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Thunder Notes: Expectations, Trade Philosophy, Jones, More

September 25th, 2024 at 10:50pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Thunder are being projected to finish atop the Western Conference standings again this season after winning 57 games in 2023/24. However, general manager Sam Presti doesn’t think the team is simply entitled to the outside perspective on them; he knows they have to prove it, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman.

“The difference is that external expectations are things that some people think should happen,” Presti said, “and possibilities are things that we feel could happen, but we have a lot of respect for how hard it is for those things to take place. We don’t think we’re entitled to start on third base.”

After adding Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso to their core, Presti knows they’ll have to sort out some wrinkles early in the season.

“We’re going to need some time with this particular group, especially because we’re not trying to wedge those guys in or have assumptions about how they’re going to fit with certain players,” Presti said. “We kind of have to allow that to take its course, and as a result I think our continuity will not be great early, but if you look at continuity in the NBA, continuity generally shows up, or lack thereof, early in the year.

“There’s certain things that we’re going to have to confront, even if that means not getting the immediate benefits or the numbers might not look particularly good, but ultimately we’re going to have to get good at addressing these particular situations, issues, whatever it might be.”

As Lorenzi writes, that could mean experimenting with Caruso playing alongside other talented defenders like Cason Wallace and Luguentz Dort, or going with a two-big look by lining up Hartenstein next to Holmgren.

We have more from the Thunder:

At the end of last season, Presti said he might need to reevaluate how he operates with in-season trades. When asked again on Wednesday about that philosophy by Daily Thunder’s Brandon Rahbar (Twitter link), Presti said he thinks it’s hard to get a player up to speed quickly in the middle of the season. He reiterated that continuity is important and that the Thunder’s new players are going to take time to fit in. Presti didn’t rule out in-season trades, but he did express the need to be patient with internal development and exercise caution when adding new players. “Everyone tends to, when there’s a team that’s in regression or plateau period or whatever you want to call it, the default is [to] hit the trade builder,” Presti said. “Because to really have a very nuanced conversation about the other things, the internal things, I think that gets a little hard for people, because there’s a lot more gray area there and probably a little more expertise on that, to be speaking that language, rather than hit the builder and flip people in and out, But every time you do that, you’re adding risk to your existing team.”
If Kenrich Williams‘ injury lingers into the regular season, the Thunder may need to rely on rookie Dillon Jones sooner than expected, Rylan Stiles of SI writes. Jones, a 6’5″ small forward, showed scoring and defensive prowess collegiately at Weber State. The 26th overall pick averaged 20.8 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals in college.
In a mailbag, Lorenzi discusses several challenges the Thunder may face in 2024/25. For starters, the team may need to improve its three-point volume after ranking 16th in attempts but first in efficiency last season. Additionally, Oklahoma City will need to rely on Hartenstein to help defeat teams that pack the paint like Dallas did last year.

Western Notes: Green, Jones, Shannon Jr., Taylor

September 15th, 2024 at 9:13pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Jalen Green became extension-eligible this summer but there hasn’t been any news on that front. The Rockets guard would have to sign that rookie scale extension by the Oct. 21 deadline or else he’ll be eligible for restricted free agency next summer. Green told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle he’d like to sign a long-term contract with the team.

“For sure,” Green said. “My main focus is the season ahead of me with the players that we have, go to the playoffs and go as far as we can. We’re building that team camaraderie, who we are. That’s the main focus right now, and everything will work itself out.”

Whether or not he reaches an extension agreement, Green is approaching the season with enthusiasm. “We went out last season with a bang,” he said. “We’re all on the same page, know what it takes to win. We know what we can do if we play hard. I think we know what we have to do going into this season from the beginning to the end, so hopefully, that leads us into the playoffs.”

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Thunder traded four second-round picks to move up into the first round and select Dillon Jones with the No. 26 pick. Does that mean the Thunder have immediate plans for him? It’s not out of the question, according to Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated. Stiles points out that Cason Wallace jumped right into the rotation in his rookie campaign, rather than being ticketed to the G League.
Terrence Shannon Jr. and his mother, Treanette Redding, filed a Notice of Claim to sue the Douglas County district attorney, the Lawrence (Kansas) police department and a detective for malicious prosecution, among other claims, Mitch Gilfillan tweets. Shannon, a Timberwolves rookie, was found not guilty of all charges at his criminal trial in Kansas in June. Shannon was facing felony charges of first-degree rape and sexual aggravated battery.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has subpoenaed the NBA in his ongoing legal battle over control of the franchise, according to Eben Novy-Williams of Sportico. It’s an unusual move, Novy-Williams notes, and could potentially expose private league communications and financial information to a public audience. The battle between Taylor and prospective owners, Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez, is headed for arbitration in November.

