and raised in the Bronx.

Thunder Re-Sign Mike Muscala To Two-Year Deal

August 2nd, 2021 at 8:17pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

AUGUST 12: The Thunder have officially re-signed Muscala, per a team press release.

AUGUST 2: The Thunder will re-sign free agent big man Mike Muscala to a two-year, $7MM contract, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (via Twitter).

Bobby Marks of ESPN notes (Twitter link) that Muscala had Earl Bird rights with the Thunder, so Oklahoma City won’t need to use a portion of its mid-level exception to complete the signing.

He was drafted out of Bucknell with the No. 44 pick in 2013, and logged time with the Hawks, Sixers, and Lakers. Muscala, 30, then joined the Thunder for the first time as a free agent in the summer of 2019.

A 6’10” power forward/center with long-range abilities, he enjoyed his best statistical season during 2020/21 while playing for the rebuilding Thunder. Last year, Muscala averaged a career-best 9.7 PPG in 18.4 MPG, to go along with 3.8 RPG. He posted a solid shooting line of .446/.370/.917.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Trade Rumors: Simmons, Baynes, Lakers, Cash

August 2nd, 2021 at 4:49pm CST by Luke Adams

David Aldridge of The Athletic is the latest reporter to confirm that the Sixers‘ asking price for Ben Simmons remains “sky high.” According to Aldridge, the 76ers are seeking a minimum of two future first-round picks, two first-round pick swaps, and an All-Star level player in most of their discussions about Simmons. A handful of other reports within the last week have passed along details on what kind of packages Philadelphia sought from Toronto, San Antonio, and Golden State for Simmons.

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA, with free agency about to begin:

The Raptors are exploring the trade market for center Aron Baynes, reports Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Baynes has a non-guaranteed $7.35MM salary for 2021/22 and seems unlikely to return to Toronto. If the team doesn’t find a taker on the trade market, he’s a candidate to be released.
In an in-depth look at how the Lakers‘ acquisition of Russell Westbrook came about, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne shares several fascinating tidbits, including the fact that Westbrook called Kawhi Leonard in 2019 to talk about playing together in Los Angeles. According to Shelburne, the Lakers had been prepared to move forward on a Buddy Hield acquisition before the opportunity to land Westbrook arose.
Within his recap of last week’s draft activity, John Hollinger of The Athletic provides a housekeeping notes on trades, writing that the Trail Blazers sent $2MM in cash to the Pelicans as part of their trade for the No. 43 pick, while the Thunder sent $2MM in cash to the Jazz in the Derrick Favors trade.

Jazz Rumors: Conley, Niang, MLE, Porter, Gay

August 2nd, 2021 at 2:59pm CST by Luke Adams

The Jazz remain on track to finalize an agreement on a three-year contract with Mike Conley once free agency officially opens tonight, reports Tony Jones of The Athletic. Previous reports have indicated that Utah is the strong frontrunner to bring back Conley and that the team is preparing a three-year offer in the neighborhood of $75MM for the veteran point guard. Based on Jones’ report, it sounds like that hasn’t changed and a deal could be in place later today.

Here’s more on the Jazz:

League sources tell Jones that free agent forward Georges Niang is highly unlikely to return to the Jazz, since he’s unrestricted and is expected to draw significant interest from rival suitors.
Even though the Conley signing will take them well over the luxury tax line, the Jazz are willing to use the taxpayer’s mid-level exception (worth about $5.9MM) in free agency, writes Jones. However, the team won’t use it just for the sake of using it, and will want to land one of its primary targets.
Otto Porter and Rudy Gay are among the free agent forwards on Utah’s radar, according to Jones. However, Jones hears that Porter may be leaning toward the Nets, while Gay is believed to be eyeing the Lakers.
Following up on Utah’s trade that sent Derrick Favors to Oklahoma City, Jones reports that Favors will meet with the Thunder‘s front office on Tuesday. That meeting is expected to determine whether Favors sticks with OKC or whether another trade could be forthcoming. It’s worth noting that the Jazz wouldn’t be permitted to re-sign Favors if he were bought out by the Thunder, though a buyout is unlikely anyway since he has two years left on his contract.

Free Agent Rumors: Lowry, DeRozan, Knicks, Graham, Jackson, More

August 2nd, 2021 at 2:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

Now considered to be favorites to land Kyle Lowry in free agency, the Heat may try to bring in DeMar DeRozan as well, tweets Jordan Schultz of ESPN, confirming a series of reports from the last 24 hours.

Lowry and DeRozan were backcourt partners in Toronto for many years and have remained close friends. Miami is looking at a sign-and-trade as the best way to add Lowry, and is hoping that DeRozan might be available for the mid-level exception. That represents a big pay cut, but sources tell Schultz he might be interested if it means a chance to play alongside Lowry again.

If DeRozan turns down the MLE, the Heat will focus on finding a stretch four, says Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). There is support among the front office for Jeff Green, according to Jackson, who mentions Bobby Portis, Rudy Gay and Otto Porter as other options.

Meanwhile, Goran Dragic is expected to be part of a sign-and-trade with Toronto for Lowry, but the Raptors are unlikely to keep him. The Mavericks will be among the teams with interest in Dragic, according to Jackson (Twitter link).

Miami would also like to bring back reserve center Dewayne Dedmon, but he may get better offers, says Jackson (Twitter link). The Heat, who only hold Non-Bird rights on Dedmon, may have to offer part of their $3.6MM biannual exception to be competitive.

There’s more as the start of free agency draws closer:

The Knicks have some mutual interest with DeRozan, as well as Celtics shooting guard Evan Fournier, writes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. Begley also hears that Bulls guard Tomas Satoransky would be part of the potential return in a sign-and-trade if Chicago lands Pelicans RFA Lonzo Ball, while rival teams expect Duncan Robinson to re-sign with the Heat.
While he isn’t necessarily their Plan A or B, Cameron Payne is one of the free agent point guards on the Knicks‘ radar, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. New York has considered a Payne/Derrick Rose tandem at point guard for next season, Berman adds.
The Thunder are seen by rival executives as a possible suitor for Hornets guard Devonte’ Graham, tweets Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Graham is a restricted free agent, so Charlotte can match any offer, but Oklahoma City has the cap flexibility necessary to put pressure on the Hornets.
The Pelicans, Knicks, Celtics, and Nuggets are among the teams expected to express interest in point guard Reggie Jackson, per Sam Amick of The Athletic (Twitter link).
EuroLeague standout Tyler Dorsey, who previously played for Atlanta and Memphis, is positioned for a return to the NBA and is drawing interest from several teams, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Luke Adams contributed to this post.

Stein’s Latest: Lakers, Thomas, Holmes, Portis, More

August 2nd, 2021 at 1:26pm CST by Arthur Hill

Dwight Howard appears to be a strong candidate to rejoin the Lakers, who are also interested in veteran shooters Patty Mills and Wayne Ellington, according to Marc Stein of Substack. L.A. is looking for low-cost options to fill out its roster after the trade that brought Russell Westbrook from the Wizards, and Howard, Mills and Ellington may be willing to accept minimal deals for the chance to play for a title contender.

Given their financial position, the Lakers could have trouble holding onto Alex Caruso, Stein adds. The fourth-year guard has been effective in a bench role during his time in Los Angeles, and many teams are expected to pursue him.

There’s more from Stein:

The Celtics are interested in bringing back Isaiah Thomas, who was an All-Star in Boston before being sent out in the Kyrie Irving trade. New president of basketball operations Brad Stevens is a strong supporter of Thomas, who played three games for the Pelicans last season.
The Kings are expected to give center Richaun Holmes an offer in the four-year, $50MM range. However, he may do better on the open market after back-to-back strong seasons in Sacramento.
Several teams would like to add Bobby Portis, but there’s a belief around the league that he will stay with the Bucks despite their limited resources to re-sign him.
The Mavericks are virtually certain to keep center Boban Marjanović, who is a close friend of Luka Doncic.
There were some pre-draft trade rumors involving Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but the Thunder still see him as a franchise cornerstone and plan to use their draft capital to build around him. Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to receive a maximum extension on his rookie contract this summer, which would pay him $168MM over five years.
John Collins was the top target for the Spurs, who will have about $40MM to spend, but now that he’s expected to stay in Atlanta, San Antonio may shift to restricted free agent Lauri Markkanen.