Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Afflalo, Jackson

February 20th, 2015 at 2:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

Blazers GM Neil Olshey made it clear that Thursday’s trade for Arron Afflalo was a product of the team’s emphasis on the present, as he told reporters and as The Oregonian’s Joe Freeman transcribes.

“It’s one of the things about our league; you can’t be a development team and a winning team,” Olshey said. “They’re not always independent of one another, but they’re more independent than people would like to admit.”

All five Northwest Division teams made trades Thursday, and that included two deals in which Northwest teams hooked up with each other. We rounded up the latest on the Wolves, the lone team that didn’t make an intradivision trade, earlier today, and now here’s what’s happening in the rest of the division:

The Nuggets expected that Afflalo would command $9-10MM a year in a new contract this summer, reports Chris Mannix of SI.com, who writes in his Open Floor column. The new Blazers shooting guard has a player option likely worth $7.75MM for next season, up from his base salary of $7.5MM. That’s because playing with Portland means he’ll probably trigger the bonus for making the playoffs that’s part of his contract, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link).
There were strong feelings in the Nuggets organization that the presence of JaVale McGee negatively influenced a “winning culture,” Mannix also writes in the same piece.
Reggie Jackson sat out a game at the beginning of the season because he was disappointed the Thunder didn’t trade him, a source tells Royce Young of ESPN.com, who delves into the frayed relationship between Jackson and his now former Thunder teammates.
The development of Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors and the desire for cap flexibility motivated the Jazz’s decision to trade Enes Kanter, not Kanter’s trade request, Jazz GM Dennis Lindsey insists, as Aaron Falk of The Salt Lake Tribune relays.
Dorell Wright, a free agent at season’s end, would prefer re-signing with the Blazers over a deal with any other NBA team, as he tells Lang Greene of Basketball Insiders.
There’s a decent chance Tibor Pleiss, the draft-and-stash prospect whom the Jazz acquired Thursday from the Thunder, leaves his Spanish team soon, making him available to sign with Utah, a source indicated to Tony Jones of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). Pleiss, a center, is currently under contract through 2016, as our draft rights held database shows.

Eastern Notes: Sessions, Heat, Pacers

February 19th, 2015 at 10:08pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Ramon Sessions‘ agent, Jared Karnes, is excited to see his client join the Wizards, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today Sports writes. “Washington is a great situation for Ramon,” Karnes said. “He’s obviously looking forward to going to the playoffs. He has a contract year coming up and this gives him a chance shake things up and be part of a playoff team. Ramon appreciated his time in Sacramento and wishes them success.”

Here’s more from the Eastern Conference:

The Pacers made a serious bid to acquire Reggie Jackson from the Thunder, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter). Of course, the Pacers wound up losing out to the Pistons.
The Heat made Hassan Whiteside an untouchable in trade talks along with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, according to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).
Knicks president Phil Jackson can learn a lot about being a successful NBA executive from the Heat‘s Pat Riley, Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post writes.
Raptors GM Masai Ujiri was happy enough with his roster to not make any moves prior to the trade deadline, Holly MacKenzie of NBA.com writes. “We feel confident in this team,” Ujiri said. “In terms of growth, in terms of growing, we’re still a long ways away. We understand that, but a lot of things that were put in front of us were things that maybe [helped] immediately, something that makes you a slightly better now, but it also takes away from younger guys continuing to grow. We felt it wasn’t the time.”
Goran Dragic is likely to sign a long-term deal this summer to remain with the Heat, Sean Deveney of The Sporting News writes. More than anything else, Dragic desires stability in his career, Deveney adds. “Finding a place where I can be a part of something and build toward something, that is what I have wanted most, really. Having stability,” Dragic told the Sporting News scribe.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Pelicans Acquire, Waive Ish Smith

February 19th, 2015 at 8:04pm CST by Eddie Scarito

8:04pm: The Pelicans have waived Smith, the team has announced.

7:22pm: The Pelicans have acquired guard Ish Smith from the Thunder, New Orleans has announced. In addition to Smith, New Orleans will also receive the rights to Latavious Williams, cash considerations, and a 2015 protected second round pick. Oklahoma City in return will garner a 2016 protected second round draft pick. Oklahoma City needed to reduce its roster count to the league maximum 15 players, and the trade of Smith will accomplish just that. The Pelicans now have 14 players on their roster with the addition of the point guard.

