Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Thunder To Send Eric Maynor To Blazers

February 21st, 2013 at 2:27pm CST by Chuck Myron

2:27pm: The Blazers are sending the draft rights to Giorgio Printezis to the Thunder as part of the deal, tweets Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

2:14pm: Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman reports the Blazers will not send a draft pick to the Thunder (Twitter link). It's unclear exactly what Oklahoma City is getting for Maynor.

1:53pm: The Thunder will send Eric Maynor to the Blazers, reports Marc Stein of ESPN.com, via Twitter. The teams had been in serious discussions about such a trade, as Stein tweeted just moments earlier. Portland will absorb Maynor with an exception, and is likely sending a draft pick to Oklahoma City, reports Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com (Twitter link). If the Blazers aren't giving up anyone in return, that means they'll have to waive someone, since they're at the 15-man roster limit. Mike Tokito of The Oregonian tweets speculation that Elliot Williams could be the one to go.

Williams is attempting to make it back from a torn Achilles' tendon. The Blazers have a disabled player exception for Williams, but it's not worth enough to accomodate Maynor. Portland has a $2,247,740 trade exception from the Raymond Felton deal, and since teams are allowed to add $100K to trade exceptions to accomodate someone, that's how Maynor's $2,338,721 salary fits in.

Maynor had fallen out of favor in Oklahoma City, where he'd lost the backup point guard job to Reggie Jackson. The Thunder were holding out hope for a first-round pick in return as they shopped Maynor aggressively toward the deadline. The Raptors and Jazz had been linked to him in recent days.

The Blazers pick up a piece for their under-performing bench in the deal. Maynor will be a restricted free agent at season's end, and Portland will have the ability to match offers from other teams. Though he kept his interest quiet, Blazers GM Neil Olshey has had Maynor on his radar for more than a month, according to The Oregonian's Jason Quick (Twitter link).

Morning Rumors: Hickson, Pacers, Heat, Bulls

February 21st, 2013 at 9:14am CST by Luke Adams

With the deadline less than five hours away and trade rumors picking up steam, here are a few miscellaneous rumblings from around the league:

The Trail Blazers' chances of landing a first-round pick in exchange for J.J. Hickson don't look good at the moment, a source tells Ken Berger of CBSSports.com (Twitter link).
In an effort to move below the tax threshold, the Warriors are still attempting to move bench players, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports (via Twitter).
Within the same tweet, Wojnarowski says the Pacers are shopping D.J. Augustin and his expiring contract.
Wojnarowski's rumor-heavy tweet also includes word that the Heat are offering Dexter Pittman in deals.
The Bulls are "pushing hard" to unload Richard Hamilton, tweets Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.
The Thunder have been seeking a first-rounder for Eric Maynor, but haven't found any takers yet, says Sam Amick of USA Today (via Twitter).

Thunder, Suns Not Discussing Gortat, Perkins

February 20th, 2013 at 1:02pm CST by Luke Adams

1:02pm: Coro follows up on his initial report, tweeting that apparently talk of a deal between the Suns and Thunder was just a "league rumor" during the All-Star break, rather than the two sides actually talking about it. So it sounds as if there's nothing to this one.

12:31pm: The proposed Gortat/Perkins deal is "not going to happen," according to John Gambadoro of 620 KTAR in Phoenix (via Twitter).

7:34am: According to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, the Thunder have been exploring a deal with the Suns that would send Marcin Gortat to Oklahoma City. In the hypothetical trade, the Suns would receive Kendrick Perkins, Jeremy Lamb, and a first-round pick from the Thunder in exchange for Gortat and P.J. Tucker.

Coro writes that the Suns would have some interest in Perkins, who would fit the team's new defensive culture, and that Phoenix likely would have drafted Lamb 14th overall last June had the Rockets not taken him two spots earlier.

Perkins' contract, which is more expensive and lasts a year longer than Gortat's, isn't viewed as a favorable one, and Lamb's stock may have fallen a little since last summer, so I'd imagine the first-round pick in the deal would be Toronto's pick. That choice, acquired by the Thunder in the James Harden trade, figures to be more valuable than any of Oklahoma City's own picks or the Mavericks' heavily-protected first-rounder.

Still, according to Coro, it's not likely that the Suns pull the trigger on a deal with the Thunder. Coro reports that it's more likely Phoenix simply stands pat to protect its future first-round picks and cap space, which should give the club room for a max free agent this summer. Small deals involving players like Sebastian Telfair or Jermaine O'Neal are also possible.

