Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Western Notes: Lakers, Parsons, Thunder, Ibaka

November 22nd, 2014 at 10:37pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Lakers are not making any immediate roster moves after holding free agent workouts this week, according to David Pick of Eurobasket.com (Twitter link). Los Angeles brought in Roscoe Smith for a tryout yesterday. Smith joined Gal Mekel, Jordan Hamilton, Dwight Buycks, Quincy Miller and Tyrus Thomas as players who are candidates for a roster spot on the team. The 3-10 Lakers will host the Nuggets on Sunday after giving up 140 points to the Mavs on Friday night.

Here’s more from the Western Conference:

The Mavs and Rockets squared off in Houston tonight and Chandler Parsons reflects on his relationship with his old team, writes Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle. “This was home for me for three years so I have no hard feelings toward them,” Parsons said. “It obviously got a little ugly during free agency but (Rockets general manager) Daryl (Morey) told me it was gonna, so it didn’t surprise anyone. That’s just how it goes and it’s business and at the end of the day, my friendship with these guys will stay the same.” The stellar play of Parsons has been key to the Mavs offense, which is scoring a league-best 111.3 points per game this season.
The injuries to the Thunder this season could help the team in the long run, opines Benjamin Hoffman of the New York Times. Hoffman looks at the 1996/97 season, when the Spurs lost David Robinson to an injury and ended up with the top pick in the 1997 draft, as a potential blueprint for what Oklahoma City could strive for this year. Entering Saturday, the Thunder own a record of 3-11, which is second worst in the league. While this strategy might be tempting, Hoffman notes that more likely than not, the next top pick isn’t another player of Tim Duncan‘s caliber.
The rash of injuries to the Thunder have allowed Serge Ibaka to include the three-point shot in his game more frequently, and this new wrinkle isn’t going anywhere once the team’s stars return, writes Anthony Slater of The Oklahoman. “I think it continues,” head coach Scott Brooks said. “He doesn’t necessarily have to live out there and shoot 10 a game. But three or four a game is a good number for him.” Ibaka is shooting 38.3% on 60 attempts from behind the arc in 14 games this year, which already ties his career high.
The Lakers have assigned Jordan Clarkson and Xavier Henry to the D-League, the team announced. The pair went to the D-League for a one-day assignment a week ago.

And-Ones: Smith, Moreland, Sampson

November 21st, 2014 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Minnesota is the latest team to be besieged by injuries, with Ricky Rubio and Kevin Martin out indefinitely and Ronny Turiaf also expected to miss time. Also among the Timberwolves to sit on the sidelines in street clothes tonight is Nikola Pekovic, who has a sprained wrist. With the league-maximum 15 players on their roster, the Wolves would not be able to sign another player without being forced to release someone. But if at least three of the players miss three consecutive games and an independent physician declares that they and a fourth player are likely to continue to miss time, Minnesota could apply to the league for a hardship provision that would grant them the ability to temporarily carry a 16th player. Still, “they don’t hand those things out like candy,” as Flip Saunders noted of the league’s willingness to grant 16th roster spots, in spite of recent allowances for the Thunder, Pacers and Grizzlies, tweets Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.

Here’s more from around the league:

The Kings have sent Eric Moreland to the Reno Bighorns, the team announced. This will be Moreland’s second assignment to the D-League this season. The 22-year-old power forward has yet to make a regular season appearance for Sacramento
The Sixers have assigned JaKarr Sampson to the Delaware 87ers, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Sampson’s first trip to the D-League this season, and the rookie is averaging 2.0 points and 1.7 rebounds per game in nine NBA appearances.
Former Blazers first round pick Nolan Smith is headed back to the NBA D-League, Gino Pilato of D-League Digest reports. Smith had cut ties with Turkey’s Galatasaray back in October and intends to use the D-League to showcase his talents for NBA teams, Pilato notes. The D-League will assign Smith to one of its teams through its waiver system. The 26-year-old point guard spent 2011/12 and 2012/13 with Portland, averaging 3.3 PPG and 1.2 APG in 9.9 minutes per contest. Smith had received partially guaranteed offers from the Bulls and the Thunder this summer but instead chose to try his luck in Turkey.

Western Notes: Kobe, Thunder, Martin

November 21st, 2014 at 2:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

Kobe Bryant rejects the notion that he should have taken a drastic discount the way Dirk Nowitzki did this summer, as Bryant told reporters, including Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com. Bryant is making $23.5MM this season, the first of a two-year, $48.5MM extension, while Nowitzki will draw only slightly more than $7.947MM.

“It’s the popular thing to do,” Bryant said of players taking pay cuts. “The player takes less, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I think it’s a big coup for the owners to put players in situations where public perception puts pressure on them to take less money. Because if you don’t, then you get criticized for it. It’s absolutely brilliant, but I’m not going for it. I know the new head of the players association [Michele Roberts] ain’t going for it, either.”