Smith appeared in 30 games this season for the Thunder, averaging 1.2 points, 0.9 rebounds and 0.9 assists. Since going undrafted out of Wake Forest back in 2010, Smith has appeared in 221 career games for the Suns, Magic, Rockets, Bucks and Grizzlies, averaging 2.7 points, 1.9 assists and 1.4 rebounds. His career slash line is .388/.216/.581.

Williams was the 48th overall selection by the Heat in 2010. Williams currently plays for Bilbao Basket of Liga ACB in Spain, where he has appeared in 21 games this season, averaging 7.5 points and 5.9 rebounds per game.

Pistons Acquire Reggie Jackson

February 19th, 2015 at 7:13pm CST by Chuck Myron

7:13pm: The release on the Thunder’s website indicates that the Thunder received Detroit’s unprotected 2019 second-round pick, too.

6:34pm: The Jazz have formally announced that the deal is official. The Pistons and Thunder have also confirmed the trade in press releases. Utah has acquired Jerrett, the rights to Pleiss, Perkins, and a future first-round pick from Oklahoma City, as well as a 2017 second-round pick from the Pistons. The Thunder will receive Kanter and Novak from Utah, and Augustin and Singler from the Pistons, while Detroit garners Jackson.

4:06pm: The Jazz are getting Jerrett, a protected first-round pick from the Thunder and a second-rounder from the Pistons in addition to Kanter and the rights to Pleiss, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

3:49pm: Several picks are changing hands in the deal as well, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, suggesting that a significant chunk of the draft considerations are heading Utah’s way (Twitter link).

3:33pm: The Thunder dealt for Kanter with the intention of re-signing him this summer, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

3:25pm: Grant Jerrett is headed out in the deal, too, according to Mayberry, though he doesn’t specify which team he’s going to (Twitter link). The Thunder are expected to waive Ish Smith to accommodate all the moves, Mayberry adds.

2:49pm: The Thunder will send the draft rights to center Tibor Pleiss to the Jazz, according to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman (on Twitter).

2:44pm: Guard D.J. Augustin is headed from the Pistons to OKC in the deal, according to Wojnarowski (on Twitter). The former No. 9 overall pick averaged 10.6 PPG and 4.98 APG in 23.8 minutes per game for the Pistons this season.

2:15pm: Steve Novak is heading from the Jazz to the Thunder in the deal, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com (on Twitter). Jody Genessy of The Deseret News (on Twitter) first reported that Novak would be included in the three-way swap.

1:56pm: It’s now a three-way deal, according to Wojnarowski (via Twitter links). The Jazz will send Enes Kanter to OKC, the Thunder will ship Kendrick Perkins to Utah, and Detroit will send Kyle Singler to OKC.

Talks with the Jazz about Kanter picked up today as OKC weighed the pros and cons of the Nets’ Brook Lopez/Jackson proposal. For his part, Kanter made it clear last week that he’s frustrated with his role and wants a trade. In 49 games this season, Kanter has averaged 13.8 PPG and 7.8 RPG – both career-highs, in 27.1 minutes per contest. For his career, the former No. 3 overall pick has put up 9.3 PPG and 5.9 RPG across four seasons in Utah.

Perkins, 30, is now slated to join the third franchise in his NBA career. The big man has been playing mostly in a reserve role this season, averaging 4.0 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 19.2 minutes per contest. In total, Perkins has put up 5.6 PPG and 6.0 RPG over the course of 12 seasons with the Celtics and Thunder.

1:50pm: The Thunder have traded Jackson to the Pistons, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports (on Twitter).

1:34pm: The Pistons are making a strong run at Reggie Jackson, a league source tells Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Jackson appeared to be Brooklyn-bound earlier today, but it’s not clear if that deal will be consummated.

The Thunder and the Nets were discussing the framework of a deal that would involve Brook Lopez going to OKC and Jackson going to Brooklyn. However, the Thunder pumped the breaks a bit on the talks when they started looking at a deal with another team. Given that Detroit is enthusiastic about landing Jackson, the PIstons might be the party putting a spoke in that wheel.

Jackson’s agent, Aaron Mintz, recently requested that the Thunder trade his client, who’s due for restricted free agency this summer. The Kings, Bucks, Heat, Pacers, Rockets and Nuggets also registered their interest in Jackson, while there are conflicting reports about whether the Celtics are pursuing him.

The 24-year-old turned down an extension offer in the neighborhood of four years and $48MM this past fall, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link). That was around the time teams around the league thought he’d end up commanding $13-14MM a year this summer, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported at the time.

