2015-16 OKC Thunder

[Anonymous.]

I am with you, dank. It is weird how many people are wanting to trade Serge to MN for the #5.

I sure hope this doesn't mean KD has told them he is outta here, and this is basically the beginning of making way for the future of the franchise.

We most definitely want to keep Kanter and Adams, IMO. But paying Kanter, Adams, and Ibaka is asking way too much if you keep KD and Russ on board. So one of these things is definitely not happening.

In other words, welcome back Harden!

[Jake]

Done deal. Ibaka is gone.

[dankrutka]

And I'll point out that I'll take Serge over Kanter every day for this Thunder team, but there are other factors besides on court play concerning contracts and such...

[Thomas Vu]

I'm one of those people that are okay with Serge being gone. OKC won this deal on paper. In almost every tangible category Kanter was getting Serge numbers with half of the minutes.

[dankrutka]

I'm one of those people that are okay with Serge being gone. OKC won this deal on paper. In almost every tangible category Kanter was getting Serge numbers with half of the minutes.

Except that Serge is a huge positive defensively and very efficient offensively. Kanter is only the latter. I'm okay with this deal generally because Oladipo brings a lot to the table, but Serge is a far superior player to Kanter. Kanter made some nice strides going from being the worst defensive center in the league to just bad this season. But there's a reason (defense) that Kanter plays limited minutes and barely played at all in the biggest series of the season. If Kanter's minutes go way up then that's not a good thing for OKC, especially now that Serge isn't there to cover Kanter's defensive mistakes.

[chuck5815]

Except that Serge is a huge positive defensively and very efficient offensively. Kanter is only the latter. I'm okay with this deal generally because Oladipo brings a lot to the table, but Serge is a far superior player to Kanter. Kanter made some nice strides going from being the worst defensive center in the league to just bad this season. But there's a reason (defense) that Kanter plays limited minutes and barely played at all in the biggest series of the season. If Kanter's minutes go way up then that's not a good thing for OKC, especially now that Serge isn't there to cover Kanter's defensive mistakes.

i'm not sure if defense will even matter next year. if OKC manages to keep durant, how many teams will be able to outscore the law firm of westbrook, oladipo, durant, kanter, and adams?

[AP]

I am with you, dank.

hahaha I love that

[Laramie]

Oladipo will play a different role with the Thunder as a facilitator--he knows the court (penetrate & break down the defense) and spacing along with his high energy, hustle & persistent. Definitely an insurance piece in case we lose Waiters.

[AP]

I would take Oladipo over Waiters personally. He's more consistent and his per 36 numbers are higher across the board and he's a year younger.

[sooner88]

I think this was an absolute steal for the Thunder. We traded ~$12mm in 2016/2017 salary for 3 players that are paid roughly the same amount in total, got a #2 pick and #11 pick, all for a player that was more than likely going to walk next year. Oladipo / RW and KD together will be a nightmare.

[Anonymous.]

Some people are saying this means KD is out. But the ones who seem a little more NBA savvy, are saying it means he stays. I am in the stay group, this looks like KD is giving Presti another shot to get back to the Finals and this trade could be huge in improving our regular season record.

Just imagine if that game 7 of the WCF was in OKC instead... We may be cleaning up a parade this week.

[sooner88]

I don't think this trade was made based off of a KD decision. It helped to improve the team regardless if he stays or not.

[Anonymous.]

I don't think this trade was made based off of a KD decision. It helped to improve the team regardless if he stays or not.

I mean, I agree it makes the team better.

But let's be honest, every move Presti is making right now is to keep KD and RW - which just also happens to be moves to improve the team. Weird how that works, eh?

[Bellaboo]

KD stays, he and Oladipo are good friends from the DC area. Great move by Presti, we pick up a another back court 2-way player. Great for small ball lineup.

[sooner88]

Didn't get a picture, but Devon had "Stay" lit up in blue last night.

[chuck5815]

Didn't get a picture, but Devon had "Stay" lit up in blue last night.

Was that for Kevin Durant or Great Britain?

