Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Warriors, Jazz, Others Discussed James Harden

October 29th, 2012 at 10:56am CST by Luke Adams

10:56am: Suns president Lon Babby confirmed to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic that Phoenix had been engaged with the Thunder in trade talks for Harden, though he says that no proposal ever gained serious traction.

"We were engaged in discussions on numerous occasions," Babby said. "We most recently met in person when we played them [on October 19th]. At the end of the day, there wasn’t a deal that was workable for both sides."

8:53am: According to Zach Lowe of Grantland.com, Thunder GM Sam Presti had at least "semi-serious" trade conversations involving James Harden with a number of teams before eventually accepting the Rockets' offer. Lowe says the Warriors, Jazz, Wizards, and Raptors were among the teams that Presti spoke to before sending Harden to Houston. We heard yesterday that the Suns also pursued a trade for Harden.

The Thunder were seeking a sure-thing player who was still in the first year or two of his rookie deal, according to Lowe. That means Presti figures to have inquired on players like Klay Thompson, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Bradley Beal, and Jonas Valanciunas. Lowe adds that the Thunder GM likely started the process by reaching out to the Hornets about Anthony Davis, though I imagine that conversation didn't last too long.

Here are a few more Harden-related links, as reactions continue to pour in on one of the year's most surprising trades:

Berry Tramel of the Oklahoman reports that the Thunder made a last-ditch offer to Harden on Friday, proposing a four-year, $53MM extension. The team gave him a one-hour window to accept it, telling him that if he turned it down, he'd be traded to Houston. According to Tramel's sources, Harden said he needed three days to make a decision, but because the Rockets wanted time to negotiate an extension before Wednesday's deadline, Presti stuck to the one-hour window.
The pieces the Thunder acquired for Harden are the same sort of assets the team used to initially build itself into a perennial contender, opines Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman.
Members of the Spurs, a team the Thunder eliminated from the playoffs earlier this year, were surprised by the deal, as Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News writes. "It's kind of weird to look at OKC and think of them without their Big Three," Danny Green said. "Things are different. Obviously they're still going to be a good team."

Sam Presti Discusses Harden Trade

October 28th, 2012 at 7:51pm CST by Sean Highkin

The Oklahoma Cith Thunder made waves all around the NBA last night when they traded reigning Sixth Man of the Year James Harden to the Houston Rockets, along with Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, and Lazar Hayward, in exchange for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and three draft picks. On Sunday, Thunder GM Sam Presti spoke to reporters about the move. Here's a transcript of some of his comments, courtesy of Yannis Koutroupis of HoopsWorld:

On the decision to trade Harden:

The culmination of this decision to move forward, we got to a point where we were pretty transparent, very direct as we are with all our players in this situation. As a fact, we reached a point where we had to make a decision, we made a final proposal on Friday morning that was unacceptable, we then came back to where we were beginning to execute a trade, initiation with another proposal. We were very transparent with James that if this was not acceptable, then we would have to move towards making the best decision for the franchise, given the fact that it was becoming a reality that more than likely, he would be signing elsewhere after the season. Once that reality was met, as we have in the past, this organization turned a page. We started to focus on what’s in the best interest to the program and focus on capitalizing on an opportunity that would help us both in the short term and also continue to strengthen the future of the Thunder organization and building this program in a sustainable fashion.

On Harden's reaction:

I value my relationship with James and I do with all the players that we have here, because once they walk through the doors of the Thunder, they’re going to leave an impact on the fabric of this program, one way or another. It’s been a great thing for us to watch James grow as a player and as a professional. It was a difficult situation because I didn’t think the day would come to the reality that it wasn’t going to work out and we weren’t going to be able to meet the expectations, but it doesn’t change how we feel about James Harden. We wish him the best and any relationships that he has here will live on, but once that was established we had to do what was best for the organization. In response to your question about were we able to talk to him, James and I have had several conversations over the years about things other than basketball, so I enjoyed a pretty good relationship with him and we did talk.