Western Notes: DeRozan, Rockets, Suns, D. Jones

August 12th, 2024 at 9:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

New Kings wing DeMar DeRozan is staying sharp in California. DeRozan erupted for 54 points for the Mecca Cheaters in the Drew League championship game on Sunday, Jason Anderson of the Sacramento Bee relays. The Drew League is a pro-am event held every year in Los Angeles. DeRozan was named the game’s MVP after his team erased a 16-point deficit in the final five minutes and pulled out a one-point victory.

A free agent last month, DeRozan was acquired from the Bulls in a blockbuster, three-team deal. His new contract with the Kings is worth approximately $74MM over three years.

We have more from the Western Conference:

The Rockets are doing some early bonding, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link). Jalen Green is hosting a players-only minicamp in Los Angeles this week with Alperen Sengun, Reed Sheppard, Jabari Smith Jr. and Amen Thompson among the teammates expected to show up.
The Suns are hiring Oronde Taliaferro as their director of scouting, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype tweets. Taliaferro, who is expected to focus on college scouting, was previously a scout for the Nets.
The Thunder‘s Dillon Jones, the No. 26 overall pick, is one of the most interesting rookies in this class, Rylan Stiles of Sports Illustrated opines. Oklahoma City was interested in selecting Jones, a Weber State product, in the second round last year before he opted to return to college to improve his stock. The Thunder gave up five second-round picks in a deadline-deal with the Knicks to acquire the 26th pick. Jones could play a variety of positions for a coaching staff that enjoys tinkering with rotations and lineups.

Northwest Notes: Trail Blazers, Mitchell, Topic, Nuggets

July 24th, 2024 at 9:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Trail Blazers’ rebuilding process is happening at a fortunate time in light of the NBA’s new restrictive apron provisions, writes Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report. With so many young players on the roster, Portland doesn’t face the immediate decisions that other teams have to deal with, but it’s only a matter of time until its recent draft picks become eligible for extensions.

Highkin doesn’t believe the Blazers would have gotten nearly the same return for Damian Lillard if they had waited another year to trade him. Teams are placing a greater value on draft picks and are becoming less willing to gamble on older players with multiple years remaining on expensive contracts. Highkin points to Dejounte Murray, whom Atlanta traded for far less than it gave up to acquire him two years ago, along with Trae Young, Brandon Ingram and Zach LaVine, who may all have been dealt by now if the old rules were still in effect.

Highkin also notes that max extensions for rookie scale contracts don’t seem as automatic as they used to be. He states that Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams appear to be the only “locks” to get those extensions next summer, when Portland will have to decide whether Shaedon Sharpe is worthy of a long-term commitment in excess of $200MM.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

Ajay Mitchell‘s Summer League performance showed why the Thunder were willing to trade up to the 38th pick to acquire him, observes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. The Santa Barbara guard, who recently signed a two-way contract, showed an ability to change speeds and finish around the basket, posting an 11-point, 10-assist double-double early in Las Vegas. First-round pick Dillon Jones displayed “flashes and flaws” in his first Summer League experience, while 2022 lottery pick Ousmane Dieng was held out of the games in Vegas after playing in Salt Lake City.
Nikola Topic could turn out to be a steal for the Thunder at No. 12 when he returns next season from his partially torn ACL, Rylan Stiles states in a Sports Illustrated piece. Oklahoma City was willing to wait a year for Topic to get healthy, and he could develop into a lead guard for the second unit.
The Nuggets will open their preseason schedule with a pair of games against the Celtics Oct. 4 and 6 in Abu Dhabi, tweets Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Denver will host the Suns Oct. 13 and the Thunder Oct. 15 before traveling to face the Timberwolves Oct 18.

Thunder Sign Draft Picks Nikola Topic, Dillon Jones, Ajay Mitchell

July 6th, 2024 at 4:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder have signed first-round picks Nikola Topic and Dillon Jones to rookie scale contracts, the team announced in a press release. Second-round selection Ajay Mitchell inked a two-way deal.

Chosen with the 12th pick, Topic was originally viewed as a potential top-five selection, but a partially torn ACL caused his draft stock to tumble. The 6’6″ point guard averaged 15.1 points, 5.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds for Crvena Zvezda this year in the Adriatic League. He’s not expected to play next season, giving the injury plenty of time to heal.

