OKC Thunder 2014 - 2015

[s00nr1]

Harden 2.0 minus the elite talent.

[dankrutka]

Harden 2.0 minus the elite talent.

Reggie is a very good player. If he leaves next summer the Thunder have no one to replace him. It'd be a big problem.

[dcsooner]

Reggie is a very good player. If he leaves next summer the Thunder have no one to replace him. It'd be a big problem.

The Thunder may turn into a catch (sign, groom) and release team. Something to this small market team stuff?

[gopokes88]

Reggie is a very good player. If he leaves next summer the Thunder have no one to replace him. It'd be a big problem.

There's no way he'll leave for nothing. Keep in mind any contract offer he gets we can match

[Laramie]

Reggie is a very good player. If he leaves next summer the Thunder have no one to replace him. It'd be a big problem.

There's no way he'll leave for nothing. Keep in mind any contract offer he gets we can match

Fans think that we will lose Reggie in a similar standoff as we did with the Harden deal. Those who don't know Sam Presti; he's a good evaluator of a player's worth for the Thunder. We still need to get Perkins off the books to clear cap space. Hope the NBA will grant us an exception because of the injuries; allow the Thunder to pick up some players.

IMO: Reggie could probably be replaced at a quarter of what his agent will lobby for his services. The major concern with Reggie is his inability to avoid those four corner traps. This will be a problem for him if he thinks that he will become a starter for some NBA team.

There are traditional point guards out there the Thunder could secure for less than $6 - $10 million which is what Reggie's agent will seek. Reggie is not as good as Westbrook; however, he's at least twice the worth of Eric Maynor. He will have a chance to prove his worth when he returns...

[dankrutka]

Which cheaper point guards do you think could replace Reggie?

Also, there's certainly the narrative out there that our ownership is cheap (whether fair or not). If we refuse to pay Reggie I'm becoming more concerned about the Thunder brand around the league. Reputation can affect any organization in unforeseen ways.

[Urbanized]

Short-term upside: he's going to want to play out-of-his-head hoop for the next several weeks replacing Russ, in an attempt to play his way into a bigger deal. He has the stage; let's see him prove his worth. If he does that he might help save THIS season.

Right now, I only care about '14-'15. If we can hold it together enough to make the playoffs and everyone is healthy when we get there, I still really like the Thunder's chances. Miss this season's window and I think the chances of retaining KD and/or Russ on their next contracts becomes more remote. I'd hate to lose Reggie, but that doesn't get a sniff of losing one or both of those guys.

[Jim Kyle]

Reggie is a very good player. If he leaves next summer the Thunder have no one to replace him. It'd be a big problem.

It wouldn't be hard to find another equally fragile to keep the injured list populated.

[Laramie]

Which cheaper point guards do you think could replace Reggie?

Also, there's certainly the narrative out there that our ownership is cheap (whether fair or not). If we refuse to pay Reggie I'm becoming more concerned about the Thunder brand around the league. Reputation can affect any organization in unforeseen ways.

2015-2016 NBA Point Guard Free Agent Tracker

We'll find out if our ownership is 'cheap.' Their main focus will be to retain Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Jackson & Adams. Where does Jackson fall as a priority?

[OSUMom]

Just close your eyes and imagine how last year would have gone with Jones and Perkins playing like they did tonight.

Perkins. Got. 17. Points. Let that sink in awhile.

Tweet of the night goes to Anthony Slater: Three straight post-up scores for Kendrick Perkins!! Thunder fan behind me "Give it to Perk!! Give him the ball!!"

[Mel]

Thank you Thunder! I like it when the Thunder play the 'peake. You can feel the energy coming through the TV.

[Bellaboo]

A big advantage for us is when we get KD back, PJ3 and Perk will destroy most opponents second units. This team will be much better than last year.

[theparkman81]

I was at the game, the boys played good, crowd was awesome, a great win.

[Laramie]

Despite the injuries; if we can maintain the mindset with the aggressive play of our last game, the Thunder should become a much better 'battle-tested' team down the road. Thunder were able to close-out Denver when the Nuggets took a momentum swing.

"Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.

[OSUMom]

I swear though, going down the stretch I was about ready to run out on the court and pull Telfair off myself. Suddenly he decided to start taking shots. I think 3 possessions in a row he chunked up misses, right when Denver was getting hot on the 3 point line.

[PWitty]

Which cheaper point guards do you think could replace Reggie?

Also, there's certainly the narrative out there that our ownership is cheap (whether fair or not). If we refuse to pay Reggie I'm becoming more concerned about the Thunder brand around the league. Reputation can affect any organization in unforeseen ways.

Why? If a guy comes out and says he wants to be a starter and is unhappy being a backup, then why would we lock up a large portion of cash to keep him on the team as a backup? If the guy wants to be a starter that badly then he is only going to be a negative influence on team-chemistry with his attitude.

[dankrutka]

Why? If a guy comes out and says he wants to be a starter and is unhappy being a backup, then why would we lock up a large portion of cash to keep him on the team as a backup? If the guy wants to be a starter that badly then he is only going to be a negative influence on team-chemistry with his attitude.

First, I'm not agreeing with the narrative. I'm just saying it's there. Most people don't pay close enough attention to see Reggie's comments. All they'll notice is that the Thunder let another play leave. Why? Because they're cheap. I disagree with that logic, but it's there largely because Harden wasn't re-signed for a few million dollars a year.