On the players the Thunder received:

I think about adding Jeremy and Kevin to this group and it’s exciting to me, it’s very exciting to me. I think those guys add to what it is we have in place and what we have in place is a group of very competitive people and last night, as I was wrapping up the end of the trade and the things that have to happen, I also looked out my window and Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka were in here, working individually with our coaching staff on separate baskets and I thought about that we were adding two qualities players to a group of guys who are really invested with what it is that we’re trying to do here and take a lot of pride with playing with the Thunder.

Thunder Won’t Grant Extension To Eric Maynor

October 28th, 2012 at 12:56pm CST by Chuck Myron

Thunder GM Sam Presti said the team will not give Eric Maynor an extension, a day after trading James Harden because they couldn't reach an agreement on an extension for him, either, as Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman reports (Twitter links). Maynor, 25, will become a restricted free agent next summer, and the Thunder will have the right to match any offer he gets from another team.

Presti spoke of the point guard's value to the club and said the two sides engaged in a "positive discussion" about a deal before talks broke off. Maynor is returning this season after missing all but nine games last year with a torn right ACL. He's battled Reggie Jackson in camp for the role of primary backup to Russell Westbrook, and the rest of this season figures to serve as an audition for that role long-term. Zach Links of Hoops Rumors wrote earlier this offseason that Maynor could get an extension worth about $3.5MM per season, but talks never appeared to get serious between Maynor and the team.

The 6'3" Virginia Commonwealth product has averaged 4.5 points, 3.1 assists in 15.2 minutes per game with an 11.6 PER in his three-year career. He came to the Thunder in a trade early in his rookie season from the Jazz, who drafted him 20th overall in 2009.

Northwest Rumors: Harden, Dorsey, Lawson

October 28th, 2012 at 10:43am CST by Chuck Myron

The James Harden trade continues to make news, as Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman weighs in with a lengthy list of observations while Ken Berger of CBSSports.com deems the trade a success for the Thunder, the Rockets and Harden. Berger holds it up as an illustration of the bold, proactive moves that small-market teams must make to stay competitive. As the rest of the NBA digests what the move means, here's more news on the Thunder and their Northwest Division rivals.

The swap likely results in a trade exception worth $2,445,480 for the Thunder, an amount equal to Cole Aldrich's salary, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors observes. The Rockets seem to be in line for an exception worth $2,354,236, based on a portion of Kevin Martin's salary. Both exceptions expire one year from yesterday, as noted on our list of trade exceptions for every NBA team.
The Thunder and Blazers could be interested in former NBA forward Joey Dorsey, whose status with the Greek club Olympiacos is in limbo, reports Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
Mark Kiszla of the Denver Post believes the Nuggets overpaid for JaVale McGee, putting the onus on the need to rectify the move by giving Ty Lawson an extension worth no less than $48MM over four seasons.
Will Conroy's contract is partially guaranteed for $100K, and according to Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune, he'll likely remain on the Timberwolves roster until Ricky Rubio proves he's healthy.
It's the first season with a full training camp for Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin, who could use a successful year to influence the Jazz to pick up the team option on his contract for 2013/14, as Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune observes.

Reaction To James Harden Trade

October 28th, 2012 at 9:15am CST by Chuck Myron

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports, who first reported news of the James Harden trade last night, reveals that Rockets GM Daryl Morey initiated talks, and has been calling Thunder GM Sam Presti for months to check on Harden's availability. The trade disappointed some members of the Thunder, but didn't devastate them, and Russell Westbrook, in particular, is high on what Oklahoma City got in return. Many in the organization believed Harden, whose sulking about a lack of shots following the Thunder's Game 1 victory in the Finals this June drew rebuke from Kendrick Perkins and Derek Fisher, wouldn't have performed well under the pressure of having to play for a fat contract next summer. As the impact of the trade sinks in around the league, here's what people are saying.