[Teo9969]

So here's my question: Assuming KD leaves, If you're in a position where you believe the right move is to trade Westbrook because you feel like you're not going to get him to re-sign, what about this?:

To CHI for:

Jimmy Butler
2017 SAC 1st
2017 CHI 1st
2018 CHI 1st
2019 CHI 2nd
and something else (maybe just cash)

Is that an acceptable haul for Westbrook in a contract season?

[sooner88]

Was that for Kevin Durant or Great Britain?

Haha I assume KD.

[Teo9969]

As far as this trade, I don't think Presti knows what KD is doing, and I don't think he asked him about the trade. I do think throughout the year and at the end of the season he sat down with KD and RW and asked them 2 questions:

1. Do you believe with the addition of Adams as a core member of this roster and with your skill sets that our philosophy needs to shift (back) to a stronger back court?

2. Do you believe with Adam's emergence that Ibaka is still a core piece?

From there he went to work and did exactly what you needed to do if you were going to trade Ibaka: Get that elusive 3&D guy AND find a suitable replacement at the 4 that won't ruin you. It seems he did that while grabbing an extra lottery pick that make the front-court more sustainable over time.

I believe that if KD stays, we do everything we can to keep Waiters (hopefully he doesn't sign an offer sheet early), and if KD goes, Waiters is definitely gone (sign and trade most likely)

[Laramie]

This decision wasn't about Serge personally. It was more about the future signing of Durant, Westbrook & Adams. Our ownership is hesitate to exceed the Salary CAP as many of you have pointed out.

Thunder had to make room for future signings. The salary CAP should increase over the next few seasons; this should allow the Thunder more flexibility to surround the core players with personnel needed to get us to that next level.

Ibaka's defensive numbers took a slight dive when he started playing more toward the 3 point line perimeter. Sure, he became a better 3-point shooter; however, we needed him on defense.

[Laramie]

As far as this trade, I don't think Presti knows what KD is doing, and I don't think he asked him about the trade. I do think throughout the year and at the end of the season he sat down with KD and RW and asked them 2 questions:

1. Do you believe with the addition of Adams as a core member of this roster and with your skill sets that our philosophy needs to shift (back) to a stronger back court?

2. Do you believe with Adam's emergence that Ibaka is still a core piece?

From there he went to work and did exactly what you needed to do if you were going to trade Ibaka: Get that elusive 3&D guy AND find a suitable replacement at the 4 that won't ruin you. It seems he did that while grabbing an extra lottery pick that make the front-court more sustainable over time.

I believe that if KD stays, we do everything we can to keep Waiters (hopefully he doesn't sign an offer sheet early), and if KD goes, Waiters is definitely gone (sign and trade most likely)

Good observation on Presti's strategy.

[Bullbear]

Some people are saying this means KD is out. But the ones who seem a little more NBA savvy, are saying it means he stays. I am in the stay group, this looks like KD is giving Presti another shot to get back to the Finals and this trade could be huge in improving our regular season record.

Just imagine if that game 7 of the WCF was in OKC instead... We may be cleaning up a parade this week.

I say it means it is looking good for him staying. I will miss Ibaka but it was a good trade for OKC. frees up some money as well in the budget for a good offer to KD.

[sooner88]

I say it means it is looking good for him staying. I will miss Ibaka but it was a good trade for OKC. frees up some money as well in the budget for a good offer to KD.

We'll be paying ~$7mm more next year after the trade, assuming we sign Sobanis to the rookie contract and keep Illyasova. But great value for a player that was more than likely leaving after next year.

[Teo9969]

We'll be paying ~$7mm more next year after the trade, assuming we sign Sobanis to the rookie contract and keep Illyasova. But great value for a player that was more than likely leaving after next year.

$7M? Sabonis highest contract is $2.44M and $2.60M was the increase from Dipo+Ilyasova. That's only $5.04M and we got 3 players for 1, helping us fill places in our roster that probably would have cost at least $2M to fill with vet mins.

[sooner88]

$7M? Sabonis highest contract is $2.44M and $2.60M was the increase from Dipo+Ilyasova. That's only $5.04M and we got 3 players for 1, helping us fill places in our roster that probably would have cost at least $2M to fill with vet mins.

Yep, I was off on the rookie contract... Looked at the wrong pick.