Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Possible 10-Day Contracts From The D-League

January 7th, 2014 at 7:52pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

With the D-League Showcase under way in Reno, more league attention has been turned the direction of the young players outside the NBA. The Showcase alone is not the reason for the shift in focus. All of the players on NBA rosters are now guaranteed salaries for the remainder of the season, and teams are now able to sign players to 10-day contracts. Below are a few of the players that have already drawn attention around the league.

Ike Diogu is playing well at the D-League Showcase and league sources say he could draw interest from Lakers, Clippers, Thunder and Pelicans, according to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter links).
James Nunnally of the Bakersfield Jam is a D-League call-up candidate and has had meetings with the Cavs, Bulls, and Thunder at the D-League showcase in Reno, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today. Amick later tweeted the Hawks are also a team interested in Nunnally.
James Southerland has met with at least three teams this week, according to Shams Charania of RealGM.com. He has played one game with the Bobcats and spent the summer with the 76ers and Warriors.

Zach Links contributed to this post.

Western Notes: Pelicans, Harris, Franklin

January 7th, 2014 at 2:44pm CST by Luke Adams

Ryan Anderson will be out indefinitely with a herniated disk, the Pelicans announced today (link via Jim Eichenhofer of Pelicans.com). Anderson has been mentioned in a few trade rumors, but didn’t seem likely to be moved this season. Still, if he’s expected to miss a significant amount of time, it could have an impact on New Orleans’ roster decisions before the trade deadline. The team is currently carrying 14 players, leaving one opening available.

Here’s more from the NBA’s better half:

After indicating last night that the Thunder were researching D-League standout Manny Harris, Sam Amick of USA Today follows up by tweeting that Harris had an interview with members of OKC’s front office this week, as the team does its due diligence.
The Grizzlies have recalled Jamaal Franklin from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Franklin was assigned to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants on Sunday, and played with the team yesterday in Reno as part of the 2014 D-League Showcase.
Dewayne Dedmon was released by the Warriors earlier this season, but Golden State still has interest in bringing him back, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports, adding that Dedmon is meeting with three NBA clubs in Reno today.

Grizzlies Acquire Lee In Three-Team Trade

January 7th, 2014 at 10:21am CST by Zachary Links

10:21am: The trade is now official, according to press releases from the Celtics and Thunder. OKC’s release notes that the Thunder will also receive the Sixers’ 2014 second-rounder from the Grizzlies in the deal. However, that pick is heavily protected and will only be conveyed if it falls between 51 and 55. The Thunder also sent cash considerations to the C’s in the move.

TUESDAY, 10:10am: In addition to landing Lee, the Grizzlies will receive a 2016 second-round pick from the Celtics, according to Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal (Twitter link). The C’s will acquire Bayless and Gomes, while the Thunder will receive a conditional 2017 second-rounder from the Grizzlies, says Tillery. The deal is expected to be finalized today to give Boston the chance to waive Gomes before 4:00pm central time.

MONDAY, 7:32pm: Marc Stein of ESPN.com (on Twitter) hears that the Thunder will get involved in the deal with Ryan Gomes heading from Oklahoma City to Boston. This would allow OKC to get some wiggle room with regards to the luxury tax line and possibly set up another deal. The C’s, meanwhile, are expected to waive Gomes.

Stein adds (on Twitter) that there should be some second-round picks involved as well.

7:48am: The two sides have reached an agreement, according to Stein. It doesn’t sound like the trade will involve any additional pieces besides Bayless and Lee, which is a bit of a surprise. I wouldn’t have expected the Celtics to be able to move Lee for an expiring contract, since it was less than three weeks ago that a report suggested a lack of leaguewide interest in him. In any case, it appears as if the Grizzlies and C’s will finalize the deal at some point today.

SUNDAY, 4:29pm: The Celtics are in advanced discussions on a deal to acquire Jerryd Bayless from the Grizzlies, tweets Marc Stein of ESPN.com. The swap would involve Boston guard Courtney Lee.

In late December, the Grizzlies reportedly offered Bayless to the Lakers in return for Jodie Meeks. Memphis came into this season with high hopes, but their 15-18 start apparently has them wanting to make big changes. Bayless, 25, has averaged 8.0 PPG and 2.0 APG, numbers that are his lowest since his rookie year.

Lee was a client of Grizzlies CEO Jason Levien and front office exec Stu Lash when they were agents. The guard has already seen his name on Hoops Rumors quite a bit this season as he was linked to a proposed deal that would have sent him and Brandon Bass to Houston for Omer Asik. Of course, those talks fizzled. Swapping Bayless for Lee also figures to please Grizzlies exec John Hollinger as Lee boasts a career-best PER of 15.3 this season compared to Bayless’ 11.2, his worst total since 2008/09.

Lee, who appears headed to the fifth team of his professional career, finds himself stuck behind Avery Bradley in the rotation and only figures to see his role shrink further when Rajon Rondo comes back to action. While his efficiency rating has been strong, it’s happening off of a career-low 16.8 minutes per game.

Bayless is in his walk year and is earning just $3.135MM while Lee makes $5.23MM this year, $5.45 next year, and $5.675MM in his final year. It’s possible that Boston will include a draft pick in the trade if they’re getting another expiring contract or a solid talent along with Bayless in the swap since the Grizzlies are taking on a three-year deal in Lee. The Grizzlies are close to the luxury tax threshold and the Celtics are even closer, so that should play a factor in the proposed deal.

Assuming no trade exceptions are used in the swap, Memphis would have to add at least one more player for the salaries to match up, so the deal may expand beyond Bayless and Lee. However, Boston has a TPE from the Paul Pierce trade while the Grizzlies have one from the Rudy Gay swap, so it’s possible for the teams to make the move without including additional players.

Odds & Ends: Gay, Jazz, Nets, Miller

January 6th, 2014 at 10:26pm CST by Zachary Links

Rudy Gay has taken quite a bit of criticism lately for his lack of offensive efficiency. Some even say that the Raptors are better since Gay was shipped to Sacramento, but don’t try telling that to point guard Kyle Lowry. “He’s a hell of a scorer,” Lowry said, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com. “I think he can put up 30 points, 25 points. That’s his game. He’s a scorer. I don’t blame him for anything. He shouldn’t be blamed for anything. I would never say that he should be blamed. His job is to score the ball. That’s what he was out there for. That’s what he’s paid to do.” More from around the league..

Expect the Jazz to be active in trade talks over the next few weeks, given all the veterans on expiring contracts on the roster, says Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.
The Nets announced that they have recalled Tyshawn Taylor from the D-League’s Springfield Armor after being assigned earlier in the day. In 20 games (three starts) this season, Taylor is averaging 4.3 points and 1.8 assists in 12.7 minutes per game.
The Kings may be among the clubs in on Nuggets guard Andre Miller, but the Knicks are not in the running for him, tweets Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
The Thunder are doing research on D-League standout Manny Harris, tweets Sam Amick of USA Today.
Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau says that GM Gar Forman isn’t actively looking to trade anyone but that he is “always” looking for ways to improve the club, according to Nick Friedell of ESPNChicago.com.

Odds & Ends: Thomas, Karasev, McGary

December 27th, 2013 at 10:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Isaiah Thomas’ continued improvement is likely why the Kings felt comfortable parting with Greivis Vasquez in their trade for Rudy Gay, Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling writes in an in-depth look at the Sacramento point guard. Zwerling also spoke to a source who said there have been no contract talks yet between Thomas and the Kings, but he believes the 24-year-old could land a starting salary of $5MM+. The lack of contract discussions is no surprise at this point, since Thomas isn’t eligible for an extension.

Here’s more from around the NBA:

The Cavaliers have assigned Sergey Karasev to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. It’s the second time Karasev has been sent to the Canton Charge this season, though his first assignment lasted just one day.
Michigan prospect Mitch McGary will have back surgery, which figures to end his season, as ESPN.com’s Jeff Goodman details. McGary’s decision to return to school for his sophomore year surprised some, and looks like it may backfire. One NBA GM tells Goodman that McGary will be a “borderline first-rounder” in 2014, whereas he would’ve been a lock in 2013, and a couple more of Goodman’s NBA sources echoed that sentiment (Twitter link).
In his NBA PM piece for HoopsWorld, Yannis Koutroupis explores whether the Thunder and Knicks ought to make a move or stand pat.

Westbrook Injury Could Prompt Roster Move

December 27th, 2013 at 3:45pm CST by Chuck Myron

Thunder GM Sam Presti told Hoops Rumors and other reporters on a conference call today that he and his staff haven’t had an opportunity to discuss potential roster moves in the wake of an injury that will keep Russell Westbrook out until after the All-Star break. Still, Presti left the door open to the notion that he’ll fill the Thunder’s vacant roster spot now that the team has announced that Westbrook has undergone arthroscopic injury on the same knee that knocked him out of the playoffs last year.

“We never rule anything out,” he said. “We always look for ways to improve.”

Oklahoma City has 27 games left before the All-Star break, as Grantland’s Zach Lowe points out via Twitter, meaning Westbrook will miss a significant chunk of the season. Westbrook won’t necessarily return for the first game after the All-Star break, as Presti noted, and the GM adds that the injury is one that will require management for an indefinite time even after Westbrook makes it back to game action.

The Thunder are less than $1.5MM shy of the luxury tax line, but they can create additional flexibility if they let go of Ryan Gomes or Hasheem Thabeet, neither of whom have fully guaranteed contracts. The leaguewide guarantee date is January 10th, so Oklahoma City would have to make its decisions on Gomes and Thabeet by January 7th in order for them to clear waivers in time. Teams will be able to sign players to 10-day contracts starting January 6th, so perhaps Presti will go that route.

No move is imminent, and Presti said the team has a lot of confidence in Reggie Jackson and Jeremy Lamb, both of whom have taken on significantly larger roles already this season. Still, Lamb doesn’t play point guard, and it’s unclear if the team expects him to take on more ball-handling duties in Westbrook’s absence. Derek Fisher, at age 39, is the only true point guard the team has aside from Jackson and Westbrook.

Western Notes: Aldridge, Thunder, Blair

December 26th, 2013 at 6:01pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Posting up career-numbers in points, rebounds, and assists in addition to leading the Trail Blazers to a current three-way tie for the league’s best record, LaMarcus Aldridge is arguably a strong candidate for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award at this point in the season. Ben Golliver of Blazers Edge relayed some noteworthy comments from Aldridge during an interview with ESPN’s Chris Broussard, and it appears that the 28-year-old forward wants to remain in Portland for the long-term:

“I’m here. I love it here. This team is good and we’re winning. I’ve been here my whole career. I’m in the history books here. I don’t want to leave. I feel this team is good enough to win it all one day and be there.”

Here’s more of what we’ve gathered out of the Western Conference tonight:

Although some offseason narratives had the Thunder taking a step back this year after losing Kevin Martin to free agency, Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix writes about how Oklahoma City’s young bench – in addition to career-best numbers from Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka as well as elite play from Russell Westbrook – has played a major role in keeping the team within title contention this season. Interestingly enough, Mannix points out that the reserves’ combined 34.1 PPG marks the highest output of the entire Durant era.
Sam Amick of USA Today echoes the same sentiments from Mannix and revisits how the Thunder, facing drastic changes due to the NBA’s harsh new collective bargaining agreement, were able to recover nicely after making the tough call to deal James Harden over a season ago.
Previously relegated to spot minutes in San Antonio, DeJuan Blair has had tonight’s matchup against the Spurs circled on his calendar for quite some time, says Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas, who adds that the 6’7 forward has been a bargain banger since signing with the Mavericks this past summer. Blair, who is currently averaging 8.3 PPG and 7.0 RPG in 20.9 MPG, has made it known on several occasions about being unhappy with the way his 4-year stint with the Spurs had ended.
According to Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times, Lakers forward Ryan Kelly has carved out a role in the team’s rotation and earned some public praise from Mike D’Antoni after practice earlier today: “He knows how to play, defensively and offensively…Defensively he’s the first one to get to the right spot. I think that going forward, he can keep earning more time. I’m pretty excited about him.” D’Antoni also suggested that Kelly’s newfound opportunity to earn floor time could come at the expense of Chris Kaman and Robert Sacre‘s rotation minutes.

Eastern Notes: Knicks, Udrih, Trade Candidates, Wizards

December 25th, 2013 at 9:42pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

According to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.com, 87.5% of the teams at the top of their division on Christmas Day in the past four years have ended the season still in first place. These odds of making the playoffs shouldn’t come as a surprise to the fans of the Heat, Pacers, Spurs, Thunder, or Clippers but may be odds Trail Blazer or Raptor fans want to hold onto.

A few notes in the Eastern Conference regarding teams that don’t have very good playoff odds.

It was no Christmas surprise that the Knicks are quickly unraveling this season. Following a double digit blowout to the Thunder, Brian Windhorst of ESPN compared the Knicks continuous offseason mistakes to those of the Thunder’s offseason successes. The Knicks address their transactions with a “think big” mentality which has caused them to whiff big by chasing, and missing, expensive free agents. On the contrary, the Thunder have thought small and invested in young talent through the draft. Windhorst claims the Knicks aren’t planning to stop this cycle anytime soon either as they are now looking at expensive names in their near future such as Rajon Rondo, Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Roy Hibbert, Marc Gasol, Tony Parker or re-signing Carmelo Anthony,
Speaking of Knicks unraveling, what sold Beno Udrih on signing as a free agent with the Knicks was the opportunity to play in a two point guard lineup with Raymond Felton. Udrih told The Wall Street Journal’s Chris Herring (Twitter link) this selling point has yet to come to fruition with the Knicks even when Felton was healthy.
Eric Pincus of HoopsWorld.com looked forward to the six NBA players who are most likely to move teams in 2014. The list includes Omer Asik, Kyle Lowry, Jimmer Fredette, Dion Waiters, Iman Shumpert and an assortment of Sixers players.
Emir Preldzic, whose NBA rights are held by the Wizards, has extended his contract with Turkey’s Fenerbache Ulker through the 2016/17 season, according to Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.

Northwest Notes: Nuggets, Thunder, Jazz

December 24th, 2013 at 3:25pm CST by Luke Adams

No division in the NBA is currently more tightly contested at the top than the Northwest, where the 23-5 Trail Blazers sit a half-game ahead of the 22-5 Thunder. A win by Oklahoma City tomorrow at Madison Square Garden would pull the team even with Portland, and would ensure that the Northwest co-leaders share the league’s best record with the Pacers. As we look forward to that contest and other Christmas Day action, let’s round up the latest out of the Northwest….

Grantland’s Zach Lowe unveils his Western Conference power rankings, noting that opposing teams are keeping an eye on what the Nuggets want to do on the trade market.
Lowe also figures the Clippers will upgrade their big man rotation at some point and writes that while the Thunder have what it takes to upgrade via trade, Oklahoma City has been “picky” about what moves it’s willing to make.
Gordon Hayward‘s camp never asked for a max deal during failed extension negotiations with the Jazz this fall, Jody Genessy notes via Twitter.
As Aaron Falk of the Salt Lake Tribune writes, not receiving much attention with the Jazz is nothing new for Ian Clark, who was also passed over by bigger college programs and didn’t hear his name called on draft night. Clark will have to remain on Utah’s roster beyond January 7th if he hopes to be guaranteed of his full-season salary for 2013/14.

Chuck Myron contributed to this post.

Northwest Notes: Rubio, Thunder, Williams

December 20th, 2013 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

George Karl is currently working as an ESPN analyst a year after coaching the Nuggets, but he remains familiar with his former division rivals in Minnesota. Speaking to Andy Greder of Wolves Now, the reigning Coach of the Year gave his thoughts about what the Timberwolves need to do to earn a playoff spot, and praised the team’s acquisition of Luc Mbah a Moute. Here’s more from around the Northwest:

After talking to a confidant of Ricky Rubio, Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN Twin Cities gets the sense that Rubio’s camp expects the point guard to receive a five-year maximum extension offer from the Timberwolves when he becomes eligible for it (Twitter links). While Rubio is a valuable asset, the fact that his numbers haven’t improved noticeably since his rookie season is a cause for some concern.
In an Insider-only piece for ESPN.com, Tom Haberstroh wonders if the Thunder will soon face a repeat of the James Harden situation, with Reggie Jackson set to become extension-eligible next July. Jackson’s rookie deal doesn’t expire until 2015, which is the same summer Kendrick Perkins‘ contract will come off the books, so Oklahoma City should have more flexibility to lock up their new Sixth Man.
The Thunder‘s D-League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, will add Reggie Williams to their roster, a source tells Gino Pilato of D-League Digest. Williams, who was waived by the Rockets prior to the regular season, will be free to sign with any NBA team even though OKC holds his D-League rights.