Presti didn't want to deviate from a precedent of having players sacrifice at the negotiating table for the betterment of the team, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News believes the Thunder might not be done dealing, since Martin's $12.44MM expiring contract would be an attractive trade deadline asset, a sentiment echoed by HoopsWorld's Steve Kyler (Twitter links).
John Hollinger of ESPN.com thinks the Thunder did the best they could under trying circumstances, while the Rockets, who could afford to sign another player to a maximum-salary deal next summer, have vastly strengthened their position as a destination for marquee free agents (Insider only).
Royce Young of DailyThunder.com says the deal was unnecessary for the Thunder and reveals the "ugly, nasty and deceitful" side of pro sports. For CBSSports.com, Young looks at the deal's winners and losers.
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com gives the Thunder a grade of D for messing with a team that could have won the title this year, and the Rockets a B for acquiring a star, even if there are questions about whether he can be a No. 1 option. Moore also examines how Harden will fit on the court in Houston.
Presti wound up being punished for drafting too well, Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News opines.
The deal was simply all about money for the Thunder, observes Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today.
Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun took the Thunder to task via Twitter for a "horrible" trade, while criticizing Harden for valuing money over championships (All Twitter links).

Camp Rumors: Magic, Johnson-Odom, Heat

October 27th, 2012 at 3:36pm CST by Chuck Myron

Perhaps the most surprising training camp cut was Quentin Richardson, whom the Magic waived despite $5.438MM worth of guaranteed money on his contract for the next two seasons. The surprising play of DeQuan Jones, who appears to have made the team on a non-guaranteed deal, pushed Richardson out the door, writes John Denton of Magic.com. There's plenty of other news about players coming and going today, in advance of the 4:00pm Central time deadline for teams to let go of camp invitees so that they clear waivers before rosters must be down to 15 players.

While an earlier report indicated the Lakers were expected to waive Darius Johnson-Odom, Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com believes the guard still has a shot to make the team (Twitter link).
The Heat are at the regular-season roster limit of 15 players, but Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel doesn't rule out the possibility that the team could pick up one of the guys that other teams let go in the past few days (Twitter link).
John Rohde of The Oklahoman shares insight from Thunder coach Scott Brooks on the team's cuts and its decision to keep DeAndre Liggins. "With DeAndre, we felt that his size, his athleticism, his defensive toughness is something we are intrigued with and we like," the coach said.
Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio saw Hollis Thompson play Thomas Robinson evenly while both were in college last season, and believes Thompson, whom the Thunder let go today, should wind up with another NBA team (Twitter link).
The Rockets still must waive three players, and Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle points to reasons why Jon Brockman, JaJuan Johnson and Gary Forbes could be the ones to go.
HoopsWorld's Derek Page checks in with Mavs waiver claim Eddy Curry, and wonders whether his 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks in Friday's preseason game against the Bobcats might have been enough for him to win a roster spot.
Shavlik Randolph and Steven Gray are likely out of the discussion to make the Wizards opening night roster, but Earl Barron is making a late push for a spot, as Michael Lee of The Washington Post examines.

Harden Rejects $52MM, Continues Extension Talk

October 27th, 2012 at 2:26pm CST by Chuck Myron

James Harden and agent Rob Pelinka recently turned down a four-year extension offer from the Thunder worth $52MM in their quest for a max extension from the Thunder, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports. Pelinka and Thunder GM Sam Presti have been meeting in Oklahoma City the past to two days to try to hammer out a deal. Wojnarowski takes the continued negotiations as a sign there's figure between $52MM and the maximum, likely worth $60MM, that will get the extension done.

Wojnarowski hears the Thunder may be trying to get Harden to agree to incentive clauses that may sweeten the deal, as they did with Serge Ibaka's extension. Teams are already lining up to offer Harden a maximum deal in restricted free agency next summer if Oklahoma City can't get an extension done by Wednesday's deadline. If the Thunder don't sign him to an extension, sources tell Wojnarowski that they may explore trades for him sooner rather than later.

"You're asking a player to take less money and remain a non-starter," a league executive told Wojnarowski. "Harden can start and go make more money. …That's a tough sell."

