Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder Notes: Durant, Kanter, Alkins

May 10th, 2017 at 7:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder are unlikely to add another star via free agency, Jon Hamm of Daily Thunder explains. High-priced extensions for Victor Oladipo and Steven Adams will kick in this summer and the duo will go from making a combined $9,693,477 this year to earning a combined $43,471,911 next season.

The team will have approximately $110MM in guaranteed salary on the book next season, as our Cap Digest page indicates. With the salary cap expected to come in around $101MM, it appears Oklahoma City will have to use the trade market if it intends to add a major piece.

Here’s more from Oklahoma City:

Kendrick Perkins, who played with both Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant for four-plus seasons, said the two All-Stars are “back on talking terms.” He believes there’s a chance that Durant will head back to OKC at some point in the future, as ESPN.com relays. “I wouldn’t be surprised — if KD makes a little run, I wouldn’t be surprised if he goes back to Oklahoma,” Perkins said. “Because in my opinion, I don’t think Russ is going anywhere. He’s that type of guy. He just wants to stick it out, and he just wants you to give him those pieces and he just wants to roll with it. He’s not going and trying to run and chase [titles]. And one thing about it, he’s not begging nobody to come play with him.”
Erik Horne of The Oklahoman wonders if the Thunder will trade Enes Kanter this summer. The center didn’t have a strong defensive performance in the postseason and Horne notes that during the team’s playoff series against the Rockets, coach Billy Donovan appeared to say “Can’t play Kanter” to assistant coach Maurice Cheeks. Kanter only played a total of 45 minutes during OKC’s five playoff games.
Arizona’s Rawle Alkins worked out for the Thunder last weekend, Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog tweets. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express has Alkins as the 78th-best prospect in the upcoming draft.

Will Thunder Be An Option For Rudy Gay?

May 10th, 2017 at 8:58am CST by Luke Adams

Moke Hamilton of Basketball Insiders suggests that the Celtics, Thunder, and Clippers could be logical landing spots for Rudy Gay, who will opt out of his contract with the Kings this summer.

Hawks Eyeing Troy Weaver For Front Office Job?

May 8th, 2017 at 10:10am CST by Luke Adams

With top decision-makers Mike Budenholzer and Wes Wilcox transitioning to new roles this offseason, the Hawks are searching for a new basketball executive to head their front office, and may be eyeing a Thunder executive. League sources tell Marc Stein (Twitter link) that OKC vice president and assistant GM Troy Weaver is “poised to emerge” as a top candidate for Atlanta.

Weaver, who is a key voice in the Thunder’s front office under Sam Presti, has been viewed for some time as a future general manager candidate. Earlier this year, ESPN’s Kevin Pelton identified Weaver as one of seven front-office “prospects” to watch.

As Pelton detailed at the time, Weaver isn’t necessarily a salary cap expert, but he’s an “obsessive student” of the NBA’s history and has a “discerning eye for raw basketball talent.” According to Pelton, people who have worked with Weaver view him as a collaborative co-worker who could be trusted to hire an outstanding and balanced staff.

Of course, it’s not clear yet how much latitude the Hawks’ new basketball operations head will be given to restructure the front office and bring in new people. While Budenholzer and Wilcox have been re-assigned, Budenholzer is still expected to have a voice in personnel decisions, and Atlanta hasn’t technically fired anyone at this point. It remains to be seen whether execs like senior advisor Rick Sund or assistant GMs Michael Blackstone and Jeff Peterson will remain with the Hawks under new leadership.

In addition to Weaver, candidates for the Hawks’ top front office job reportedly include David Griffin and Joe Dumars. More names could be added to that list in the coming days or weeks.

The Evolution Of Adams' Game; Huestis' Future Unclear

May 7th, 2017 at 8:00pm CST by Austin Kent

When Steven Adams next takes the court for the Thunder he’ll be paid $22.4MM, Brett Dawson of the Oklahoman writes. This year, in contrast, the big man made just $3.1MM. Don’t think that the dramatic change in salary will automatically correspond with a dramatic change in production, however, Dawson writes.

“I think Steven’s effectiveness, so much of it is in the things he already does,” Thunder general manager Sam Presti said. That, of course, includes stellar rim protection, effective pick-and-roll defense and the occasional offensive support without demanding the ball every possession.

It’s no easier to determine forward Josh Huestis‘ future with the Thunder, Erik Horne of the Oklahoman writes, because the 2014 first-rounder didn’t play enough to make much of an impression.

Could the Thunder Considering Dealing Kanter?

May 7th, 2017 at 3:24pm CST by marksuleymanov

The Thunder may look to free up cap space this summer to lure a superstar free agent to pair with possible 2017 MVP Russell Westbrook. Trading big man Enes Kanter could be one option, as he’s owed $17.9MM next season; however, the Heat would likely not be a trade partner, Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel says in his latest Ask Ira column.

Looming Extensions Critical For Westbrook

May 5th, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Austin Kent

If Russell Westbrook doesn’t sign a five-year extension when it’s offered to him this summer, he’ll almost inevitably leave the Thunder in the summer of 2018, says Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post. If that is the case, expect Oklahoma City to trade him rather than watch him leave for nothing.

Difficult To Gauge Roberson's Value

May 5th, 2017 at 5:21pm CST by Austin Kent

Unable to come to terms with the Thunder on a rookie extension last fall, Andre Roberson will look to test the market this offseason, Erik Horne of the Oklahoman writes.