Jones, the 26th overall pick, was acquired from New York in a draft night trade. The 6’5″ small forward out of Weber State led the Big Sky Conference in scoring this season at 20.8 PPG, while adding 9.8 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 2.0 steals per night. He was a finalist for the Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award.

Mitchell, a 6’4″ shooting guard out of UC Santa Barbara, was the 38th pick in the draft. He averaged 20.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 steals this season and was a First Team All-Big West selection the past two years.

Assuming they both got the maximum rookie contract they were eligible to receive, Topic will earn about $4.9MM in his first season and $23MM across four years, while Jones will be paid $2.6MM as a rookie and $13.5MM on his four-year deal. Oklahoma City will have third- and fourth-year team options on both players.

Northwest Notes: Topic, Jones, Mitchell, Nori, Nuggets

June 30th, 2024 at 2:52pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Newly-drafted Thunder rookie Nikola Topic has confirmed that he will have surgery to repair a partially torn ACL, per Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman (Twitter link). This approach had been expected prior to the draft, but that didn’t stop Oklahoma City from selecting the 6’6″ point guard with its No. 12 selection late in the lottery.

Last year with Mega MIS in ABA league play, Topic posted averages of 14.5 points on a .523/.259/.855 shooting line, along with 7.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

Whenever he does return – likely at the start of the 2024/25 season – he’ll join a loaded Thunder roster fresh off securing the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed and a 57-25 record in 2023/24. This year, Oklahoma City is no doubt hoping to build on that success. To wit, the team has already flipped underperforming young guard Josh Giddey for a two-time All-Defensive vet in his absolute prime, 30-year-old former Bulls guard Alex Caruso, as it looks to shore up its perimeter coverage.

There’s more out of the Northwest Division:

During their introductory presser, Thunder rookies Topic, Dillon Jones, and Ajay Mitchell seemed excited about joining such an impressive Oklahoma City squad, writes Joel Lorenzi of The Oklahoman. Jones, a Weber State alum, is going to be a versatile fit on an exciting young Thunder team, per Lorenzi. Topic was impressed with the team’s professionalism. “As I said before, I’m really grateful for the time here, and it’s really probably the best organization I’ve been to,” Topic said. Mitchell, drafted out of Santa Barbara, is open to whatever roster role the team decides is best.
The Pistons‘ decision to hire J.B. Bickerstaff as their next coach has guaranteed that top Timberwolves assistant Micah Nori will stay with Minnesota next season, reports The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski (Twitter link). Nori has been with Minnesota under head coach Chris Finch since 2021. Nori stepped in to act as Finch’s legs after an injury forced Finch to stay static on the team’s bench during most of its run to the Western Conference Finals this spring. Not only will Nori stick around in Minnesota, he’ll likely earn a raise after going above and beyond the line of duty this postseason, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP Sports (Twitter link).
As they approach the start of free agency this afternoon, a lot of the Nuggets‘ roster needs hinge on whether or not they’ll be able to re-sign unrestricted shooting guard Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. The team’s other free agent rotation wing, journeyman vet Justin Holiday, is not expected to return to Denver, reports Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports. Wind notes that, after trading Reggie Jackson, the Nuggets will be in the market for a backup point guard as well as a veteran reserve center. Although the team has just re-signed backup big man DeAndre Jordan, it doesn’t appear to view him as an actual rotation piece, but more as a locker room leader.

Thunder Acquire No. 26 Pick Dillon Jones From Knicks

June 27th, 2024 at 8:04am CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

JUNE 27: The trade is now official, the Knicks confirmed (via Twitter).

JUNE 26: The Thunder have agreed to acquire the No. 26 pick from the Knicks and are using it to draft Weber State’s Dillon Jones, according to reports from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter links).

Oklahoma City will trade five second-round picks to New York in exchange for Jones’ rights at No. 26, per Charania (Twitter link). The five second-rounders are as follows, per Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports (Twitter links):

Either the Celtics’ or Grizzlies’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever is more favorable).
The Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick.
The Timberwolves’ 2027 second-round pick.
Either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Heat’s, or Pacers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is second-most favorable).
Either the Thunder’s, Rockets’, Heat’s, or Pacers’ 2027 second-round pick (whichever is third-most favorable).