Odds & Ends: Repeater Tax, Bobcats, T-Wolves

February 20th, 2013 at 1:08am CST by Ryan Raroque

Yahoo's Marc J. Spears says (via Twitter) that trade talk has been quiet, as teams are waiting to see what happens with Josh Smith first. One major factor which undeniably has affected discussions around this time has been the looming "repeater tax," which Adrian Wojnarowski tweets is the reason why most teams have been reluctant to take back long-term deals at the deadline. We'll round up the rest of tonight's miscellaneous links below:

In addressing the biggest issues for the Lakers moving forward, Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times puts the chances of Dwight Howard re-signing next season at 25%. If Howard stays, Bresnahan thinks the Lakers could possibly amnesty Pau Gasol. If Dwight chooses to leave, Bresnahan opines that L.A. would likely keep Gasol and amnesty Metta World Peace.
Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune directs attention to Luke Ridnour and the Timberwolves' multiple first-round picks as their most attractive pieces in trying to acquire a legitimately-sized shooting guard.
According to Wojnarowski, the Bobcats have been trying to find takers for Gerald Henderson and are looking for a first-round pick in return.
John Reid of NOLA.com hears that the Hornets would be interested in trading Eric Gordon to the Warriors in any package that includes Klay Thompson, although Golden State is said to be reluctant in parting ways with the second-year guard right now. Reid notes Gordon has the power to veto any trade, and while he showed a strong interest in signing with Phoenix over the summer, the Hornets are prohibited from dealing him to the Suns.
With no first-round picks or salary cap space to use, Tim Kawakami of Mercury News believes that the Warriors aren't looking or aren't likely to make a deal soon.
ESPN's Chris Broussard reports that Derrick Rose appeared good enough to return to in-game action judging by the way he looked during 5-on-5 practice, according to eyewitnesses (Twitter link). On the same token, head coach Tom Thibodeau told ESPN Chicago earlier today that Rose might not make his return this season.
Paul Coro of AZCentral.com says that Sebastian Telfair and Jermaine O'Neal could be sent to title contenders in minor deals, and that Telfair would be the most likely candidate to be moved.
While there aren't any concrete trade connections between Oklahoma City and the following list of players, Royce Young of Daily Thunder names five reasonable targets for the Thunder: Luc Mbah a Moute, J.J. Barea, Luke Ridnour, Darren Collison, and Rodney Stuckey.

Thunder Aggressively Shopping Eric Maynor

February 19th, 2013 at 9:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder aren't expected to make another blockbuster move in the next couple days, but a smaller deal is a possibility. Such a move could include Eric Maynor, as Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports (via Twitter) that Oklahoma City is "aggressively shopping" Maynor.

Maynor, 25, was considered one of the league's more promising young backup point guards coming into the season, but has lost his place in the Thunder's rotation to Reggie Jackson. Since Christmas Day, Maynor has only appeared in 11 games for Oklahoma City, never playing more than 10 minutes.

Despite Maynor's lack of playing time, the Thunder's asking price remains high, according to Broussard. The former 20th overall pick has some value due to his contract. He's earning about $2.34MM this season, and will be eligible for restricted free agency at season's end, so his team could either extend him a qualifying offer or simply let his cap hit come off the books this summer.

Northwest Links: Aldridge, Thunder, Harden

February 15th, 2013 at 8:10pm CST by Chuck Myron

Three Northwest Division teams are on track to make the playoffs, but only one of them is sending any players to the All-Star Game. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook will represent the first-place Thunder, and they're joined by LaMarcus Aldridge of the Trail Blazers, the Northwest's other All-Star whose Portland team hits the break three games out of the last playoff spot in the West. All three All-Stars are making noise as the events begin in Houston, where James Harden, the Thunder's erstwhile third All-Star, plays the role of unofficial host. Here's more on all of them:

Aldridge will have the chance this weekend to try to recruit some fellow All-Stars to the Blazers, and he said his pitch will center on the team's fans, its young core of players and this summer's cap space, which could exceed $13MM, as Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com writes.
Westbrook and Durant acknowledged that the Thunder haven't missed a beat following the Harden trade, notes Jason McDaniel of the Houston Chronicle. "We’re different, but I think we’re just as good," Durant said. "James, don’t get me wrong, he’s a phenomenal player, but we lost him and we got Kevin Martin back, who’s a really good player as well. And I think for the passing ability that we lost with James, and his defense, we make up for it with Russell and myself, and the guys on the bench that help.”
Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman chronicles Harden's remarks to reporters on his feelings about Durant and Westbrook and what it will be like to play with his old teammates at the All-Star Game, among other topics.