Bryant could be making nearly $32.738MM this season if he took the maximum salary in the extension he signed last year, and he said today that he thinks he gave up enough to help the Lakers become a contender again, MacMahon notes. There’s more on the Black Mamba amid the latest from the Western Conference:

Bryant dropped another hint in his chat with reporters today that he doesn’t plan on playing past the expiration of his contract in 2016, notes Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News (Twitter link).
GM Sam Presti exuded confidence a few weeks ago that the Thunder could survive their time without Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, but people within the Thunder’s basketball operations department “are on edge more than ever before,” The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry writes.
The Wolves haven’t decided whether Kevin Martin needs surgery on his broken right wrist, but it’d likely be the fastest way for him to return to the court, according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune. Zgoda speculates that it would take four to six weeks for him to come back if he goes under the knife, but the Tribune scribe points out that Martin missed more than two months after surgery to his left (non-shooting) wrist in 2009.

Western Notes: Parsons, Davis, Jerrett

November 20th, 2014 at 10:20pm CST by Eddie Scarito

By making Chandler Parsons a restricted free agent last summer the Rockets allowed him to hit the jackpot financially a year ahead of schedule, Dwain Price of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram writes. “I won’t send them [Houston] a Christmas present, but I’m very thankful for them letting me out a year early,” said Parsons. “I understood the whole logic behind it, and Dallas did a great job of making it difficult for them to match it [their offer sheet] for their future plans, so I totally get it. It’s a business and I’m very thankful and humble and glad that the Rockets gave me the opportunity initially with the draft. I had a great three years there, and I’m just excited to be here [Dallas] now.”

Here’s more from the west:

Pops Mensah-Bonsu has signed with Hapoel Jerusalem, the team announced (translation via David Pick of Eurobasket.com, on Twitter). The four-year NBA veteran was briefly in training camp with the Nuggets this fall.
The Pelicans‘ Anthony Davis is a basketball talent that almost never happened, with the big man almost quitting the game for good during his late-blooming development, Christopher Reina of RealGM writes. Davis has since become the league’s most incredible prodigy and New Orleans is quickly building a contending team around its young star, Reina adds.
The Thunder have recalled Grant Jerrett from the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA D-League, the team announced in a press release. This two-day stint was Jerrett’s second D-League assignment of the season, though his first trip lasted a mere three hours.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Lakers To Work Out Dwight Buycks

November 19th, 2014 at 8:05am CST by Chuck Myron

NOVEMBER 19TH: Buycks is set to work out for the Lakers, among other clubs, Pick reports (on Twitter).

NOVEMBER 12TH: There’s a strong chance that Buycks ends up in China, a source tells Pick (Twitter link).

NOVEMBER 9TH, 7:20pm: Buycks is also under consideration by the Grizzlies, who waived guard Kalin Lucas earlier today, David Pick of Eurobasket reports (Twitter link). No signing is imminent, Pick adds.

5:28pm: Buycks had attempted to get out of his contract with Valencia last week in order to land a deal with the Thunder or Pacers, Pick reports (Twitter links). Pick also adds that Buycks is talking with a few NBA teams, but the Lakers aren’t currently one of them.

1:54pm: Buycks and Valencia have officially parted ways, the team announced (translation via Sportando’s Orazio Cauchi).

NOVEMBER 7TH, 12:48pm: Dwight Buycks and his camp have reached a buyout agreement Valencia of Spain and are in discussions with the Lakers and Thunder, reports Shams Charania of RealGM. The Lakers had reportedly invited Buycks to training camp before he accepted a one-year deal with Valencia in July.

The 25-year-old point guard has put up 12.0 and 2.0 assists in a little more than 20 minutes per game in three Euroleague competition contests and 7.6 PPG and 1.4 APG in 16.6 MPG across all eight of Valencia’s games so far. Buycks earned a deal with the Raptors for last season after a breakout performance in the 2013 summer league, as Charania notes, but he made only 14 appearances, and Toronto waived him in July rather than guarantee his salary for another year.

The Thunder just signed Ish Smith to a non-guaranteed deal to become the club’s 16th player, an allowance the NBA has given them to offset their multitude of injuries. Oklahoma City is reportedly poised to seek a 17th player if Perry Jones III is to miss significant time, so perhaps Buycks is whom they’re targeting for that would-be opening.

Point guard is also an apparent need for the Lakers, who are without Steve Nash for the season. Ronnie Price has been seeing backup minutes on his non-guaranteed deal, but that deal becomes partially guaranteed if the Lakers don’t waive him by the end of November 15th. The Lakers have a similar arrangement with shooting guard Wayne Ellington, but all the rest of their contracts are guaranteed, and they haven’t received an allowance for a 16th player.