Adding Jones at No. 26 is a surprise move from Thunder team president Sam Presti. As The Oklahoman’s Joel Lorenzi tweets, Jones – who was not invited to the green room – was ranked 50th on ESPN’s big board and 65th by The Athletic.

However, the three-time All-Big Sky honoree had a big senior season in his final year with the Wildcats in 2023/24, averaging 20.8 points, 9.8 boards, 5.2 dimes, and 2.0 steals per game across 31 starts (37.0 MPG), with a shooting line of .489/.324/.857.

The move will allow the Knicks to replenish their future draft assets to some extent after the Nets ransacked their stash in the Mikal Bridges trade. It should also save New York some money and create additional flexibility below the tax aprons, since the cap hold for the No. 26 would have been about $2.63MM. The Knicks could instead use that roster spot on a minimum-salary player.

Luke Adams contributed to this report.

Northwest Notes: Blazers’ Draft Options, Wolves’ Workouts, Adelman

June 12th, 2024 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

With the draft just two weeks away, there’s no consensus on which players the Trail Blazers might land with the seventh and 14th picks, writes Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report. He examines several mock drafts and notes they have varied widely on Portland’s selections since last month’s lottery.

With a talented backcourt already in place in Portland, Highkin believes the only certainty is that the Blazers won’t take a guard with their first choice. That would eliminate Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard and Rob Dillingham, along with Serbia’s Nikola Topic. However, if a recent ACL injury causes Topic to slide down to the end of the lottery, Highkin thinks Portland might be interested.

UConn center Donovan Clingan is a popular projection to the Blazers in recent mock drafts, but there’s also a chance he could be taken in the top three. Highkin doesn’t expect Portland to trade up for Clingan or any other prospect because there’s a strong chance the team can get a player it likes by staying at No. 7.

Highkin observes that the Blazers’ front office typically focuses on potential upside rather than looking for a player with a high floor. He hears Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht had a strong showing when he worked out in Portland.

There’s more from the Northwest Division:

The Trail Blazers are planning to upgrade and expand their practice facility, Highkin adds in a separate story. In February, the team advanced the project by spending $4.6MM to buy a plot of land next to the current facility. The move suggests that owner Jody Allen is in no hurry to sell the franchise, Highkin states.
The Timberwolves hosted Texas’ Dylan Disu, Stanford’s Spencer Jones, Serbia’s Bogoljub Markovic, Kentucky’s Antonio Reeves, UConn’s Cam Spencer, and Clemson’s PJ Hall for a pre-draft workout on Wednesday, the team announced (via Twitter). A Sunday workout brought in Utah’s Branden Carlson, Minnesota’s Cam Christie, Serbia’s Nikola Djurisic, Marquette’s Oso Ighodaro, Weber State’s Dillon Jones, and UConn’s Tristen Newton (Twitter link).
Bennett Durando of The Denver Post questions why Nuggets assistant David Adelman isn’t getting more consideration from teams that are looking for head coaches. Sources confirmed to Durando that Adelman interviewed this year with the Hornets, Cavaliers and Lakers, but he hasn’t been reported as among the frontrunners for any of those jobs. The Nuggets believe it’s just a matter of time before Adelman gets an opportunity, Durando adds.

Pacific Notes: Looney, Suns, Tellem, Gregory, Warriors

June 11th, 2024 at 1:00pm CST by Luke Adams

After Tim Kawakami of The Athletic suggested on a recent episode of the Warriors Plus Minus podcast that he thinks Kevon Looney could be cut this offseason to save the Warriors some money (hat tip to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports), the veteran center appeared on The Draymond Green Show (YouTube link) and addressed his uncertain future in Golden State.

Looney is under contract for one more season, but he’s coming off a down year and his $8MM salary for 2024/25 is only partially guaranteed for $3MM. If the Warriors cut him, they could try to bring him back on a minimum-salary deal or he could end up signing with a new team after spending his entire nine-year NBA career in Golden State.

“The ball isn’t in my court,” Looney said (story via Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area). “I don’t have full control over my destiny, so I kind of have to play the waiting game, control what I can control. I’ve been here my whole career. I don’t know nothing else. You always want to finish what you started and be somewhere for your whole career, but I’ve been in this business long enough to know that’s not realistic. I’m preparing myself for whatever. My family’s out here, the Bay’s been great to me. They treat me like family, I grew up here.

“I haven’t really thought about it too far. I’m trying to see what they’re going to do first before I push the envelope and see what I want to do. … I’ve been a Warrior for life. Even whatever happens, I’m always going to be a Warrior for life.”