Amico On Smith, Nets, Nuggets, Sixers, Thunder

February 15th, 2013 at 4:57pm CST by Luke Adams

Sam Amico of FOX Sports Ohio has just published a piece rounding up a few of the latest trade rumblings from around the NBA, so let's dive in and tackle the highlights….

Josh Smith is viewed by Amico's sources as a near-lock to be moved, though there's no consensus on where he'll be headed. The Nets, Suns, and Mavericks are mentioned as potential destinations, with the Spurs in the mix as well.
One source isn't so sure the Hawks will move Smith by next Thursday: "They won’t just give the guy away. (Smith) is practically an All-Star. You can deal with the contract situation later."
The Nets haven't completely given up on the idea of making a play for Dwight Howard, but they'd likely need to get a third team involved. I'd consider that one a real long shot.
While the Nuggets are fairly content with their roster at the moment, they could explore a smaller move involving someone like Wilson Chandler, Corey Brewer, or Anthony Randolph. Denver has some interest in J.J. Redick, but Amico says conversations have "all but disappeared after he indicated he wants to stay with the Magic."
The Bulls and 76ers have started to get more active in trade talks within the last week.
The Raptors have engaged the Sixers in trade talks involving Andrea Bargnani, though it's not clear what would be going Toronto's way in a hypothetical deal — Spencer Hawes is one possibility.
After losing twice to the Heat this season, the Thunder are "strongly considering" making a move to bolster their lineup, according to Amico.

Spears On Spurs, Smith, Maynor, Knicks, Grizzlies

February 12th, 2013 at 11:15am CST by Luke Adams

Not content to simply rank the NBA's teams, one through 30, Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports also includes plenty of interesting trade rumors and nuggets within his power rankings. Here are the items of note from Spears in this week's installment:

The Spurs, who used to employ current Hawks GM Danny Ferry, are among the teams interested in Josh Smith.
Eric Maynor has been drawing some interest, and Spears suggests that he could be a fit for the Jazz, the team that initially drafted him.
The Knicks are still trying to decide whether they should wait on injured bigs Marcus Camby and Rasheed Wallace or sign a free agent.
Zach Randolph appears safe in Memphis, but the Grizzlies could still try to make a deal using one or more of their seven trade exceptions.
Spears hears from a source that it's been nearly three weeks since the Raptors and Bulls last discussed a Carlos Boozer/Andrea Bargnani swap.
No Suns player is untouchable via trade.
Talks between the Bobcats and Nets involving Kris Humphries and Ben Gordon remain at a standstill.

Thunder ‘Open-Minded’ About Eric Maynor Swap

February 10th, 2013 at 9:03am CST by Chuck Myron

Coming into the season, there figured to be a competition for the Thunder's backup point guard spot between second-year man Reggie Jackson and Eric Maynor, who returned from missing most of last year with a torn ACL. Jackson has gained the upper hand, and with Maynor's rookie deal set to expire at the end of the season, several other teams have asked the Thunder about Maynor's availability, tweets Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports. Still, Spears says GM Sam Presti and company are inclined to keep Maynor, even as they keep open minds about the possibility of trading him.

A report about a month ago indicated the Sixers had explored the possibility of acquiring Maynor, who hasn't seen as many as 10 minutes in a game since December 17th. He's putting up career-worst numbers almost across the board, and wasn't particularly efficient even before his injury. The VCU product's best per-36-minute averages for points (10.8) and assists (7.5) were set during his rookie season, when the Jazz traded him to Oklahoma City. His career PER is a below-average 11.1.

The Thunder passed on an extension for Maynor before the season. If they don't trade him, they'll have to decide whether to tender him a $3.351MM qualifying offer before July 1st that would allow the team to retain the right to match offers for him when he hits free agency in the offseason. Maynor, the 20th pick in the 2009 draft, makes $2.339MM this year.

Northwest Notes: Jazz, Thunder, Rubio, Williams, Oden

February 9th, 2013 at 9:33pm CST by Sean Highkin

The latest news and notes from around the Northwest Division on Saturday evening:

Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune writes that the Jazz' rebuilding efforts over the past two seasons have not yielded much progress.
Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune writes that the Thunder may not be able to keep their core together because of the new CBA.
Kent Youngblood of the Minneapolis Star Tribune praises Derrick Williams' play since Ricky Rubio returned to the Wolves' lineup.
John Canzano of The Oregonian reflects on Greg Oden's tenure with the Trail Blazers as he gears up to sign with a new team.