And-Ones: West, Draft, Butler, Jackson

November 18th, 2014 at 9:19pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Delonte West has been released by the Shanghai Sharks after making only four appearances for the team, Sam Amick of USA Today writes. West had played for the Clippers‘ summer league squad this year but was unable to secure a training camp invite. The 31-year-old guard had hoped to play his way back into the NBA but this latest setback in his career doesn’t bode well for that possibility, Amick notes. West last played in the NBA during the 2011/12 season when he made 44 appearances for the Mavericks.

Here’s more from around the league:

With the college season underway we are getting our first good look at a number of prospects who are expected to fill out next year’s NBA draft lottery. Basketball Insiders’ Yannis Koutroupis has released his first mock draft of the season and it is headlined by the Sixers selecting Emmanuel Mudiay, who is currently displaying his wares for Guangdong of the Chinese Basketball Association, first overall.
It originally appeared that University of Kentucky would keep NBA personnel out of their practices for much of the season after the Wildcats held an unusual October combine, but the school has let NBA teams know they’re welcome again, a source tells Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress (Twitter link).
Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders runs down the 10 biggest surprises in the NBA so far this season, which include the stellar play of the Bulls‘ Jimmy Butler, the Cavs’ defensive woes, and Reggie Jackson putting up career-best numbers for the Thunder. Both Butler and Jackson are set to become restricted free agents next summer and the competition for their services should be increased if they can continue their early-season performances, notes Kennedy.
Robert Covington‘s four-year, $4.2MM deal with the Sixers will pay him $1MM for the first year which includes a partial guarantee of $400K, Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders reports (Twitter link). Covington’s second year is also slated to pay him $1MM but is non-guaranteed, and the last two seasons are for the league minimum and include no guaranteed money, notes Pincus.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Bazemore, McCollum, Jerrett

November 18th, 2014 at 7:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Job security trumped Kent Bazemore‘s fondness for the Lakers when he decided where to sign as a free agent this past summer, Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News writes. The two-year, $4MM deal Bazemore signed with the Hawks this past offseason marks the first time in his career that he has had a fully guaranteed contract, notes Medina. “Having a non-guaranteed contract is the most stressful thing in the world, especially when January rolls around and that deadline comes up,” Bazemore said. “You start losing sleep. Being guaranteed is great. Now it’s just about working and trying to earn your stripes.”

Here’s more from out west:

Bazemore also noted that his decision to depart for Atlanta had nothing to do with Los Angeles ending last season at 25-57, its worst mark in franchise history, Medina adds. “The Lakers are the Lakers, they’ll be back I’m sure. Mitch Kupchak and the Buss family are probably cooking some stuff right now to get their guys back out there,” Bazemore said. “They won a lot of championships and it’s a pedigree that doesn’t die. They’re always around. They’ll always be in the news, whether it’s good or bad. They’ll still get a bunch of TV games. They’re not going anywhere.”
Second-year guard CJ McCollum will be sidelined for a minimum of four weeks with a fractured right index finger, the Blazers announced. McCollum is averaging 5.0 points, 1.1 assists and 1.1 rebounds in 13.1 minutes of action in 11 appearances this season.
The Thunder have assigned Grant Jerrett to their D-League affiliate the Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced. This is Jerrett’s second assignment to the D-League this season, though his first trip was for a mere three hours so he could log some practice time. Jerrett has yet to appear for the Thunder in a regular season contest.

Poll: Reggie Jackson’s Future In OKC

November 17th, 2014 at 10:53pm CST by Alex Lee

A week ago, our own Chuck Myron unveiled our 2015 Free Agent Power Rankings, a list that profiles the top 10 targets for next summer and also lists the next 10 best. Absent from that compilation is restricted free agent-to-be Reggie Jackson, who has been on a mission over the past week to keep the Thunder afloat while Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook heal up. The fourth year point guard — whose extension talks with Oklahoma City fell apart in October — is averaging 21.5 points, 7.6 assists and 4.9 rebounds in the team’s first 11 games. All of a sudden, the Boston College product seems destined for quite the payday come summertime.

With the Rockets in town yesterday, Jackson’s recent play led Houston’s James Harden to weigh in on the backup point guard’s situation. Harden is uniquely qualified to comment, as the Rockets’ superstar was once the tertiary option himself in Oklahoma City. After he played a major role in the Thunder’s 2011/12 Finals appearance, Harden was shipped to Houston once it became clear the two sides couldn’t agree to an extension. He immediately emerged as a superstar in Houston, averaging over 25 points since in 161 career games with the Rockets.

