Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Billups, Powell, Edwards, SGA

October 24th, 2021 at 9:16am CST by Arthur Hill

Chauncey Billups has been emphasizing defense and ball movement since he was hired as the Trail Blazers‘ head coach in June, and that combination was on display in a win over Phoenix Saturday night, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. Billups inherited a team that reached the playoffs eight straight years under Terry Stotts, but has lost in the first round in four of the past five seasons. He is determined to take the Blazers to a new level, and he said that starts with breaking bad habits.

“I could have taken this job and just kept everything the same and said ‘All right, let’s be a little bit better defensively.’ But they (the players) want more. I want more,” Billups said after his first career coaching victory. “You can’t keep everything the same and expect different results. So, I could have done that. ‘We are going to run everything y’all used to run.’ Great offense, boom, bam. Well, there’s a ceiling on that, in my opinion. Not only in my opinion, we’ve seen it play out.”

The players seem to welcome the new approach, even though it’s delivered with a hard edge. Damian Lillard, who has been the subject of trade speculation, has said that talking to Billups made him more open to staying with the organization. Jusuf Nurkic was so inspired after hearing Billups’ introductory press conference that he flew from Bosnia to Portland to meet his new coach.

“He’s very detailed,” Nassir Little said. “And not just Chauncey, all the coaches. They are very detailed in what they are saying. They don’t let anything slide through the cracks as they are teaching. The way they break things down, from close-outs to footwork, to who goes where on rotations, it’s all so detailed.”

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers believe Norman Powell avoided a serious injury to his left knee Saturday night, tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Powell left the game in the second quarter, but the results from initial tests are encouraging, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link). Powell will undergo an MRI, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian.
Veteran guard Patrick Beverley has been impressed by the willingness to accept instruction he sees from his new Timberwolves teammate Anthony Edwards, per Chris Hine of The Star Tribune. “A lot of young guys, especially No. 1 picks — that’s no discredit of course to anybody — guys think they’ve got it figured out already …” Beverley said. “He’s always wide-eyed, bushy tailed and eager to learn. He’s like a sponge. He soaks up everything.”
Injuries limited Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to 35 games last season and he’s still adjusting to being back on a full-time schedule, notes Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman. “I think it only makes it harder the longer you go without playing,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “With that being said, it’s no excuse. Guys in the NBA do it all the time. I just gotta figure it out.”

Northwest Notes: Favors, Morris, Billups, Snell

October 21st, 2021 at 8:24pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Derrick Favors didn’t expect to be traded to the rebuilding Thunder, but he’s trying to make the most of the situation, as he told Tony Jones of The Athletic.

“At first, I was kind of confused,” Favors said. “I was caught off guard. But, I knew it was nothing personal. When I reflected on it from a business standpoint, I knew that something had to happen. I accepted it, and I’m in a great place.”

Favors, who scored just four points while grabbing nine rebounds against his former team on Wednesday, was a member of the Jazz for over eight years from 2011-19 before being traded to New Orleans. He re-signed with Utah in 2020 and then was traded again this offseason. The Thunder were motivated to make the deal with the Jazz by adding another future first-rounder to their stockpile of picks.

Since he hadn’t played a road game in Utah since first leaving the team in 2019, the Jazz put together a tribute video for Favors that was displayed during the first half, Sarah Todd of The Deseret News writes.

We have more from the Northwest Division:

As Jamal Murray works his way back from a devastating knee injury, Monte Morris is embracing his current role as the lead point guard, Kyle Fredrickson of the Denver Post writes. “I’m not trying to be Jamal Murray. I’m just trying to be the best fashion of myself that I can be and help the team in any way,” Morris said. “That’s why there’s not a lot of pressure.” He had nine points and three assists in the Nuggets’ opening-night victory over Phoenix.
First-year coach Chauncey Billups says he’s not worried about the possibility of the Trail Blazers getting off to a slow start, Casey Holdahl of the team’s website writes. Billups is more concerned about the team’s growth under a new system. “This team has gotten to the playoffs forever and then those habits end up coming into play and it derails you from trying to extend your season,” he said. “So I’m more concerned with how we can change a lot of things that are really important for us on both ends of the ball. And when we actually do that, I just know how good of a team we can be.”
Trail Blazers wing Tony Snell suffered a minor setback as he recovers from a right foot sprain that sidelined during the preseason, according to Aaron Fentress of The Oregonian. “I think he’ll be on the court hopefully before two weeks but you can’t throw a guy back out there in a game,” Billups said. Snell joined the team in free agency on a one-year contract.

Northwest Notes: Simons, Gupta, Towns, Krejci

October 18th, 2021 at 1:37pm CST by Luke Adams

No rookie scale extension is expected for Anfernee Simons before today’s deadline, according to Jason Quick of The Athletic (Twitter link), who says the Trail Blazers want to see more from the fourth-year guard before committing to him beyond the 2021/22 season. The club believes Simons can be more consistent and productive under new head coach Chauncey Billups, Quick adds.

Simons hit 42.6% of his three-pointers last season for the Trail Blazers, but played a fairly modest role off the bench, with 7.8 PPG and 2.2 RPG in 64 games (17.3 MPG). He’ll be eligible for restricted free agency in 2022.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Chris Hine of The Star Tribune takes an in-depth look at the philosophy new Timberwolves head of basketball operations Sachin Gupta is bringing to the role. Despite not having any assurances that he’ll keep the job long-term, Gupta insists he doesn’t feel pressure to impress ownership by making a major move. “I couldn’t ask for anything better,” he said. “I don’t view it as like, ‘Oh I’ve got this for a time. I’ve got to try and prove myself and I’ve got to make a splash quickly and try to save the job.'”
Speaking to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns compared staying in Minnesota to sticking with the Dominican Republic national team rather than reclassifying to play for Team USA. “I like taking the hard route. I like going the more rewarding route,” Towns said. “I love being with the Dominican Republic national team. There’s a lot of things they haven’t done, and I’m able to possibly change that. The challenge is what I’ve always strived for.”
Thunder guard Vit Krejci, who had been dealing with visa issues, has been cleared to practice and play with the team, head coach Mark Daigneault said this weekend (Twitter link via Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman). Krejci is expected to spend a good chunk of time this season with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League.

Thunder Waive Mamadi Diakite, Two Others

October 16th, 2021 at 3:58pm CST by JD Shaw

The Thunder have waived forward Mamadi Diakite, guard Justin Jaworski and center Olivier Sarr, the team announced in a press release today.

Diakite was claimed off waivers by Oklahoma City last month, while Jaworski and Sarr both signed Exhibit 10 deals with the club earlier today. Diakite was only guaranteed $100K this season and held a non-guaranteed salary for the 2022/23 campaign.

Jaworski and Sarr are strong contenders to join the Thunder’s G League team this season.

Diakite is coming off a G League season where he averaged 18.5 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game. He was recently diagnosed with a left hip fracture.

Oklahoma City now has 17 players under contract, including Paul Watson and Aaron Wiggins on two-way deals. It appears that Gabriel Deck, whose deal is non-guaranteed, has earned a spot on the Thunder’s 15-man opening night roster.

Thunder Sign Olivier Sarr, Justin Jaworski

October 16th, 2021 at 1:42pm CST by JD Shaw

The Thunder have signed center Olivier Sarr and guard Justin Jaworski, the team announced today. Both players are likely to be waived and play for the club’s G League affiliate this season.

Sarr, a 7’0 Wake Forest and Kentucky product, went unselected in July’s NBA draft. The 22-year-old averaged 8.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game in college, playing 22 minutes per contest.

Jaworski, also 22, went undrafted in July after spending four seasons at Lafayette College. He appeared in 98 games, averaging 15.1 points and 2.7 rebounds per game in 31.3 minutes per contest.

Thunder Sign, Waive Zavier Simpson

October 16th, 2021 at 8:56am CST by Rory Maher

OCTOBER 16: As expected, Simpson has been waived, according to a tweet from their PR department. Simpson will likely play for the Blue once he clears waivers.

OCTOBER 15: The Thunder have signed Zavier Simpson to an Exhibit 10 deal, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (via Twitter). The move was first reported yesterday by Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw.

Simpson will likely be waived before the start of the regular season. If he spends at least 60 days with the OKC Blue, the Thunder’s G League affiliate, he could earn a bonus of up to $50k.

Simpson, a 6’0″ point guard, went undrafted in 2019-20 after four seasons with the Michigan Wolverines. He played well as a senior, averaging 12.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 6.9 APG (33.7 MPG) in 30 games. He spent last season with the OKC Blue in the G League bubble, averaging 9.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 6.1 APG (28.5 MPG) in 15 games, all starts.

Thunder Release D.J. Wilson, Scotty Hopson

October 15th, 2021 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have waived forward D.J. Wilson and guard Scotty Hopson, the team announced today. The moves reduce Oklahoma City’s roster count to 18 players, for the time being.