Here’s more from around the Pacific:

Looney ranks atop the list compiled by Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports of 15 potential minimum-salary centers the Suns could target this offseason in free agency. Goga Bitadze, Andre Drummond, Daniel Theis, and Luke Kornet round out Bourguet’s top five, though it’s very possible that some of those players will get more than the veteran’s minimum from another team, putting them out of reach for a Phoenix team that can’t offer more than that to outside free agents.
The Suns officially announced in a press release on Monday that they’ve hired Matt Tellem as an assistant general manager and Brian Gregory as vice president of player programming. The team’s deal with Tellem, a Brooklyn executive, was reported last month, but we hadn’t previously heard about the hiring of Gregory, who has been in the college basketball coaching ranks for several decades, most recently with South Florida. Phoenix is adding another longtime college coach – Mike Hopkins – to Mike Budenholzer‘s staff, as we relayed earlier today.
Anthony Slater and Sam Vecenie of The Athletic examine some potential targets at No. 52 in this year’s draft for the Warriors, who are looking to replicate the success of last year’s 57th overall pick (Trayce Jackson-Davis). Slater also shares a long list of prospects who have visited Golden State for pre-draft workouts in recent weeks, including Dillon Jones (No. 48 on ESPN’s big board), Keshad Johnson (No. 50), Jalen Bridges (No. 53), Isaac Jones (No. 57), and Antonio Reeves (No. 58), among others.
In case you missed it, we rounded up several notes on the Lakers, with a focus on their head coaching search, earlier this afternoon.

Pacific Notes: Hurley, Lakers, Bronny, Suns, Kings

June 7th, 2024 at 12:32pm CST by Rory Maher

UConn’s Dan Hurley is meeting with the Lakers regarding their head coaching vacancy on Friday. L.A. is reportedly going to offer Hurley a “significant” contract in terms of both years and salary.

A source close to Hurley tells Jeff Goodman of The Field Of 68 (via Twitter) that it’s “50-50” whether the 51-year-old accepts the job or returns to the Huskies in pursuit of a third consecutive national championship.

According to Goodman (Twitter links), UConn has an offer extended to Hurley that would make him the third-highest paid college coach in the country, behind only Bill Self and John Calipari. However, there’s an expectation that the school’s offer will likely pale in comparison to what the Lakers will put on the table.

Appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, former president of basketball operations Magic Johnson was enthusiastic about the prospect of the Lakers hiring Hurley, as Chuck Schilken of The Los Angeles Times relays (subscriber link).

“I like Hurley,” Johnson said. “I want the coach to be Hurley. … He has a championship background. He’s great with offensive and defensive strategy. I think that the players will respect him. And he’s tough. The Lakers gotta have somebody who will hold them accountable, right?“

Here’s more from the Pacific:

Howard Beck of The Ringer argues that Hurley shouldn’t be viewed as a risky candidate despite never coaching at the NBA level. The Lakers‘ top target has admirers around the NBA, such as longtime assistant Ron Adams, who is currently with the Warriors. “I think he’s a marvelous coach,” Adams said of Hurley. “He comes from a tremendous basketball family. … I think his skill set is excellent for coming into the pros. … I know a lot of people will say, ‘Well, he’s a really demanding coach.’ Well yes, and that’s going to be a strength in the pros. You may have to dress it up differently, but that will be a strength of his if he’s good with people and good at bringing out the best version of a player. That’s going to work in the pros, too.”
USC guard Bronny James, who is ranked No. 53 on ESPN’s big board, had a strong showing during a workout with the Suns on Wednesday, sources tell Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic. Villanova guard Mark Armstrong and West Virginia guard Raequan Battle also impressed Phoenix during the group workout, according to Rankin. The Suns hold the No. 22 pick in this month’s draft.
Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports examines five big men the Suns could target with their first-round pick, including Baylor’s Yves Missi and Indiana’s Kel’el Ware.
The Kings hosted a pre-draft workout on Wednesday featuring Weber State’s Dillon Jones, Creighton’s Trey Alexander, Pitt’s Carlton Carrington and Miami’s Kyshawn George, a league source tells Brenden Nunes of Sactown Sports 1140. Sacramento controls the No. 13 and No. 45 picks in the 2024 draft. George (No. 19) and Carrington (No. 20) are projected first-round picks, according to ESPN, while Jones (No. 48) and Alexander (No. 65) are potential second-rounders.