Thunder Discuss Enes Kanter Deal

February 19th, 2015 at 1:24pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder have had talks about acquiring disgruntled center Enes Kanter from the Jazz as they wait to decide whether to pull the trigger on the Brook Lopez–Reggie Jackson proposal with the Nets, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Oklahoma City is making a hard push for Kanter, tweets Jody Genessy of The Deseret News, but still, a strong belief remains that the Brooklyn deal will get done, Wojnarowski adds (on Twitter). It not immediately clear whether Jackson would be involved in a Kanter trade. Oklahoma City has also talked to the Pacers as the Thunder search for alternatives to the Lopez-Jackson deal, but nothing materialized with Indiana, Wojnarowski tweets.

Kanter made it clear last week that he’s frustrated with his role and wants a trade

Nets, Thunder Close To Lopez, Jackson Deal

February 19th, 2015 at 1:21pm CST by Chuck Myron

1:21pm: Stan Van Gundy says the Pistons aren’t moving on Jarrett Jack or Heat guard Norris Cole today, according to David Mayo of MLive.com (on Twitter).

1:01pm: The Thunder are looking at a deal with another team, according to Wojnarowski, who indicates that’s the holdup on the Jackson-Lopez front (on Twitter).

12:47pm: Garnett’s decision regarding his no-trade clause won’t affect the Lopez-Jackson deal, sources tell Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). The Nets are ready to make it happen and are waiting on the Thunder, Mannix says. That would seem to suggest a two-teamer is most likely, but that’s just my speculation.

12:24pm: Jackson is enthusiastic about a potential deal to the Nets, league sources tell Wojnarowski, who hints that Brooklyn’s apparent willingness to unload Jack and sign Jackson to a lucrative deal this summer are major components to that. Jackson is indeed willing to sign long-term in Brooklyn, according to Chris Mannix of SI.com (on Twitter), and that was key to Brooklyn’s pursuit of the would-be trade, as Wojnarowski reported earlier (below). Both Wojnarowski, in his full piece, and Sam Amick of USA Today (Twitter link) have the would-be two-teamer as Lopez to the Thunder for Perkins and Jones, though Wojnarowski says a broader structure of the deal involving other teams remains in play.

12:08pm: The Pistons are a possible landing spot for Jack, sources tell Windhorst (Twitter link). It’s unclear if Detroit would be a part of the Lopez-Jackson deal.

11:42am: The Nets could send Jack to the Wizards as part of a larger deal, a league source tells Wojnarowski (Twitter link)

11:09am: Jackson’s relationship with his teammates on the Thunder has deteriorated quite a bit, according to Royce Young of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

10:43am: The fate of a Nets-Thunder deal involving Jackson and Lopez rests with the Thunder, and for now it would be just a two team arrangement, reports Howard Beck of Bleacher Report (Twitter link).

10:40am: The Nets are one of multiple options the Thunder are looking at regarding Jackson, but a deal between Brooklyn and Oklahoma City remains close, Broussard tweets.

10:20am: Jackson’s camp believes a deal will likely get done, Amick tweets. The Timberwolves and Sixers could be included, perhaps with the Thaddeus Young-for-Kevin Garnett possibility lumped in, according to Wojnarowski (Twitter link). The Nets are again looking to flip Perkins or have him conveyed elsewhere, Windhorst tweets.

10:15am: A deal is close, but not done, as Marc Stein of ESPN.com hears (Twitter link). The teams are talking about deal that would see Oklahoma City relinquish Jackson, Perry Jones III and Perkins as Nets feel out Jackson’s willingness to re-sign, as Wojnarowski writes in a full story. Brooklyn is prepared to part with Jack, and the team would make Jackson the starter of Deron Williams, Wojnarowski adds. League sources once more tell Wojnarowski that it’s believed Jackson will command between $13MM and $14MM this summer. Oklahoma City and Brooklyn are exploring potential third teams to add to the deal, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

10:04am: Brooklyn “needs to” include Jarrett Jack in any Jackson-Lopez deal, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link). A deal might involve Perkins and Ish Smith heading Brooklyn’s way in addition to Jackson, tweets Mike Mazzeo of ESPNNewYork.com.

9:49am: The Nets and Thunder are having serious talks about a deal involving Brook Lopez and Reggie Jackson, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link). Wojnarowski reported minutes earlier that there was a decent chance the Nets and Thunder would regather momentum toward a trade involving Lopez if the Nets become convinced they can re-sign Jackson this summer (Twitter link). The Nets and Thunder went deep into discussions on Lopez last month, but those conversations didn’t involve Jackson. The Thunder appear to have been the party with interest in striking up the Lopez talks again while the Nets have seemed hesitant.

Jackson’s agent, Aaron Mintz, recently requested that the Thunder trade his client, who’s due for restricted free agency this summer. The Kings, Bucks, Heat, Pacers, Rockets and Nuggets all appear interested in swapping for Jackson, while there are conflicting reports about whether the Celtics are pursuing him. The 24-year-old turned down an extension offer in the neighborhood of four years and $48MM this past fall, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick (Twitter link). That was around the time teams around the league thought he’d end up commanding $13-14MM a year this summer, as Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported at the time.

Lopez is due a player option worth more than $16.744MM for next season, though there are conflicting reports about whether he’d pick it up. Talks between the Nets and Thunder would have sent a package including Kendrick Perkins and Jeremy Lamb to Brooklyn, and the Nets had reportedly spoken to the Wolves about Thaddeus Young and had interest in flipping Perkins to Minnesota for him. Still, Brooklyn remained reluctant to do such a deal with Oklahoma City, apparently because it didn’t want to relinquish Lopez in what would amount to a salary dump with a package centering on Perkins, in spite of the Young discussion.

Thunder, Others Interested In Norris Cole

February 19th, 2015 at 12:11pm CST by Chuck Myron

12:11pm: The Pistons don’t have much interest in Cole, as Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press hears (Twitter link).

11:50am: Cole could be conveyed through the Suns to the Pistons if the Heat convince the Suns to take him on as part of a deal involving Goran Dragic, Wojnarowski tweets.

THURSDAY, 11:22am: The Thunder are a possible suitor for Cole as well, if they deal Reggie Jackson to the Nets, league sources tell Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (Twitter link).

5:31pm: The Pistons are also interested in acquiring Cole, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). The Heat are trying to attach Granger to any deal involving Cole, Stein confirms.

WEDNESDAY, 12:25pm: The Wizards have been in pursuit of Norris Cole, but the Heat have set a high asking price, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM. The Wizards have been looking for backcourt help, but they’ve appeared more likely to make a free agent signing than a trade. Still, Washington is reportedly willing to give up a first-round pick in a deal.

Miami reportedly tried to attach Danny Granger to Cole when the Pistons recently offered Jonas Jerebko for Cole. Heat team president Pat Riley denied that he proposed a deal that would have sent Cole to the Nets, but trade rumors have continued to swirl, as the Hornets and Bucks appear to have interest in the soon-to-be restricted free agent. Cole switched agencies this past offseason, hiring Cleveland-based Rich Paul, but he hasn’t been linked to the Cavs and former Heat teammate LeBron James.

Cole’s outside shot has been off this season, as I noted when I examined his trade candidacy, and proficient shooting has been an asset the Wizards have targeted. That suggests Washington wouldn’t go too far to satisfy Miami’s demands, though that’s just my speculation. Cole is making $2.038MM this season in the final year of his rookie scale contract.

Bucks Dangle Henson, Mayo, Ilyasova

February 19th, 2015 at 7:31am CST by Eddie Scarito

THURSDAY, 7:31am: Henson is available only for deals in which the Bucks would acquire a top-notch point guard in return, rival executives tell Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio. Milwaukee appears to be targeting a “splashy addition” for Henson, as sources tell Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders, who suggests that Jackson and Lawson would fit that bill.

WEDNESDAY, 5:07pm: The Bucks are anxious to make a trade in the wake of reportedly reaching a buyout arrangement with Larry Sanders, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reports. Milwaukee has been dangling Ersan Ilyasova, O.J. Mayo and John Henson in offers to other teams, Kyler notes. With Sanders’ cap hit beginning with next season being pared down significantly with the team poised to use the stretch provision to waive him, the Bucks will have some breathing room under the salary cap they can use to nab a player who is set to command big money as a free agent this summer, Kyler adds.

Milwaukee is in the market for a point guard, and has been mentioned in connection with Ty Lawson (Nuggets), Reggie Jackson (Thunder), and the Bucks have also been linked to big man Enes Kanter (Jazz), Kyler notes. The Bucks have maintained the stance that they would not mortgage their future for a quick fix, but they seem to be open to making a move that would bolster the roster for 2015/16 as well as improve the team’s shot at a playoff spot, the Basketball Insiders scribe relays.

Mayo, 27, is making $8MM this season, and is on the books for an identical amount for 2015/16. He has appeared in 53 contests this season, including 15 as a starter. Mayo’s numbers on the year are 11.8 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. His career stats are 14.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.0 APG. His slash line is .432/.378/.823.

Ilyasova has two more years remaining on his deal, which carries a cap hit of $7.9MM for this season and next, and his $8.4MM salary for 2016/17 is partially guaranteed for just $400K. In 30 appearances this season, Ilyasova is notching 8.8 points and 3.5 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per night. His career numbers are 10.4 PPG and 6.0 RPG.

Henson, the 24-year-old big man out of North Carolina, also has a season remaining on his contract. He is earning $1,987,320 for the season and is set to make $2,943,221 next season. Henson’s numbers on the year are 7.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 17.9 minutes per game.

Northwest Notes: Kanter, Durant, Afflalo

February 18th, 2015 at 8:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Jazz have not received any serious offers for Enes Kanter, Michael Scotto of SheridanHoops tweets. The team is seeking a quality young player and a first-round pick for Kanter, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported on Tuesday. The team would be happy to retain Kanter past the trade deadline, a league source told Scotto. Kanter is set to become a restricted free agent this summer.

In other news around the Northwest Division:

Kevin Durant said he feels no resentment toward the Thunder for the James Harden trade and added that it will have no bearing on his free agency in 2016, as he told reporters, including Darnell Mayberry and Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. Durant also said that he loves having Reggie Jackson as a teammate, which counters an earlier report.
Teams around the league are convinced that the Nuggets will obtain the first-round draft pick they seek in return for Arron Afflalo, and that the Trail Blazers are the current favorites to land the guard, Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link).
Afflalo’s representative may not be thrilled at the prospect of the Nuggets guard being dealt to Portland because it could stunt the growth of C.J. McCollum, Jabari Young of CSNNW.com writes. Both players are represented by Excel Sports Management and McCollum’s playing time and bargaining power would likely shrink if Afflalo lands with Portland, Young adds. McCollum’s contract calls for him to make approximately $2.5MM next season and the club holds a team option of just over $3.2MM for 2016/17.

Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.

Reggie Jackson’s Agent Asks For Trade

February 18th, 2015 at 2:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:05pm: The Pacers, Celtics, Rockets and Nuggets are all interested in Jackson, sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com (Twitter link).

1:56pm: Jackson refused to give a direct answer when reporters asked him at practice today whether he wanted to remain in Oklahoma City, saying only “I would love to play basketball,” as Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman relays.

12:33pm: Agent Aaron Mintz, the representative for Reggie Jackson, recently asked Thunder GM Sam Presti to trade his client, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. Several opposing teams have become aware of the request, which took place in the last seven to 10 days, league sources told Wojnarowski. Jackson has let the Thunder know that he’d resist the franchise’s efforts to keep him in restricted free agency this summer, Wojnarowski adds, which falls in line with a report last month from USA Today’s Sam Amick that he was open to signing his qualifying offer. That maneuver would allow him to hit unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2016, just when Kevin Durant would have a chance to leave the Thunder, too. Still, Presti hasn’t committed to trading Jackson even as he’s shown a willingness to listen to pitches from other teams, according to Wojnarowski.

The Thunder are still likely to match a reasonable offer to Jackson should they have him when the summer rolls around, tweets Chris Mannix of SI.com. They’re not about to part with him for an insignificant return, a point both Mannix and Wojnarowski make. Jackson and coach Scott Brooks have had their ups and downs this season, Wojnarowski writes, and Jackson’s role has shrunk since the arrival of Dion Waiters. Jackson believed he had been traded to the Knicks in that deal that brought Waiters to Oklahoma City before realizing that wasn’t the case, and the Knicks have reportedly been likely to try to trade for him again. The Kings and Thunder have apparently held preliminary talks about Jackson, while the Bucks and Heat seem to have interest, too.

Durant reportedly hasn’t been enamored with Jackson, and teams around the league have been expecting the Thunder to deal the combo guard. Jackson made it clear before the season that he’d like to start at point guard, which won’t happen with Russell Westbrook around. Jackson, Mintz and the Thunder failed to come to terms on an extension before the October 31st deadline, and Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reported around that time that teams around the league thought he’d command offers of $13-14MM this summer. Oklahoma City is above the tax threshold for this season, and concerns about the tax for this year and beyond are apparently what have rival teams believing the Thunder will ultimately deal Jackson before the deadline.