Wilson, the 17th overall pick in the 2017 draft, spent the first three-and-a-half season of his career in Milwaukee before being traded to Houston at last season’s trade deadline. He had fallen out of the Bucks’ rotation, but averaged 6.1 PPG and 3.8 RPG with a shooting line of .416/.339/.696 in 23 games (14.3 MPG) during his stint with the Rockets.

Hopson, who appeared in two NBA games in 2014 with Cleveland and one in 2018 with Dallas, has spent most of his career in the G League or playing in international leagues. The 6’7″ wing played for Melbourne United in 2020/21 after appearing in 41 G League games for the Oklahoma City Blue from 2018-20.

Hopson looks like a good bet to rejoin the Blue for the upcoming season, and it’s possible Wilson will join him.

Meanwhile, it appears the Thunder have also officially signed Zavier Simpson, whose Exhibit 10 deal with the team we reported on Thursday. Oklahoma City hasn’t formally announced the signing, but Simpson is listed on the team’s official roster page.

Knicks Sign Goodwin; Thunder Add Hopson

October 14th, 2021 at 6:02pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Knicks have signed former Hawks guard Brandon Goodwin, the team’s PR department tweets.

Goodwin saw action in 47 games with Atlanta last year, averaging 4.9 PPG and 2.0 APG. He played on a $1.7MM contract last season and became a free agent when the team failed to extend a qualifying offer. He didn’t play in the postseason, partially due to a respiratory condition.

It’s an Exhibit 10 contract, Fred Katz of The Athletic tweets. That would give the Westchester Knicks his G League rights if/when the Knicks waive him.

Here are a couple more of the latest training camp signings:

The Thunder have signed guard Scotty Hopson to a camp deal, according to the team’s PR department. He appeared in 41 games with the Oklahoma City Blue from 2018-20, including six games in 2020 where he averaged 18.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in 31.2 minutes. He played for Melbourne United last season. Hopson, who played one games with Dallas during the 2017/18 season, will likely be waived and return to the Blue.
The Jazz have signed Nino Johnson, Tony Jones of The Athletic tweets. Johnson, a 6’9” forward, played for the G League’s Memphis Hustle two seasons ago. He’ll likely be waived and play for Utah’s G League affiliate in Salt Lake City.

Thunder Waive Melvin Frazier, Expected To Sign Zavier Simpson

October 14th, 2021 at 1:50pm CST by Luke Adams

After joining the Thunder on a training camp deal earlier in the week, veteran wing Melvin Frazier has been waived, the team announced today.

The No. 35 pick in the 2018 draft, Frazier played in just 29 NBA games in his first two professional seasons, with Orlando. He has spent more time in the G League over the last three years, appearing in 41 games with the Lakeland Magic from 2018-20, then suiting up for the Oklahoma City Blue in the 2021 NBAGL bubble.

Frazier played a limited role with the Blue, averaging just 6.8 PPG and 3.4 RPG in 12 games (20.8 MPG), but the fact that he received an Exhibit 10 deal this week suggests the Thunder plan on having him return to their G League affiliate for the 2021/22 season.

The Thunder now have an open roster spot and may use it to sign Zavier Simpson. Our JD Shaw (Twitter link) hears from a source that Oklahoma City is expected to sign the guard to an Exhibit 10 deal.

Like Frazier, Simpson played for the OKC Blue last season and would be in line for a bonus worth up to $50K if he returns to the G League and spends at least 60 days with the club. The former Michigan Wolverine averaged 9.8 PPG, 6.1 APG, and 4.3 RPG in 15 games (28.5 MPG) in the G League in 2021.

Mamadi Diakite Has Left Hip Fracture, Out Indefinitely

October 14th, 2021 at 9:04am CST by Luke Adams

Thunder forward Mamadi Diakite has been diagnosed with a left hip fracture and has been ruled out indefinitely, according to Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter links). Diakite sustained the injury during Sunday’s preseason game against Milwaukee, Mussatto adds.

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Diakite, who was claimed off waivers by the Thunder last month and was trying to prove he deserved a spot on the regular season roster. Only $100K of Diakite’s minimum-salary contract is guaranteed, making him a potential casualty of a roster crunch.

Although the Thunder haven’t revealed their plans for their 15-man regular season roster, they’re carrying 13 players on guaranteed contracts, and Kenrich Williams is a lock for the roster despite his non-guaranteed salary. That leaves just one available 15-man spot — if Diakite’s injury takes him out of the running, Gabriel Deck and D.J. Wilson would likely be the top contenders for it.