Sitting at 3-8 with their two megastars on the shelf, the Thunder are feeling the ramifications of that trade at this very moment. Some think small-market OKC didn’t want to pay the luxury tax, which would have been inevitable had they ponied up the necessary money for a Harden extension. Others say the Thunder, already armed with Durant, Westbrook and Serge Ibaka, thought that the package of Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two first round picks was enough to ensure long-term success.

More than two years and zero additional Finals appearances later, it’s safe to say the decision to move Harden was a bust. The question is, what does that mean for Jackson? He might not possess the All-NBA potential of Harden, but Jackson has showed so far this season that he can fill up a box score with the best of them. Have the Thunder learned their lesson? Jackson is sure to get lucrative offers next summer from teams hoping to pry him from OKC. What do you think the Thunder should do?

What Should Thunder Do With Reggie Jackson?

Don't match anything over $12MM per year 41.42% (239 votes)

They should have traded him, he doesn't fit with Westbrook 31.37% (181 votes)

Match any offer less than the max (which is projected to start at $15.5MM) 15.25% (88 votes)

With the Durant uncertainty, they must match any offer 11.96% (69 votes)

Total Votes: 577

Western Notes: Brewer, Jackson, Gay

November 17th, 2014 at 8:22pm CST by Alex Lee

Tonight’s matchup between Memphis and Houston is a good one, but it’d be hard to fault fans looking forward to Wednesday night’s clash between the defending champion Spurs and the LeBron James-led Cavaliers. Sam Amick of USA Today writes that the Cleveland faithful should thank the Spurs for their part in sending James back to his hometown club, as few dispute that a Miami victory last June would have prevented the offseason’s biggest shakeup.

We’ll have to wait until Wednesday to see if the Spurs get their due from the Quicken Loans Arena crowd. Until then, let’s see what else is going on out West:

While Wolves coach/executive Flip Saunders tried to downplay the Corey Brewer rumors earlier today, it sure appears that interest in the veteran swingman is legitimate. However, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities isn’t getting the sense that a trade is imminent (via Twitter). Meanwhile, Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle questions whether the Rockets would use their traded player exception this early in the season (via Twitter). As our Outstanding Trade Exceptions guide shows, Houston obtained a trade exception of nearly $8.4MM when they sent Jeremy Lin to the Lakers.
With superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook on the shelf, Thunder guard Reggie Jackson has had the spotlight to himself in Oklahoma City recently, averaging 21.5 points in the team’s first 11 games. Jackson and the Thunder broke off extension talks in October and the fourth-year guard is set for restricted free agency this summer. One guy who knows what it’s like to be the third fiddle in OKC is James Harden, who told Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman that Jackson should take advantage of this opportunity. “I fell into the same situation, and that could have been my only contract. And I’m sure Reggie feels the same way. He has to get the money that he’s earned and that he’s worked his whole life for. It’s the nature of the business. It’s going to happen every single year and it’s going to continue to happen.”
Rudy Gay and the Kings are perfect for each other, writes Tom Ziller of SB Nation. Ziller considers the extension agreed upon yesterday to be mutually beneficial, with Sacramento keeping a good player at a reasonable price while Gay pockets a nice chunk of change in the short term without totally sacrificing his ability to take advantage of the league’s new TV money. Assuming his success continues in Sacramento, Gay can decline his player option for 2017/18 and cash in one year after the cap explodes skyward in 2016.

And-Ones: Spurs, Nowitzki, Thunder, Mudiay

November 15th, 2014 at 10:44pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Stability has been the key to the success of the Spurs, writes Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times. The core of last year’s championship team remains the same with the only addition being rookie Kyle Anderson. Turner admits that while continuity is a huge part of their success, having Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker certainly has helped. Last week, they became the second trio in NBA history to win 500 games together, joining Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish of the Celtics, who won 540 games together.

Here’s more from around the Association:

By assembling the right talent around Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs have ensured that the future Hall of Famer will sustain success, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Nowitzki is shooting 55% from the field this season, up from his career average of 47.7%. He attributes this success to his confidence in the team around him. “I don’t feel like I have to take any bad shots, you know,” Nowitzki said. “I’m happy to be on a good team again.” Dallas leads the league in scoring with 107.1 points per game.
Injuries have gutted the Thunder’s roster but the team should benefit from its adverse experience, writes Anthony Slater of the Oklahoman. Slater argues that the rare stretch of games without its top stars has created a learning opportunity for the rest of the team’s roster. If the team is able to make the playoffs after its 3-7 start to the season, the experience afforded to the team’s depth may pay real dividends.
Emmanuel Mudiay has made China a destination on the scouting trail for the first time in years, writes Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com. Howard-Cooper points out that there hasn’t been such an important scouting trip to Asia since the 2007 draft in which Yi Jianlian went sixth overall to the Bucks. Mudiay is the second-best 2015 draft prospect in Jonathan Givony’s DraftExpress rankings, and he’s No. 3 with Chad Ford of ESPN.com.