The Thunder have signed free agent guard Royal Ivey to a contract, Sam Presti announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.
“We are pleased to welcome Royal to the Thunder organization,” Presti said in the release. “His defensive mentality, competitiveness and well documented professionalism adds depth to our backcourt and strengthens the identity of our basketball team.”
Who said OKC wouldn’t do anything in free agency? Talk about a SPLASH. Last season Ivey played for the Bucks and 76ers and appeared in a total of 44 games. He’s 28 years old and has played in the league for six years. He’s never averaged more than 5.6 points a game and is primarily known for his defense.
He’s likely just a training camp/practice squad player and I’m sure his contract isn’t guaranteed. Nonetheless, I bet KD is happy to have another Texas alum on the roster.
News
Free Agency, Royal Ivey
David Liam Kyle/NBAE/Getty Images
One thing we know for sure: Kevin Durant will never do to Oklahoma City what LeBron James did to Cleveland on Thursday night.
But I’m not talking about leaving for another team, just the despicable, awkward one-hour television special that ripped the heart out of Ohio sports fans. Leaving for another team could happen. The situations in Cleveland over the past decade and in Oklahoma City over the coming one have as many obvious similarities as obvious differences.
Oklahoma City’s main advantage? The team and its direction will be a more powerful force to help keep Durant than it was for Cleveland in keeping (or losing, as it turned out) James. It’s apparent now that James was always going to leave. The Cavaliers gave LeBron just about every conceivable perk and built an annual title contender, and it still wasn’t enough. The Thunder doesn’t have to do that to keep Durant happy. Sam Presti and Co. just have to give him a chance to compete for championships, and the Thunder appears poised to do just that. If Durant can play winning basketball in Oklahoma City all the way through his prime, he won’t leave, but that’s a bigger if than you may think.
There’s no fear mongering going on here. Durant has never even hinted that he would leave Oklahoma City under any circumstances in his control. (The only evidence I can find that he’d even consider it, other than the mandatory “you never know” thrown in upon occasion, were comments about the Miami Thrice saga said to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman, seen near the bottom here.) But Durant wants to win. Read more…
Commentary
Free Agency, Kevin Durant, LeBron James
Marc Stein reports the KD extension talks are off and running. Or in fact, were off and running at 12:01 this morning.
“The Oklahoma City Thunder opened the free-agency period with a visit to a familiar face. Sources with knowledge of the Thunder’s plans said team officials met with star forward Kevin Durant at his new Oklahoma City home at one minute past midnight Thursday to formally open negotiations on a contract extension. It remains to be seen how long talks actually take, given the Thunder’s famously methodical ways, but there seems little doubt that Durant will ultimately receive the maximum five-year extension worth in excess of $80 million from Oklahoma City before the Oct. 31 deadline.”
News
Free Agency, Kevin Durant
Rocky Widner/Getty Images
(Please welcome new DT contributor, Patrick James. Patrick is a Thunder season ticket holder and about as die hard a fan as you’ll come across. Plus, he’s really smart. So that’s good. He’s going to contribute some columns here, which I’m excited about. He starts out the way any Thunder fan should – by expressing slightly awkward man love for KD and Uncle Jeff.)
Kevin and Jeff,
Let’s go ahead and hit the pause button and keep it pressed down, because this is pretty much a love letter to you guys. Thunder fans want you to stay. We want to grow old with you.
We love you, men.
You ARE the Thunder, along with the core group of your teammates who took us for a joyride last season that ended only minutes from May. More than that, you ARE basketball in Oklahoma City. We had a fling with the Chris Paul and the Hornets during their stay, but it becomes clearer with each passing day that the best gift they gave us was the possibility of you. We showed everyone we could be an NBA city, we voted to pay for the arena and renovate it ourselves to show our commitment capacity, and the basketball gods delivered us the team we want to … marry? Read more…
Commentary
Free Agency, Jeff Green, Kevin Durant
From NewsOK.com:
The Thunder has signed veteran point guard Kevin Ollie. Terms of the deal are unclear, but the contract likely is a one-year deal for the 36-year-old journeyman.
Honestly I don’t really get it, but whatever. I’m sure it was for next to nothing (in NBA terms, of course) and I wouldn’t plan on Ollie being on the roster by year’s end. Over 12 seasons, Ollie has averaged 3.8 ppg and 2.3 apg. Last year in Minnesota he played in 50 games and averaged 4.0 ppg and 2.3 apg as a third string backup point guard. Which is exactly where he’ll be this year behind Russell Westbrook and Shaun Livingston. This will be the ninth NBA roster Ollie has been a part of. And unless he retires, I doubt it will be his last.
News
Free Agency, Kevin Ollie
When you were a kid, you were one of two ways when it came to money. You either spent it as soon as you got it on crap or you waited and saved for something good. Every kid was that way. You found a dollar? Let’s blow it on baseball cards. Or maybe you’ll save for a baseball glove. It was pretty much one or the other. And I think NBA general managers are the exact same way.
Some get a little cap room and can’t wait to blow it on some “big name” free agent. Doesn’t matter who’s out there or what could come available, if money is in the pocket, it’s getting spent. Others get some cap room, take a look at the options and just say pass. And obviously, it appears Sam Presti is the kid putting the dollar in his pocket. But with something like $10 million in cap room and free agents still out there, some folks are 
wondering why Oklahoma City isn’t getting into the game. Why isn’t OKC going after Lamar Odom? Why didn’t the Thunder press harder for Paul Millsap? What about guys like David Lee and Ramon Sessions? Why is Presti holding his cards?
It’s simple: Because he’s freaking smart.
If there’s one thing that sets a franchise back, it’s frivolous spending. Five years, $53 million for 30-year-old Hedo Turkoglu? Five years, $55 million for Ben Gordon? Four years, $20 million for Jarrett Jack? The full mid-level exception for Marcin Gortat? Those type of signings are so hit and miss that they’re almost not worth it. Sure they could improve your squad, but is the risk worth the reward? And when you’re running a low risk, high reward franchise like Presti, it’s easier to pass on those deals than you think. There is no sense in spending money just because you have it. Other teams can do that. Presti and the Thunder can’t. Read more…
Commentary
Free Agency
And now for the next trick. But don’t worry, I don’t think free agency is near as stressful and draft time. Especially when you’re a team that’s got very specific needs and the market doesn’t have a whole lot of drop-everything-and-sign-him type of players. So what’s the plan for free agency?
Sam Presti isn’t looking for the quick fix. He’s still looking to build long term. Which is something you may not appreciate next year, but you will in five. Reader Chas said it perfectly: “One playoff run is nothing compared to 8-10 stellar seasons where we are always in contention.” I think Presti and Co. have that exact same mindset. There’s no pressure to win and win big now. Everyone knows it’s a process and this organization is in no huge hurry. Which is a smart way to build.
The free agency signing period starts at midnight and with a little money in the piggy bank, some feel like this is a chance for Sam Presti to prove his worth again. There’s some good players out there that are looking to get paid – Trevor Ariza, Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap, Lamar Odom, Hedo Turkoglu, Ben Gordon. There’s not a ton of top-tier talent, but there’s enough to pay attention to.
But I’m not so sure Presti will be doing much of anything. I’m sure he’s got his eye on a few players, but right now, he could live with the current roster. Of course it could and should be improved, but Presti appears to be the type of guy that likes to do that through the draft and through smart, sensible trades. Look at his summer free agent signing history:
- Signed guard C.J. Miles to an offer sheet.
That’s it. That’s all he’s done in summer free agency in two years as GM. Now he’s pulled a bunch of small signings like Chris Alexander and Derrick Byers for training camp, signing Kyle Weaver, inking guys like Eddie Gill and Ronald Dupree for 10 days and also of course signing Nenad Krstic last winter. But he’s not the type of GM that’s shown to jump into free agent waters and make a big splash. At least not yet. Read more…
Commentary
Free Agency