The Thunder could be on the hook for a hefty luxury tax bill for years to come if they commit to Harden, after previously doling out long-term deals to Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Ibaka. They could be more willing to pay the tax than they're letting on, Wojnarowski speculates, which could prompt the team to simply wait for the extension deadline to pass and match any offer sheet Harden signs next summer.

Thunder Waive Rautins, Orton, Thompson

October 27th, 2012 at 1:03pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Thunder have let go of Andy Rautins, Daniel Orton and Hollis Thompson, reports Royce Young of DailyThunder.com. All were on partially guaranteed deals — Orton for $100K, Thompson for $75K, and Rautins for $25K. That means DeAndre Liggins, whose deal is also partially guaranteed for $25K, appears to have won the competition for the team's final regular season roster spot.

Young writes that the Thunder are expected to retain the rights to Rautins, Orton and Thompson for their D-League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers, as long as they clear waivers. The Thunder signed the 6'8" Thompson, who went undrafted out of Georgetown in June, on the first day free agents could officially sign with teams this summer. Orton, a 6'10" native of Oklahoma City, was the 29th pick in the 2010 draft by the Magic, who didn't pick up his third-year option, allowing him to sign with his hometown team in August. The Thunder picked up Rautins and Liggins, both guards, on the same day in September. Both were former second-round picks with brief NBA action.

The Thunder now have 15 players on their roster, though they could decide to let Liggins go at any time before January 10th without having to pay more than his $25K partial guarantee.

Stein On Harden, Gibson, Curry, Bobcats

October 27th, 2012 at 12:45pm CST by Zachary Links

As we close in on the extension deadline for players out of the draft class of 2009, Bulls forward Taj Gibson insists that he isn't letting his contract situation be a distraction. Of course, Gibson would prefer to have a new contract worked out in advance of the October 31st deadline. Last night, ESPN.com's Marc Stein took to Twitter to look at some the players in line for contract extensions out of the 2009 draft class. Let's take a look..

Stein believes that the Thunder and James Harden will reach agreement on a contract extension, but there is pessimism surrounding the situation as Oklahoma City is insisting on a deal for less than the max (Twitter link). Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman is among those who are less-than-optimistic about a deal being struck, giving the club a 0.2% chance of working something out.
Stein (via Twitter) still expects the Warriors to extend Stephen Curry despite his recurring ankle issues. Curry missed time during the preseason, leading many to believe that the guard would not work out a new deal with Golden State. The 24-year-old is set to earn roughly $3.96MM as he enters the fourth and final year of his rookie deal.
It's a safe bet that the Bulls will extend Gibson by Wednesday's deadline, Stein tweets. Late last week, Gibson said that he hopes to spend the rest of his career in Chicago.
Gerald Henderson and Byron Mullens both told Stein (via Twitter) that they hope to hammer out extensions with the Bobcats before the Wednesday deadline. The Bobcats have been exploring an extension for the Duke product, but reportedly won't pull the trigger unless the terms are very team-friendly. Mullens took a significant step forward last season as he averaged 9.3 PPG and 5.0 RPG in his first year with Charlotte.

Odds & Ends: Varejao, Harden, Chandler, Stoudemire

October 26th, 2012 at 10:10pm CST by Michael Pina

Here are a few bits of news on this Friday evening:

Hoopsworld.com's Stephen Brotherston wonders if Anderson Varejao will play center for the Cavaliers this season.
The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry tweets that he believes the chances of James Harden signing an extension with the Thunder are 0.2%.
According to the New York Daily News' Frank Isola, Amare Stoudemire is seeking a second opinion on his knee injury, and could miss as much as a month of the season.
On the other end of the spectrum, Knicks center Tyson Chandler is convinced he'll play on opening night after suffering a leg injury this week, writes Newsday's Al Iannazzone.
Hornets guard Eric Gordon has spent his brief career on the sidelines with myriad of injuries. This season he looks forward to hopefully playing a full 82 games, writes Hoopsworld.com's Bill Ingram.
The Thunder have one open position left on their opening day roster, and four players—Andy Rautins, Daniel Orton, DeAndre Liggins, and Hollis Thompson—are fighting for it, reports The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry.