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Stein’s Latest: Blazers, Gay, Noel, Rubio, Cousins

October 28th, 2016 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

Within his latest column at ESPN.com, Marc Stein offers up 10 “fearless predictions,” forecasting 20 triple-doubles this season for Russell Westbrook, a win total in the low-60s for the Warriors, and a single player (James Harden) leading the league in both points and assists per game. A few of Stein’s predictions for the 2016/17 league year also relate to player movement, so let’s dive in and round up the highlights…

Many “league observers” believe that the Trail Blazers‘ aggressive spending this offseason was more about collecting assets than anything else, says Stein. Portland has an excess of wings and big men, and is considered the team most likely to make a trade this season, according to the ESPN scribe. It would certainly make sense for the Blazers to move one of their bigger long-term contracts — they already have nearly $130MM in guaranteed money on their cap for next year (2017/18).
Stein suggests he expects Rudy Gay (Kings), Nerlens Noel (Sixers), and Ricky Rubio (Wolves) to be dealt at some point this season. All three players have been the subject of plenty of trade rumors so far in 2016.
While he’s less confident about a DeMarcus Cousins trade, Stein says that February figures to be dominated by trade speculation about the Kings big man. As Stein notes, Sacramento is “determined” to contend for the playoffs this season, so if the team remains in the hunt in February, perhaps Cousins stays put. But if the Kings hang onto him, they’ll have to be confident they have a chance to re-sign him, since his trade value would take a hit in the final year of his contract, Stein writes.

Western Notes: Durant. Westbrook, Grant

October 15th, 2016 at 1:02pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook never got along when both were members of the Thunder, a one-time teammate of both told Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, also adding that the reports of animosity between the pair since Durant signed with the Warriors are real, not a product of the media. “It’s real, and [since Durant left] the relationship has gotten worse,” the ex-teammate told the scribe. “They got along before because they sort of had to. There is no relationship now, and what is there is all bad.”

Westbrook believes KD joining Golden State “exposed Durant as a big chicken,” the ex-teammate told the scribe. Responding to Durant’s comments to reporters that the Warriors are an unselfish bunch that treats each other like family, which many believe was a slight at his former teammate, Westbrook told reporters, “That’s cute. My job is to worry about what’s going on here. We’re going to worry about all the selfish guys we’ve got over here, apparently.”

For those wondering, the first time Westbrook and Durant will square off against one another on the court is November 3rd in Oakland. Here’s more from out West:

The Spurs have hired former Cavs GM Chris Grant as a team scout, Chris Haynes of ESPN.com reports. During his time in Cleveland, Grant was responsible for drafting Kyrie Irving and Tristan Thompson, as well as selecting Anthony Bennett with the No. 1 overall pick.
The Nuggets‘ impressive depth at multiple positions could end up being problematic, given the lack of minutes and numerous players deserving of playing time whose development may be stunted as a result, Keith P. Smith of RealGM.com opines in his analysis of the team. The scribe notes that Denver desperately needs to make a trade to consolidate that depth and land a star player to build around, which is also something that I noted previously in my look back at the Nuggets’ offseason.
The Spurs made another addition to their staff, hiring former NBA player Pops Mensah-Bonsu as an advance pro scout, international journalist David Pick relays (on Twitter).

Thunder Notes: Westbrook, McGary, Presti, Oladipo

September 24th, 2016 at 6:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

Russell Westbrook‘s efforts to become a more vocal leader have already given him laryngitis, writes Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman. The star point guard could barely speak after the first of two practices today, a result of his plan to talk more on the court in the absence of Kevin Durant. That commitment to leadership started with the three-year extension Westbrook signed in August, one month after Durant announced that he was leaving for the Warriors. “He, I think, is setting a tone in terms of that, at least from a defensive standpoint, we’ve got to communicate,” coach Billy Donovan said of Westbrook. “And I think when you’re the caliber of player like Russell who’s doing it every single time and communicating it and expressing and pointing out the value and the importance of that, I think it carries a large weight.”

There’s more news from Oklahoma City:

Mitch McGary vows he has “turned over a new leaf” after two drug suspensions this summer that will sideline him for the season’s first 15 games, relays Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. McGary confirmed that the five-game ban he received this summer was for failing a drug test, while the 10-game suspension imposed last week was for not taking enough tests to comply with the NBA’s drug program. The third-year center may be near the end of his time in Oklahoma City. He is guaranteed more than $1.5MM this season, but has a team option worth more than $2.4MM for 2017/18. “I’d love to stay with this organization,” McGary said. “This is hands down like the best organization that had treats for you, cares for you, does everything for you, pretty much hand feeds you. I’ve known that from guys around the league have said this is the organization to be with, so obviously I don’t want to leave.”
“Disappointed” was the word GM Sam Presti used to describe his reaction to McGary’s latest drug issues, according to Cliff Brunt of The Associated Press. Presti also insinuated that the Thunder have lost patience with McGary. “We’re not privy to the NBA’s program, so I don’t have a whole lot of information,” Presti said. “All I can say to you is that I’m disappointed. Then from there, I don’t think I have to expand past that.”
Victor Oladipo said he had thoughts about joining the Thunder a year before the draft-day trade from Orlando. In a video posted on The Oklahoman’s website, the new OKC guard addresses a number of topics, including his longtime interest in joining the Thunder. “I literally thought about being here a year ago,” Oladipo said, “and thought what it would be like to be on this team. And for it to actually happen is a surreal experience, and I know that it’s supposed to be the way it is now.”

Thunder Notes: Presti, Westbrook, Huestis, Christon

September 18th, 2016 at 7:22pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder never gave much consideration to trading Russell Westbrook after Kevin Durant announced he was leaving for the Warriors, relays Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe. Because Westbrook was headed for free agency next summer, there was speculation that Oklahoma City might try to move him instead of risking another huge loss. Instead, Westbrook agreed to a three-year extension and will try to lead the Thunder into a new era without Durant or Serge Ibaka. “The first thing is Russell is a tremendous competitor but also highly intelligent,” said GM Sam Presti. “He understands that the approach that we have to take in order to maximize ourselves is going to be one first, making sure we’re sound fundamentally and we’re continually growing through the season. That’s always kind of been a staple of the organization.”

There’s more news out of Oklahoma City:

The departure of Durant and Ibaka may open some opportunities for Josh Huestis, according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman. The 6’7″ power forward has seen almost no NBA action since being drafted 29th overall by Oklahoma City in 2014. He has spent most of his career in the D-League, logging just 55 minutes in five games with the Thunder last season. “Of course we’re gonna miss those guys on and off the court,” Huestis said of Durant and Ibaka, “but it is, it’s exciting. It’s a new look for us. A lot of new players. But it’s still exciting to see what everything is going to be like, how everybody’s going to work together when it all gets started.”
Semaj Christon is facing long odds to make the Thunder roster once again, Horne writes in a separate piece. A second-round pick in 2014, Oklahoma City thought Christon might be ready last year after a strong showing in summer league, but he opted to play in Italy instead. With D.J. Augustin traded and Randy Foye leaving in free agency, it appeared an opportunity might be created for the 23-year-old Christon, but this summer’s signing of Ronnie Price may have changed that. Still, Christon remains optimistic as he prepares for his first training camp with the Thunder. “I don’t have to score the ball or do a lot of different things … just getting guys open and getting them in the right position where they’re comfortable,” Christon said. “That was the biggest thing for me, and playing defense, being a lockdown defender.”

Kyler’s Latest: Cousins, Westbrook, Griffin

August 23rd, 2016 at 12:00pm CST by Luke Adams

A handful of big-name players, including Jimmy Butler, Paul Millsap, and Blake Griffin, have been mentioned in trade rumors at some point this summer, but those guys almost certainly aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, writes Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders. In addition to Butler, Millsap, and Griffin, stars like DeMarcus Cousins, Russell Westbrook, and Kevin Love are staying put with their current teams, despite being the subjects of frequent trade speculation.

While the gist of Kyler’s tidbits on each of those six players is the same – they’re not being traded unless things change drastically for the team or player – each situation is a little different, so let’s round up some of Kyler’s latest info on those stars…

The Kings and Cousins have agreed to take a “fresh-start approach” to their union, according to Kyler, who notes that the big man likes the hiring of coach Dave Joerger. While Cousins’ potential 2018 free agency will be a factor down the road, Sacramento is turning away incoming inquiries and will likely play out the 2016/17 season with Cousins as the team’s cornerstorne before considering any franchise-altering decisions.
Like the Kings with Cousins, the Thunder would have to play extremely poorly in the first half for the team to consider any major in-season change involving Westbrook. Sources tell Kyler that there is almost no scenario in which Oklahoma City explores moving the star point guard during the season, though the team will of course be keeping a close eye on how its roster looks in the post-Kevin Durant era.
Per Kyler, sources close to Griffin “have been adamant” that he intends to re-sign with the Clippers once his current contract is up — that could happen next summer, since the star forward has an early termination option. Doc Rivers is confident Griffin will remain in Los Angeles for the long term and has no interest in engaging in trade talks, says Kyler.
The Hawks seriously explored a Millsap trade in July, but those talks came to an end after the team lost Al Horford. Sources tell Kyler that Millsap has been assured he won’t be dealt anytime soon, though the veteran’s potential 2017 free agency looms as a possible concern if Atlanta struggles out of the gate.

Thunder Sign Ronnie Price

August 14th, 2016 at 12:18pm CST by Arthur Hill

AUGUST 14: The deal is official, the team announced today.

AUGUST 11: The Thunder have finalized a guaranteed two-year, $5MM deal with Price, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical (via Twitter). Although Oklahoma City could use its room exception to accommodate the move, the team still has cap room available as well.

JULY 31: Veteran point guard Ronnie Price is set to join the Thunder, tweets Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders. Price is expected to receive a two-year deal, but the exact terms are not certain.

The 33-year-old free agent had the highest scoring average of his career last season in Phoenix at 5.3 points per game to go with 2.4 assists. However, a report came out July 13th that the Suns weren’t going to re-sign Price and he had a deal in place with an unidentified team.

Oklahoma City still has more than $20MM in cap room remaining, so fitting Price in will be no problem. The Thunder are hoping to convince Russell Westbrook to take about $9MM of that cap space in a renegotiated and extended deal.

OKC will be the seventh NBA stop for Price, who has changed teams every season since 2011.

Eastern Notes: Nader, Westbrook, Batum

August 6th, 2016 at 9:03pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics have a little more than a month to decide what to do with No. 58 pick Abdel Nader, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Teams have until September 10th to submit a required tender offer to second-rounders in order to retain their rights. However, they often have an understanding that the player won’t accept the offer, because if he does and fails to make the 15-man roster, he becomes a free agent. Nader and the Celtics’ front office may disagree on his immediate future, with Boston preferring that Nader agree to spend all of next season with its Maine affiliate in the D-League. But the Iowa State alum, who was the second-leading scorer on the Celtics’ summer league team, may not be willing to make that commitment. “He’s an NBA player, that’s my belief,” said Cervando Tejeda, Nader’s agent. “Right now, we have to decide what the next move is.”

There’s more news from the Eastern Conference:

The Heat may benefit from Russell Westbrook‘s decision to accept an extension with the Thunder, contends Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel. Winderman points out that Miami has had its options limited by the pursuit of a free agent every offseason since LeBron James left in 2014, and that would have happened again next summer if Westbrook had been available. With him under contract, the Heat may look more seriously at trades involving Goran Dragic or the newly re-signed Hassan Whiteside. The author also notes that next summer will be crucial for Miami because Tyler Johnson will count $19MM against the salary cap starting in 2018 and the Heat will be short on draft picks to deal, already owing the Suns their 2018 and 2021 first-rounders from the trade that brought Dragic to Miami.
Nicolas Batum is philosophical about the roster changes the Hornets experienced over the summer, according to Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer. After winning 48 games last season, Charlotte saw Al Jefferson, Jeremy Lin and Courtney Lee leave in free agency. The team also rewarded Batum with a $120MM contract over the next five years. “That’s just the NBA,” he said after his French team lost to Australia this afternoon at the Olympics. “We get new teammates. We have to adjust. But we still will have a good team. I’m not complaining about it.”

Western Notes: Blazers, Tolliver, Westbrook

August 6th, 2016 at 5:15pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The Trail Blazers have had a busy offseason as the franchise hopes to keep the momentum going from its surprising 2015/16 season. GM Neil Olshey, speaking at a press conference to formally announce C.J. McCollum‘s extension, noted that keeping the roster intact was his first priority heading into the summer, Sean Meagher of The Oregonian relays.

“Player retention was big this summer,” Olshey said. “We did what we could in terms of free agency, bringing in skill sets more than players – skill sets from the outside. But at the end of the day when you’re the youngest team in the playoffs last year, you made the second round, we had a much better second half of the year than we did the first half, we felt like we were tracking up … it was imperative we keep this group together because we think it has tremendous upside and potential and it’s going to continue to grow.”

Here’s more from out West:

Anthony Tolliver, who inked a two-year deal with the Kings this offseason, hopes he can help mentor DeMarcus Cousins as well as produce on the court this season, Dan Lovi of NBA.com relays. “He has all the talent in the world,” Tolliver said of Cousins. “He’s phenomenal, especially on the offensive end, but I really feel like he can improve. Hopefully I help him become better.”
The Clippers made the most out of their limited cap space this offseason, adding a number of players via below-market contracts who should bolster their bench in 2016/17, Bobby Marks of The Vertical writes in his review of Los Angeles’ summer. The scribe also opines that it is vital for the team to develop 2016 draftees Brice Johnson and Diamond Stone, given the team’s lack of cap flexibility.
While Russell Westbrook‘s renegotiation and extension with the Thunder appeared sudden to many, it was a move that had been in the works for a couple of weeks, writes Royce Young of ESPN.com. According to the scribe, OKC knew it had a commitment from Westbrook when it rescinded its qualifying offer to Dion Waiters. A move that was needed to free up the necessary cap space to complete the arrangement.

Thunder Sign Russell Westbrook To Extension

August 4th, 2016 at 11:00pm CST by Luke Adams

2:20pm: The Thunder have officially issued a press release announcing their extension with Westbrook.

“I am grateful to extend my contract with the Thunder and continue to play with the only organization that I have played for and have loved being a part of since I was drafted into the NBA,” Westbrook said in a statement. “I’m really excited about moving forward with this group of guys and continuing to play in front of the best fans in the world.”

7:36am: The Thunder have agreed in principle to a renegotiation and extension with Russell Westbrook, according to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com, who reports that the deal will be signed on Thursday. Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical confirms (via Twitter) that Westbrook is flying to Oklahoma City this morning and plans to sign a three-year, $85MM+ deal.

Wojnarowski had reported on Wednesday night that the two sides were in advanced discussions on a new agreement. Per Wojnarowski, the three-year contract will include this season and will feature a player option, so it will essentially keep Westbrook under team control through the 2017/18 campaign. In 2018, he’ll have the opportunity to decline that third-year player option and reach free agency as he becomes eligible for the 10-year-veteran maximum salary.

While veteran extensions generally don’t allow players to maximize their earnings, that’s often not the case when a renegotiation is included. Westbrook had been set to earn a $17,769,374 salary for the 2016/17 season. By renegotiating his deal, the Thunder will use their excess cap room to bump him up to the maximum salary, which is $26,540,100. If Westbrook had waited until he reached free agency in 2017 to sign a new deal, his 2017/18 starting salary would have been a little higher, but he would’ve missed out on this year’s pay increase of nearly $9MM, as Dana Gauruder of Hoops Rumors pointed out this week when he broke down Westbrook’s options.

Westbrook’s new contract should work out to be identical to Mike Conley‘s over the next two years, with a salary of $26,540,100 (2016/17), followed by a 7.5% raise to $28,530,608 (2017/18). In a free-agent contract like Conley’s, that $1,990,508 first-year raise would apply to all subsequent seasons as well, but in Westbrook’s case, he’ll get a 7.5% raise on his 2017/18 salary, since that’s the first year of his new extension. That would result in a 2018/19 salary of $30,670,403 and a three-year total of $85,741,111, as Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders recently explained.

By inking an extension now, Westbrook will give the Thunder a couple years to retool the roster around him in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s departure. As Royce Young of ESPN.com notes (via Twitter), the team may now be less inclined to work out new deals this offseason for extension-eligible players like Steven Adams, Victor Oladipo, and Andre Roberson, since keeping their cap holds on the books next summer would allow the franchise to maximize its 2017 cap room. That approach would be risky in cases where Oklahoma City doesn’t intend to go up to the max though, since those players could sign offer sheets with rival teams if they become restricted free agents.

While it’s still possible that Westbrook departs Oklahoma City in free agency down the road, he’ll be staying with the team longer than many observers expected. When Durant chose to sign with the Warriors, trade speculation immediately began swirling around the star point guard — according to Shelburne (via Twitter), the Thunder received “dozens” of trade calls over the last month, but told potential Westbrook suitors to “chill” while they tried to work out an extension with the 27-year-old.

After Durant’s departure, multiple reports out of OKC indicated that Westbrook may be more motivated than ever to stay with the Thunder, rather than wanting to follow his All-Star teammates out of town. Westbrook’s long-term future with the club may ultimately hinge on how GM Sam Presti and company fortify the roster over the next year or two, but for now, it seems those local reports on Westbrook’s motivation were accurate.

A five-time All-Star, Westbrook saw his scoring average dip to 23.5 PPG in 2015/16 after he led the league with 28.1 PPG in 2014/15. However, he set new career-highs in APG (10.4) and RPG (7.8) last season, and he’s poised for a huge statistical season this coming year, with Durant no longer in the picture.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Community Shootaround: Russell Westbrook

August 4th, 2016 at 3:21pm CST by Luke Adams

After a month of trade speculation, Russell Westbrook shut down that talk earlier today when he signed a brand-new contract extension with the Thunder. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, the Oklahoma City brass had been prepared to explore the trade market for a package of young players and draft picks if Westbrook had given the team the impression that he was “unenthusiastic” about the future in OKC. However, in the wake of Kevin Durant‘s departure, Westbrook re-committed to the Thunder, forgoing free agency in 2017.

“The idea of running out to find a super team, that isn’t who he is,” a source close to Westbrook told Wojnarowski. “He thought, ‘These are my guys here,’ and he wanted to go to battle with them.”

While Thunder fans – along with GM Sam Presti – can breathe a sigh of relief for now, Westbrook’s “three-year” extension essentially only guarantees him one extra season in Oklahoma City. The first year of the deal is 2016/17, for which he was already under contract, and the third year (2018/19) is a player option, meaning Westbrook could opt out in 2018, when he becomes eligible for a higher maximum salary.

It’s entirely possible that Westbrook intends to re-sign with the Thunder again at that point, but the team certainly can’t take that for granted, and will have to work hard to fortify the roster around Westbrook over the next year or two. Within his column (linked above), Wojnarowski reiterates something he reported in July, writing that OKC has its eye on Blake Griffin, who played his college ball in Oklahoma and can become a free agent in 2017.

With Westbrook locked up, the Thunder would have to make a trade or two – or part ways with one or two of its RFAs-to-be – in order to create room for Griffin, but the cap work certainly wouldn’t be a major roadblock for the team — the bigger challenge would be convincing Griffin to leave Los Angeles to return to Oklahoma City.

Of course, even if signing Griffin isn’t in the cards, there are a number of other avenues – in free agency or on the trade market – that Presti and the front office could explore to upgrade the roster before Westbrook reaches the open market in 2018.

Today’s discussion questions revolve around the future for the Thunder and for Westbrook: Do you expect Westbrook to stay in Oklahoma City beyond 2018? Is this just a temporary reprieve for the Thunder, or is it a sign that Westbrook is committed to the franchise for the long run? What moves do you expect the Thunder to pull off in the next year or two to get back into title contention?

Take to the comments section below to share your opinions on the future for the Thunder and for Westbrook. We look forward to hearing your thoughts.