2015-16 OKC Thunder

[Throckmorton]

DailyThunder.com: Report: Jeremy Lamb traded to Hornets

According to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer, the Thunder are sending Jeremy Lamb to the Hornets in exchange for Matt Barnes’ recently acquired contract. Barnes will not be joining the Thunder.

It’s a pretty clear move to free a roster spot, likely to add whoever the 14th overall pick is tomorrow night.

So, Lamb’s career in Oklahoma City appears over. As the key piece in the James Harden deal, he never found footing with the Thunder, falling out of the rotation any time he got in it. There was expectation that he might find new life under Billy Donovan, but clearly, the Thunder are ready to move on.

[okatty]

Thunder trades Jeremy Lamb to Charlotte Hornets | News OK

[okatty]

This is breaking good for Thunder thru 10 picks....Payne might be there.

[okatty]

Suns gonna take Booker and we get Payne? Broke good for the home team!!!

[okatty]

Get on the Payne Train!!!!!

[pure]

Anyone know roughly when the schedule will be released?

[okatty]

Usually very late July or first of August I think.

[dankrutka]

Mo Cheeks added to the coaching staff after rumors for a while... A lot of head coaching experience, but who is the defensive guru on the staff?

[Bellaboo]

Mo Cheeks added to the coaching staff after rumors for a while... A lot of head coaching experience, but who is the defensive guru on the staff?

Donavon hangs his hat on the defensive side of things.

[dankrutka]

Donavon hangs his hat on the defensive side of things.

Let's hope so... I've always felt like he's more of an offensive guy.

[okatty]

As expected Luke Ridnour is no longer a Thunder player:

As of last Wednesday, Ridnour was still a member of the Orlando Magic, for whom he played last season. But since then he has become a member of four other teams. The Magic sent him to the Memphis Grizzlies, who sent him to the Charlotte Hornets, who sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who sent him to the Toronto Raptors. The last move was made Tuesday; the Thunder received the draft rights to Tomislav Zubcic, a Croatian power forward who has yet to appear in an N.B.A. game.

[dankrutka]

Story from RealGM says the Thunder will meet with Kanter tomorrow and mentioned a salary near the max. It's a lot to pay for a player who is so putrid on the defensive end, but really the Thunder are going to have to come to agreement with Kanter one way or another. Re-signing Kanter and Singler are the only real free agent options for the Thunder because of our salary cap situation.

[okatty]

Wojo tweet:

Clippers could have $30M-plus in salary cap space next summer -- and become a real threat for Kevin Durant.

[ljbab728]

And then there is this. Rumors abound at this time of the year.

NBA - Los Angeles Lakers' offseason allure still strong?

Said another executive: "The Lakers will always be a huge draw. They will be fine regardless. While losing Howard was not planned, they will still be in on anyone."

And said another executive: "They just need one big guy to go there, and the rest will follow. I expect [Russell] Westbrook and [James] Harden to join forces there when they become free. It definitely still has allure. It's still L.A., and they are still the Lakers. No free agent can question whether or not they will spend the money to win titles."

[Laramie]

You think the LaMarcus Aldridge sweepstakes are a spectacle; OKC will have to suffer through this for next 2 years (Durant 2016, Westbrook 2017).

[okatty]

And it will be suffering.

[okatty]

ESPN article on how the new salary cap impacts Thunder:

What a higher NBA salary cap means for Oklahoma City Thunder - Oklahoma City Thunder Blog - ESPN

[sooner88]

Woj reporting that Enes Kanter is in Portland preparing to sign an offer sheet with the Blazers.

[okatty]

Woj reporting that Enes Kanter is in Portland preparing to sign an offer sheet with the Blazers.

Great...get to match a max offer sheet and start triggering some serious lux tax issues. C ya P. Jones, Steve Novak and maybe others.

[sooner88]

4 year / $70mm. PJ3 / Novak and more than likely one other person (Augustin) will be gone if we want to get into the first tier of the luxury tax.

[Jake]

Please don't match.

[okatty]

Please don't match.

They are not gonna like the player option or the trade kicker. Portland really screwed em. gonna make em pay and take a tough contract. I think they will match but those non-monetary terms are not "Sam friendly".

[Laramie]

Please don't match.

Agree,

Will we let him walk?

Portland doesn't really want him; they just want to screw the Thunder...

Portland doesn't want Kanter; they want to jack up the price to make sure the Thunder are way over the CAP when the Durant & Westbrook sweepstakes come up in 2016 & 2017.

That was a Portland piss ant move to appease their fan base; we're now between a rock & a hard place.

[okatty]

If Kanter averages 15 PPG and 10 RPG he will be paid $8,048 for each point and each rebound next year. But of course you also get his stellar defense. It's a max deal now but will wane in comparison to the max deal as this continues to spiral upward. I think they match it and then start hacking away - Jones and Novak for sure. Maybe DJA or Waiters. Guess we shall know by Sunday.

[OKCretro]

This type of stunt is done all the time by teams. Portland made a smart move give them credit. I think we have to keep him at this point. Need to show Durant and Westbrook we will play with the big boys