KD has been on his now annual tour of China the past couple weeks and with word of him possibly looking into overseas options to play this year if the lockout drags on, it’s pretty obvious he’s becoming a major international star. If he isn’t already.
And to just drive that home even more is news that KD will join Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose in an exhibition game in the Philippines for charity.Via SLAM:
The three stars will be part of a selection that will play a pair of charity exhibition games against SMART-Gilas Philippines national team and an all-star squad from the Philippine Basketball Association. Proceeds of the games will go to the MVP Sports Foundation, whose goal is to uplift Philippine sports and to develop Filipino athletes.
There isn’t a date set yet for the game, but it would be held in Manilla.
I don’t necessarily think the stuff about KD maybe playing overseas is related to this, but it’s obvious that Durant is fine and comfortable outside of the United States. And it definitely doesn’t hurt to expand the brad globally either.
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Kevin Durant is the Thunder’s union representative, however he hasn’t been present at any of bargaining sessions. He regrets that, but still said he’s been in the loop through email and teammate Nick Collison, who has filled in for him.
He spoke to reporters today following the wrap of his basketball camp and shortly after the league announced a lockout was coming and said the players weren’t about to back down. Via the AP:
“We’re going to stand up for what we have to do, no matter how long it’s going to take,” Durant told The Associated Press after the conclusion of his two-day youth basketball camp. “No matter how long the lockout’s going to take, we’re going to stand up. We’re not going to give in.”
[...]
Durant acknowledged “it might have to take all the way up until maybe December or January” — meaning the start of the NBA season in October would be jeopardized — but the players are committed to getting a CBA they feel is fair.
“The way the CBA worked before is something we really liked. There’s no need to change it,” Durant told AP. “Things have been going very well for us, as far as the league, revenue and things like that are concerned. We want to stick with that pace, but of course the owners want to go a different way with it.
“We’re going to stick with it until we come out with a good deal.”
The Thunder are opening their brand new practice facility soon, but players won’t get a taste of it. Durant said he toured it last night, but that’ll be the last time he steps inside for a while as the league will physically lock players out starting at 12:01 a.m. Read more…
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Officially, it’s happened via Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Berger also said the union has no plans to decertify right now though.
So… yeah. We all knew it was happening, but it’s here now. Start growing your beards, ya’ll.
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Nazr Mohammed is sticking around for a little while longer. The Thunder announced today that they have agreed to a contract extension with the veteran big man from Kentucky.
I guess when he randomly tweeted “Thunder Up!!!!” and “Today is a good day!!!! #Blessed” this morning, we should’ve seen the writing on the wall.
“We are pleased to be able to keep Nazr in the Thunder family,” said Presti. “He is a valuable part of our organization both on and off the floor. His professionalism, experience, and on-court play have had a positive impact on our young and evolving roster.”
Mohammed is entering his 14th NBA season and was a productive piece to the Thunder’s playoff run last season. He was acquired from Charlotte for D.J. White and Morris Peterson and gave Oklahoma City a solid big man to play behind Kendrick Perkins. The Thunder lacked size inside and Mohammed not only was a good physical defender, but added a little timely offense at times too. Read more…
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Big, super big news here people: The Thunder exercised options on James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Eric Maynor, Cole Aldrich and Byron Mullens.
The options for Harden, Ibaka, Maynor and Mullens are the final fourth-year options for the players and Aldrich’s was a third-year, meaning he’ll have one more (well, assuming the new CBA doesn’t change that.)
I’ve already heard some saying, “What, why Mullens?” It’s true: The Thunder’s 24th pick in 2009 that turned into Mullens hasn’t panned out yet. The seven-foot big man from Ohio State has gone up and down between the Thunder and the D-League, hasn’t ever come close to sniffing the rotation and has largely disappointed. Read more…
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The Thunder have extended guard Daequan Cook a qualifying offer, making him a restricted free agent. Cook’s qualifying offer is for about $3.1 million.
Cook appeared in 43 games in his first season with the Thunder. He averaged 5.6 points and 1.7 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per contest. Cook, who ranked 11th in the NBA in three-point field goal shooting, made 65 of 154 three-point attempts (.422) this season.
In all reality, this likely means Cook will return. It’s a bit hard to see someone offering Cook more than $3.1 million this summer, so I sort of even doubt the Thunder will have to face the decision of matching an offer sheet or not.
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The Thunder’s newest addition Reggie Jackson, who Oklahoma added with the 24th pick in the draft, will wear No. 15.
Why 15?
“Fifteen fit me, I believe,” Jackson said at an introductory news conference yesterday. “I like the 5, for the five guys on the court at one time; (the number) 1, one team, one beating heart, everybody has one goal and basically that’s the championship, so I like the number.”
Geez, somebody’s trying to make Sam Presti like him.
But that’s a pretty good answer and a pretty good view into Presti’s mindset of taking Jackson. There’s a certain type of mentality a player needs to possess if he’s going to really fit the Thunder structure and it appears Jackson has it.
Jackson wore No. 0 in college at Boston College, but of course, that’s sort of taken.
Also, he knows the value of a bowtie, which is never a bad thing. And he even one-upped James Harden by adding suspenders. Not too bad. The cellphone belt clip though? I don’t know about that.
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Point guard from Boston College. I guess he in fact did have a promise from the Thunder.
Jackson didn’t work out for anyone, didn’t meet with anyone and didn’t do any physicals leading up to the draft. He didn’t even participate in the combine as he claimed injury. He basically sent out a resume and waited for a job.
In most every way, this seems like a very un-Presti-like move. But because of that, it’s a total Presti move. He went against the grain and took someone that people weren’t high on and didn’t see coming. That’s total Presti.
But look at the Thunder roster now. Russell Westbrook, point guard. Eric Maynor, point guard. Nate Robinson, point guard. And Reggie Jackson, point guard. If you count that up, that’s four point men under contract.
Something’s gotta give. I get the feeling the Thunder aren’t done quite yet. Read more…
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There’s always a lot of smoke on draft day. For instance, that the Spurs might trade Tony Parker for a lottery pick. Which is why I wouldn’t get too hot and bothered at word that the Thunder are shopping Eric Maynor to move into the first 14 picks.
Via Chad Ford of ESPN.com:
Is Thunder point guard Eric Maynor worth a lottery pick? Sources say the Thunder have been quietly gauging interest in Maynor during the past few days in an attempt to move up into the top half of the first round. They’ve spoken to the Kings (No. 7) and Bobcats (No. 9) in particular in the past few days.
Maynor was the 20th pick in the 2009 draft, which was one of the most loaded point guard drafts. With so few quality point guards on the board this year, would a team covet him more than Kemba Walker or Jimmer Fredette?
Who are the Thunder after? Like a lot of teams, it seems they are in hot pursuit of Lithuanian big man Jonas Valanciunas. Read more…
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Via Ken Berger of CBSSports.com:
NBA players association chief Billy Hunter on Wednesday assailed the owners’ latest collective bargaining proposal and said he is prepared for owners to vote on a lockout at next Tuesday’s Board of Governors meeting in Dallas.
“Their demand is gargantuan and we just can’t meet it,” Hunter told reporters at the Manhattan hotel where players are staying for crucial meetings and draft-related activities this week.
A day after commissioner David Stern seized control of the message by disclosing details of the owners’ latest proposal, Hunter gathered reporters in an effort to respond and “set the record straight,” he said. At the meeting, also attended by union president Derek Fisher of the Lakers, executive committee member Maurice Evans of the Wizards and union staff, Hunter said the owners’ latest proposal would cost the players $8.2 billion over 10 years compared to the current system and $7 billion compared to the players’ standing offer. Read more…
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The owners and players association met for four hours today in New York and by all accounts, some movement is being made toward a new Collective Bargaining Agreement which would prevent a lockout. The sides appear to be merging a bit more to the middle finally.
Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com:
The owners, who are asking for a 10-year agreement, then came back with a counterproposal of their own. Owners offered what they called a “flex cap” system that would earmark at least $2 billion per season toward player salaries.
The owners also moved their position on cap exceptions, saying the Larry Bird Exception and the mid-level exception would remain in a new system, although teams could not exceed an as-yet-determined maximum team salary.
The sides agreed to meet again Friday in New York.
“We both made real moves, but we’re still very far apart,” union attorney Jeffrey Kessler said. Read more…
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As proud as the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise is about the 55-win season, Northwest Division title and appearance in the Western Conference Finals, its ranking in ESPN the Magazine’s “Ultimate Team” standings is probably right up there.
The Thunder placed sixth overall in the magazine’s annual rankings and second out of all NBA teams, only behind big brother San Antonio. The five organizations ahead of OKC are the Packers, Tampa Bay Lightning, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Angels and the Spurs.
Last season the Thunder came in 25th overall and fifth out of NBA teams.
The criteria the magazine uses is “Bang For The Buck” which is wins over the past three years per revenues from fans, “Fan Relations” which is “openness and consideration toward fans by players, coaches and management,” “Ownership,” “Affordability,” “Stadium Experience,” “Players” which includes the likability of the roster, “Coaching” and “Title Track” which is championships won or the expectation of one in the near future. Read more…
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Daequan Cook’s agent — Mike Conley Sr. — says he’s already taken a bunch of calls from teams interested in Cook for next season, according to a report. Cook is slated to be a restricted free agent (assuming the Thunder extend a qualifying offer). But he says he wants to be in Oklahoma City. Via the Dayton Daily News:
“That’s where I want to be,” Cook said. “That’s where I fit in. My gut feeling right now is that’s where I’m going to end up. I had a great season there. I helped out a lot. (They like) my habits, becoming not just a better player on the court, but better off the court. It all starts there.”
Sam Presti, Scott Brooks and the Thunder were definitely fans of Cook in OKC. They loved the fact the despite starting the season slowly that he kept working and eventually cracked the rotation again and best of all, produced. That scores high marks with this organization.
It’s a numbers game for Cook. He made $2.1 million last season and depending on the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, he’ll probably fall in line somewhere around there. He’s nothing more than a role player that will see 10-20 minutes a game, so he’s not going to demand a big contract. The Thunder really value a player like him that can stretch the floor and hit a 3 when called upon and Cook did that well this season.
OKC will have some sort of 3-point specialist on the roster — it’s just a matter of whether it’s Cook or not. The team signed D-Leaguer Robert Vaden at the end of the year likely to take a good long look at him as a potential replacement if things don’t work out with Cook.
I’m like Cook though — my gut feeling says he’s back next year too.
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This is subject to change because of offseason movement and whatnot, but according to the Vegas oddsmakers, the Thunder have the fourth-best chance at taking home the 2011-12 championship.
Oklahoma City is behind the Heat (5/2), the Lakers (11/2) and the Bulls (6/1) and the Thunder are installed with 8/1 odds.
Sounds about right to me. The Thunder were in the Western Conference Finals and with the age of the roster, they should only be better next year. They’re behind the Lakers though because well, it’s the Lakers and that’s just life.
This year’s champs, the Mavericks if you didn’t know, are right behind the Thunder at 10/1. And if you like playing longshots, the Raptors are last with 150/1 odds. Funny to think though how three years ago, the Thunder were right in that same territory too.
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