OKC Thunder 2016 off-season news

[Teo9969]

Yes, Horford would start at PF.

And Kanter is on a marketable contract and would probably bring back a protected draft pick. Mosgov is making about the same money and is about equally or more flawed (though in other ways).

[Urbanized]

..If he "leaves money on the table" and takes a 5-year max with OKC right now, that's much easier to avoid, especially if it brings Horford in.

I saw a breakdown the other day that shows the difference between signing a 5 year max deal today or instead doing the two year deal with player option and then signing a five year as a ten year player under new cap works out to upwards of $80 million to KD's personal bottom line.

Hoping someone will leave a few million here or there to make it easier to put pieces around him? Perfectly reasonable. Expecting someone to forgo many tens of millions...generational family wealth? It's a reality disconnect.

It is so incredibly ridiculous and far-fetched that he would do that. Why are we even talking about the possibility? It's nonsensical. And honestly, pretty disrespectful to the player to expect for him to think like that.

[Teo9969]

Look, I don't want him to take less for OKC's sake specifically. I want him to be able to win multiple championships, because his legacy and his post-retirement income are greatly affected by the number he tallies in that singular category.

If he takes the 1+1 and does the full 5-year, 35% max in 2017, I wouldn't fault him remotely. I have ZERO expectation for him to take less than the max and if I were him, with his talent I'd probably do the same.

[Jake]

Horford signing with the Celtics is concerning.

[Bill Robertson]

Horford signing with the Celtics is concerning.

I guess we'll see how true the rumor is that KD really wants to play with Horford.

[Throckmorton]

Welp.

[Jake]

RIP title window. (

[dankrutka]

Tough day for OKC. This makes it very unlikely Westbrook stays too... If that's the case I wouldn't be surprised to see the Thunder trade Westbrook to get value.


We may have seen the best era of OKC basketball just pass us by... Getting superstars in the NBA is incredibly hard.

[kswright29]

Gone to the Warriors. Just my opinion, but this is the most chickens**t route he could have taken. He'll certainly get a ring there so I guess that's what is most important to him.

[Jake]

Good test to see how well the fans support the team. The Thunder are in rebuild mode now.

[Laramie]

Kevin Durant:

The Next Chapter

.

[Throckmorton]

Thanks, Laramie. That's terrific.

[Pete]

KD going to Golden State is pretty much an admission his part that he knew the only way he could win a championship is to do it with a team that doesn't need him to accomplish that goal.

He will probably win a title or two with Golden State but then again, so could I.


I'm really surprised with this choice. He may get his ring but he'll never, ever get credit nor should he.

Thought he was a different kind of person.

[Laramie]

Tough day for OKC. This makes it very unlikely Westbrook stays too... If that's the case I wouldn't be surprised to see the Thunder trade Westbrook to get value.


We may have seen the best era of OKC basketball just pass us by... Getting superstars in the NBA is incredibly hard.

Oh, so true . . . . . . and the truth hurts.

Durant, you're not the best player in the NBA. You will sit 'cock' between Curry & Thompson in the back seat while Draymond Green drives Miss Daisy.

This leads me to believe that his performance against the Golden State Warriors in the playoffs (last 3 games were the worst performances in his career) may have been why we lost.

What do we get in turn for Durant, or did we wait to late to get any value for him?

[jn1780]

Might as well close KDs now until it gets rebranded. I predict a sharp downturn in traffic starting tonight.

[TU 'cane]

Emotions are of course high right now, but here's what's going through my mind:

-Surprised he made this decision. I'm not particularly mad at him, but severely disappointed. He's a ring chaser and is going to where he thinks he can ride to one. OKC was one game away from the Finals... It seems to me he doesn't want to be the face of the franchise.

-I don't see him coming back like LBJ did to Cleveland. KD will stay in GS or he'll float around.

-OKC's window is practically gone in the short term. It'll take a LOT to happen for a Westbrook led Thunder to make a similar push like this season.

-Don't care what anyone says, a lot of people in Seattle are spiteful trash who make it personal against OKC and the people of Oklahoma. They can't even keep it civil or purely sports related. What am I talking about? Just peruse the comment boards of these stories...

-Really bummed out.

Edit:

-I'll be rooting for practically every other team in the West and the NBA (besides the Thunder) against GSW, naturally. LBJ's decision to go to Miami doesn't look near as bad as this...

[OkiePoke]

How much money and how many years?

[Pete]

He's a ring chaser and is going to where he thinks he can ride to one. OKC was one game away from the Finals... It seems to me he doesn't want to be the face of the franchise.

The irony is that he played one of the worst games of his career in that Game 6 when we could have and should have closed out that series with the Warriors and made history after eliminating two of the top 5 NBA teams in terms of reg season records -- back to back!

But no, he played horrible the whole game then really lost at towards the end and now he's basically admitting to the world that he's not good enough to win a championship and that he can only win one by riding coattails, not leading.

That will be his legacy now, and not just with OKC fans.

[dankrutka]

The most depressing thing is that this won't go away... This Warriors team could be the greatest team in sports history. Seriously. I could see them winning the championship every year barring injury... And they could win a title even with an injury to their big 4.

I predict OKC tears it down and trades Westbrook unless he commits to a long term extension... which I doubt he will. Really sucks.

[warreng88]

How much money and how many years?

Two years, $54 million. One year option.

[OkiePoke]

KD signed a 2 year contract. He becomes an UFA after that. He didn't align himself with WB contract, so that ship has sailed.

Looks like we are going to be a Memphis style team from 5 years ago. Stache bros it is.

[Paseofreak]

How quickly can you get me a "Russell's Place" sign? I'll only need it for a year.

[OkiePoke]

What does Presti do?

OKC has a lot of cap space now, but anyone who wants to win a title will go to the East.

Keep WB? Get some young players to contend in 2 years? WB most likely won't resign. I doubt WB would do what KD just did though.

[TU 'cane]

The irony is that he played one of the worst games of his career in that Game 6 when we could have and should have closed out that series with the Warriors and made history after eliminating two of the top 5 NBA teams in terms of reg season records -- back to back!

But no, he played horrible the whole game then really lost at towards the end and now he's basically admitting to the world that he's not good enough to win a championship and that he can only win one by riding coattails, not leading.

That will be his legacy now, and not just with OKC fans.

I know, and it makes it that much harder to accept. Makes you wonder...
Anyway, I wonder if his sponsorships had any say with this decision. I read an article a while back that said companies like Nike would obviously prefer for KD to leave to a larger market.

The most depressing thing is that this won't go away... This Warriors team could be the greatest team in sports history. Seriously. I could see them winning the championship every year barring injury... And they could win a title even with an injury to their big 4.

I predict OKC tears it down and trades Westbrook unless he commits to a long term extension... which I doubt he will. Really sucks.

Presti needs to start from scratch ASAP in that case. Westbrook won't stay. He won't. There's no reason for him to and we all know he's been a West Coast kid his whole life. Time to double down on everything quick and not let it drag out. Rebuilding takes a few seasons.

[Jake]

Welcome to professional sports, guys.