Second, I don't think Reggie will be a negative influence if we end up re-signing. He's being honest what he wants, but he's always been a professional. If he re-signs I think that will continue. I appreciate Reggie being honest and not just telling people what they want to hear (see Harden's lipservice about "sacrifice").

[dankrutka]

A big advantage for us is when we get KD back, PJ3 and Perk will destroy most opponents second units. This team will be much better than last year.

I think PJIII's play could really help him carve out a long term role in the rotation. Hes been fantastic these last two games.

Having said that, Perk will not be destroying team's second units. He was great last night, but it was an aberration. Glad to see him play well though.

[SoonerDave]

Why? If a guy comes out and says he wants to be a starter and is unhappy being a backup, then why would we lock up a large portion of cash to keep him on the team as a backup? If the guy wants to be a starter that badly then he is only going to be a negative influence on team-chemistry with his attitude.

I'm a complete, self-admitted basketball dummy, so all I know is what I see. And I see a guy who wants to be a big-time offensive star who doesn't care a bit about defense. The few times I've watched him in person, he's *clueless*. Lost. And apparently that doesn't affect some teams - but right now, the Thunder are trying as best they can to live on their presumptive defensive preoccupation, and RJ doesn't fit that mold. Never will. He doesn't want to. He wants to be a star, jack up 3's, and wait for the ball to come back, and sell the idea defense doesn't matter. But it does.

Yeah, that's probably harsh and unfair. Just how I feel - and as I said, I'm a basketball dummy, so I'm sure everything I'm saying is wrong, but all I can do is go by the eyeball test. If he doesn't want to be a team guy, that's entirely his prerogative, and it surely looks like someone else will pay what he wants. Can't blame him for that.

[OKCRT]

These owner have been banking millions in profit from this team. They need to step up and do what it takes to make this team the best it can be. OKC may be a small market but the owners are profiting like a top 10 market. Don't be fooled by this small market talk when it comes time to pay.

[PWitty]

First, I'm not agreeing with the narrative. I'm just saying it's there. Most people don't pay close enough attention to see Reggie's comments. All they'll notice is that the Thunder let another play leave. Why? Because they're cheap. I disagree with that logic, but it's there largely because Harden wasn't re-signed for a few million dollars a year.

Second, I don't think Reggie will be a negative influence if we end up re-signing. He's being honest what he wants, but he's always been a professional. If he re-signs I think that will continue. I appreciate Reggie being honest and not just telling people what they want to hear (see Harden's lipservice about "sacrifice").

I just think that if a bunch of casual everyday Thunder fans know that Reggie Jackson isn't worth $13-14 million a year, then most players and owners throughout the league know the same thing. If another owner is honestly willing to pony up that kind of coin for Reggie, and we don't match it, then props to them. I don't think anyone in the league is going to look at that situation and think we turned down the chance to match it because we're cheap. A yearly salary that high would put him around 30th in the league in compensation. He'd be in the neighborhood of John Wall and James Harden, ahead of Serge, and several million dollars ahead of other PG/SG's like Steph Curry, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holiday and Lance Stephenson.

You can't pay a backup that kind of money, I don't care who you are. Houston just let Chandler Parsons walk after they refused to match Dallas' offer sheet on him (just over $14 million), and I don't think anyone around the league is calling Houston cheap based on that move. And Parsons was one of Houston's top starters.

This is totally besides the point, but while I was looking at player salaries I couldn't help but notice that we have just over $75 million on the books for this year. Which gives us the 9th highest payroll in the league this season. So there's 21 other teams in the league who are cheaper than we are. I found that kind of funny, because like you said that narrative is there among casual NBA fans that we're a cheap franchise.

[dankrutka]

Again, the fact that people keep saying the Thunder are cheap (and lots of people are saying it... lead by Bill Simmons) makes them look at our moves through that single story. Houston, on the other hand, is seen as very willing to pay top dollar for free agents... and deservedly so. So, if Thunder do the same thing that Houston did, it could be perceived very differently. (By the way, this is the same way that stereotyping works). However it's important to note that when Houston passed on Parsons they immediately spent money and Trevor Ariza AND are already hoping to pay big bucks for that third star... What will OKC do if we don't sign Reggie? Will we spend it on someone else? I think OKC will spend above the tax to win if it finds the right deal, but we won't really know until they do it.

A couple things to consider in terms of Reggie's deal. First, with the new TV contract and the cap expected to rise significantly, you can't compare what Reggie will make against contracts negotiated before these developments. Contracts are rising. Based on similar players who have recently signed deals (see players like Kyle Lowry, Eric Bledsoe, Kemba Walker), I'd say Reggie will get between $10-13 million per year. Here's the question - if the market goes too high for Reggie, will we spend that money in other ways? Free agents aren't likely to flock to OKC so passing on Reggie could either mean overpaying for someone else or getting no one. It'll be interesting to see how it plays out.

My suspicion is that Presti and co trust Reggie as a professional and intend to match any reasonable offer for him in restricted free agency next summer, but who knows?

[OSUMom]

"My suspicion is that Presti and co trust Reggie as a professional and intend to match any reasonable offer for him in restricted free agency next summer, but who knows? "

While I have no doubt that is a true statement, the thing here is different people have a different idea of 'reasonable offer'.

[Teo9969]

Thunder can't pay free-agents what they can pay Reggie. That's the kicker.

[Bellaboo]

Per Scott Brooks, Reggie starting tonight.