It’s hard to put a finger on exactly what the defensive-minded two-guard is worth, and the extra year of research didn’t help as much as the two parties may have hoped when the Thunder decided to let the 25-year-old become a restricted free agent.

Roberson is among the league’s best perimeter defender but his offensive shortcomings are hard to ignore. That, of course, muddies the waters when it comes to figuring out what the Thunder will (or should) pay to retain him.

“I don’t think anybody takes for granted a defensive specialist. All the GMs, the coaches, I think they see the work, so I’m not worried about free agency. I guess you could say I’m letting it take care of itself,” the Thunder guard said.

And-Ones: Free Agents, D-League, Bennett, Oden

May 3rd, 2017 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Several under-the-radar players who will be free agents this summer are improving their bargaining position with their performance in the playoffs, writes Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype. He identifies six players, starting with Golden State big man JaVale McGee, who is averaging 8.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.0 blocks through five games despite playing just 11.8 minutes per night. McGee signed a non-guaranteed deal with the Warriors for the veteran’s minimum and could be in line for a huge pay raise in July. The others that Kennedy singles out are Serge Ibaka of the Raptors, Joe Ingles of the Jazz, Nene of the Rockets, Andre Roberson of the Thunder and Deron Williams of the Cavaliers.

There’s more news from around the basketball world:

The Texas Legends, the Mavericks‘ affiliate in the D-League, have given coach Bob MacKinnon a two-year extension, tweets D-League Digest. The D-League veteran is in his first season with the Legends.
Invitations have been issued for the D-League’s Elite Mini Camp, which will be held May 8-9 in Chicago, relays Chris Reichert of FanSided. Many players have used this showcase to earn spots on summer league rosters, with alumni such as Jonathon Simmons, Hollis Thompson and DeAndre Liggins. Among the best-known names at this year’s camp will be Russ Smith, JaKarr Sampson, Ray McCallum and Cliff Alexander.
Former No. 1 pick Anthony Bennett, who played 23 games for the Nets this season, has been replaced on his Fenerbahce team in Turkey, according to Bugra Uzar of Eurohoops. Taking his spot on the roster is Pero Antic, who played for the Hawks from 2013 to 2015. Bennett will remain with the club and is expected to be part of the upcoming EuroLeague Final Four.
Greg Oden, another former No. 1 pick, is hoping to be part of The Basketball Tournament this summer on ESPN, relays Alysha Tsuji of USA Today. Oden’s team is called Scarlet and Gray and is made up of Ohio State alumni. “We think we’re a team that can win it,” he said. “We look at the talent we’ve had here in the last 10 years or so, and we can match up with anybody. We want the state of Ohio supporting us. We’re called Scarlet and Gray, but this team is a representation of the whole state.”

The Latest On Andre Roberson

May 2nd, 2017 at 2:26pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Andre Roberson will be a restricted free agent this summer and GM Sam Presti is optimistic that Roberson will return to the Thunder, as Brett Dawson of The Oklahoman relays.

“Every indication we’ve had from Dre and from his people, his agent, is that he loves playing here,” Presti said. “And I’ve always said this to everybody before: When the player shows an interest in being here, it really exponentially helps your opportunity to get a contract done if you would like to.”

Oklahoma City has the ability to match any offer sheet Roberson receives, but Presti cautioned that another team extending an offer “decreases the chances” that the 25-year-old will return.

The Thunder and Roberson’s camp discussed an extension last fall, but the two sides weren’t able to come to an agreement. Presti said the talks were “productive and collaborative,” and the team hopes that they can consummate a deal this time around.

“We need them to be fair with us,” Presti said. “We have to be fair with them and try to find a common ground.”

Thunder Notes: Kanter, Christon, Westbrook

May 2nd, 2017 at 10:26am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Thunder have approximately $110MM in guaranteed salaries on the books for the 2017/18 campaign and with an estimated $101MM salary cap, it’s unlikely the team makes a splash in free agency. Despite the lack of flexibility, GM Sam Presti will continue to function as an opportunist, as Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman relays.

“We’re not in a position where we’re going to be a cap space team, per se,” Presti said. “We’ll look at every opportunity that we can, but it’s not a matter of us necessarily extending offers to people. It’s basically people extending interest to us, you know what I’m saying, and then we can work from there.

“We’ll make every single phone call to every single team, and the players that everyone I think probably thinks about and fantasizes about. You know, if we can make those players be here, they would probably be here by now. Otherwise, we’re going to have to like kind of do our job and keep getting better and go from there.”

Here’s more from Oklahoma City:

Enes Kanter is “absolutely on the trade block,” Tramel writes in the same piece. It’s unclear whether Tramel has inside sources or he’s just reading the tea leaves. The Thunder have a surplus of big men and after Kanter played well this past season, he may hold the most trade value out of their frontcourt players.
Tramel adds that the Thunder are in the market for a backup point guard. Presti recently said that Semaj Christon did an “excellent job” behind Russell Westbrook.
Presti believes the team’s young core can grow from this year’s experiences, as Clint Brunt of the Associated Press passes along. “[The team] knows what it’s like to go through a playoff series where, you know, you’re losing the series on the margins. They know what it’s like to play with one another and understand each other’s tendencies. And I think that’s going to bode well for us,” Presti said.
Presti said the Thunder are hopeful Westbrook will sign a long-term extension this summer, as we passed along on Monday. The MVP Candidate is eligible for the Designated Player Extension, which could pay him an estimated $217MM over five seasons.