Oklahoma City Thunder 2023-24 Season

[PhiAlpha]

You all keep saying next year, they WILL be great. You do understand that the basketball gods are not as forgiving. We are one major injury away from making anything. We got lucky that none of our starting 5 suffered any major injuries that sidelined them for the season. SGA, JDubb, Chet, or even Dort gets hurt, its a different season.

You are quick to forget the history that still haunts us today of a similar young Thunder team composed of KD, Russ, and Harden. After the Finals appearance they said we were destined for greatness, a dynasty for years to come. Then what happened? Harden left one year, KD get hurt the next, Russ get hurts the next and so on.

The time is now, yes you can be optimistic about the future, but I have learned to one needs to seize the opportunity now, as there might now always be a next year.

You’re talking about things that happened after that version of the Thunder’s 3rd playoff appearance (when they made the finals) and the 7th season from the beginning of that tear down/rebuild. This was the 4th season after the beginning of a rebuild and the team’s 1st playoff appearance. If on the same clock, we would still be two seasons away from a finals appearance and this team is way ahead of the 2009-2010 team that had that era’s first playoff appearance. It also has a ton more going for it in terms of overall roster, assets, cap space and draft capital.

All of that to say, yes we should make some moves in the near term to improve the team with the right pieces if they make sense but also don’t need to throw a bunch of assets away to bring in someone who may not be a good fit just for the sake of “doing something.” Regardless, all this PTSD doom talk with complete disregard for context and lack of perspective is ridiculous and really shows how little some people have paid attention since the team moved here.

[Dob Hooligan]

Really dumb. I’m glad you’re not the GM.

no way you give up that much for an an aging super star who would use up all your salary cap space and hasn’t been able to carry any team that wasn’t already the best team in the NBA when he joined. Dude has been a cancer to every locker room he’s been the leader of. Just a stupid, stupid idea for this team.

Agree with not liking a KD trade, but this is an innocent question...Where are seeing the "locker room cancer" stories? I just don't recall seeing those on the sites I visit. Hoping I can get the info. Thanks.

[PhiAlpha]

Agree with not liking a KD trade, but this is an innocent question...Where are seeing the "locker room cancer" stories? I just don't recall seeing those on the sites I visit. Hoping I can get the info. Thanks.

Everywhere he goes, there are rumors seemingly every season about him being unhappy with the situation, wanting out, etc. theres an almost constant sentiment that he isn’t ever continent with the team he’s playing for. It’s been a topic covered by media/social media multiple times, every season since his second season with the GSW. Maybe that isn’t his fault but the talk is coming from somewhere and would be hard to believe it wasn’t from him given the way things played out here and some of the things he’s said in the media.

I don’t know why anyone would want that kind of potential negative attention and influence from a declining (but still expensive) superstar who will demand the ball like he runs the team in what seems like one of the best locker rooms in the league. What an unnecessary distraction. Get a guy that fits the culture and fills a void for more than a season or two…not someone who seems to get a wandering eye at the first signs of adversity.

[Wishbone]

You guys want Durant back? lol that's a terrible idea.

[PhiAlpha]

You guys want Durant back? lol that's a terrible idea.

Agree

[Bill Robertson]

Agree

Me too. Too old. Too much we'd have to give up. Too much of a chance he'd come in with an "I'm the man" attitude and screw up the team chemistry. Really stupid idea.

[G.Walker]

The rhetoric is always "we are one player away", "we need a big", " we need one more guy". This core might not stay together forever. Trades, injuries will happen, its evident. We are no longer in " rebuild mode" we need to go for the gold these next couple seasons while we have these young players still under contract. Once their contracts are up, its not guaranteed they will resign with OKC. SGA, JDubb, and Chet will get offered a lot of money in the next few years.

With that being said, I like Donovan Mitchell, he will be a free agent. May have to package Giddey/Wiggins/Joe, and a couple first round picks to get him. But he is worth it. He as always been a small market player, coming from Utah and now Cleveland. Seems like his personality will be a good fit for this young team.

[PhiAlpha]

The rhetoric is always "we are one player away", "we need a big", " we need one more guy". This core might not stay together forever. Trades, injuries will happen, its evident. We are no longer in " rebuild mode" we need to go for the gold these next couple seasons while we have these young players still under contract. Once they become free agents, its not guarantee they will stay in OKC. SGA, JDubb, and Chet will get offered a lot of money in the next few years.

With that being said, I like Donovan Mitchell, he is a free agent. May have to package Giddey/Wiggins/Joe, and a couple first round picks to get him. But he is worth it. He as always been a small market player, coming from Utah and now Cleveland. Seems like his personality will be a good fit for this young team.

Do you understand how max contracts and bird rights work? Those 3 are going to be max players…the max means that no one else can offer them more than we can. Few if any rookies don’t sign their second contracts with their team if given a max contract (for reference, we didn’t max out harden). Chet and JDUB will not be allowed to become unrestricted free agents…they will sign the max or be traded as restricted free agents. In addition to the bird rights exception…it’s widely expected that the cap will increase significantly with the new tv rights deal. In SGA’s case, we can offer a super max contract which is more than any other team can offer him. Obviously he can choose to sign elsewhere for less like KD did but as long as we keep trying to build the team and the team is competing for the top seed, that’s unlikely to happen…regardless we have him locked up until 2027 so realistically our window is 3 seasons until contracts start remotely becoming an issue. Moves should be made, but to act like the situation is in anyway desperate is comical.

[OKCRealtor]

How about the Wolves knocking off Denver last night. Gotta get bigger or we're gonna stay 4th best in the West arms race.

[kukblue1]

Really dumb. I’m glad you’re not the GM.

no way you give up that much for an an aging super star who would use up all your salary cap space and hasn’t been able to carry any team that wasn’t already the best team in the NBA when he joined. Dude has been a cancer to every locker room he’s been the leader of. Just a stupid, stupid idea for this team.

An aging super star that still averaged 27 points a game shot 41 percent from 3. Also we can't pay all our players now. Durant money would only be 2 years than come off the book when you have to pay the big 3. Everyone says we need a big we need a 4 well that would be Durant. As far as giving up too much we have to do something will all these picks. You can't just keep drafting players we will have too many players.

I get the hate for Durant. I hate him too for what he did but damn he would be a good fit for the next 2 years for this team. Sorry he would

[PhiAlpha]

An aging super star that still averaged 27 points a game shot 41 percent from 3. Also we can't pay all our players now. Durant money would only be 2 years than come off the book when you have to pay the big 3. Everyone says we need a big we need a 4 well that would be Durant. As far as giving up too much we have to do something will all these picks. You can't just keep drafting players we will have too many players.

I get the hate for Durant. I hate him too for what he did but damn he would be a good fit for the next 2 years for this team. Sorry he would

LOL no.

[Urbanized]

You're shouting into the wind. I'm not even going to go into the circumstances behind his OKC departure. A good fit would be someone who doesn't systematically destroy the chemistry of every team he joins. The main things that made this team - as it is presently constituted - succeed beyond the expectations of almost everyone this season was chemistry and unselfishness. Hard pass. DIAMOND hard pass.

[Bill Robertson]

You're shouting into the wind. I'm not even going to go into the circumstances behind his OKC departure. A good fit would be someone who doesn't systematically destroy the chemistry of every team he joins. The main things that made this team - as it is presently constituted - succeed beyond the expectations of almost everyone this season was chemistry and unselfishness. Hard pass. DIAMOND hard pass.

It's not about hating KD. It's about him being a HORRIBLE fit on the makeup of this team. Unselfishness is the perfect word for this team. And KD, in my observation, has never been able to use that word and never will. The absolute last thing this team needs is a guy with a big ego. Whether it's KD or some other alpha male player.

[kukblue1]

It's not about hating KD. It's about him being a HORRIBLE fit on the makeup of this team. Unselfishness is the perfect word for this team. And KD, in my observation, has never been able to use that word and never will. The absolute last thing this team needs is a guy with a big ego. Whether it's KD or some other alpha male player.

So are we saying that he messed up the team chemistry of the Golden St Warriors. I think they were a pretty well established team and he didn't have any problem fitting right in. JS

[Urbanized]

It's not about hating KD. It's about him being a HORRIBLE fit on the makeup of this team. Unselfishness is the perfect word for this team. And KD, in my observation, has never been able to use that word and never will. The absolute last thing this team needs is a guy with a big ego. Whether it's KD or some other alpha male player.

And the funny thing is, KD is no alpha. He just likes to pretend that he is.

[Urbanized]

So are we saying that he messed up the team chemistry of the Golden St Warriors. I think they were a pretty well established team and he didn't have any problem fitting right in. JS

What the heck are you talking about?

https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/k...other-warriors
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/r...-with-warriors
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/w...ionship-parade
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/d...hout-you-leave
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/k...-wade-and-bosh
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/d...t-our-incident
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/k...leave-warriors
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/k...dent-under-rug
https://www.nbcsports.com/nba/news/d...aving-warriors

That's just a tiny sampling I could find in five minutes from a single source. Unbelievable revisionist history on your part.

[dankrutka]

Regarding KD, I think people are underestimating what it takes to win a title. This team as constructed is unlikely to win one. Adding talent in OKC is very hard. If you have a chance to add a top 25 player, you have to at least consider it, especially considering how well KD’s contract fits with OKC’s long term finances. He also already has a good relationship with Chet. If you have better options then great, but it could be hard for OKC could add a top 75 player. I’d also offer PG the max and see if he’d consider returning (also unlikely). Then you’d have to use assets to probably trade his contract later.

The reality is that it’s unlikely KD is available unless he is adamant to push his way out of Phoenix. So we’re probably debating an unrealistic scenario anyway. But I think Presti would pursue it if KD wanted it.

[Bill Robertson]

So are we saying that he messed up the team chemistry of the Golden St Warriors. I think they were a pretty well established team and he didn't have any problem fitting right in. JS

I can't believe you'd even ask this. You really are a KD fan. The GSW were an established team of veterans. Veterans. Curry, Greene and Thompson already had their own identities. They weren't a very young team like the Thunder. The Thunder still learning. Completely different situation.

[Urbanized]

I’m sorry, Dan, this KD talk is beyond silly.

Is he a great individual player? Absolutely. One of the best in the history of the game. But the NBA doesn’t play their games at Rucker Park.

It’s a damned shame that he’s such a poor TEAM player. And again, it’s revisionist history at the hands of KD fanboys to suggest he is what put GSW over the top. They clearly didn’t NEED Durant; they won titles with essentially the same lineup both BEFORE he arrived and AFTER he left.

Did he help? Of course he did. But what GSW mostly needed was for the Thunder to no longer be a threat to them in the west. Something he understood. He willingly participated in the destruction of what he helped build, directing trades (Ibaka) “before” his decision (which was made long before July 4), slow playing his “decision” to take the Horford free agency out of play, and trashing the organization, the fans, and most importantly former teammates in the intervening years.

Not to mention that it is arguable that he threw the series to GSW before bolting.

I think you are 100% wrong about Presti and the organization being willing to forgive and forget. For one thing, that would have to begin with contrition, which OKC will never receive from that POS.

HARD PASS!!!

[kukblue1]

So keep Giddy cause he is better than KD and fits better. Is this really what some of you are thinking. We need a 4. He is still currently one of the best 4 in the NBA

[kukblue1]

Regarding KD, I think people are underestimating what it takes to win a title. This team as constructed is unlikely to win one. Adding talent in OKC is very hard. If you have a chance to add a top 25 player, you have to at least consider it, especially considering how well KD’s contract fits with OKC’s long term finances. He also already has a good relationship with Chet. If you have better options then great, but it could be hard for OKC could add a top 75 player. I’d also offer PG the max and see if he’d consider returning (also unlikely). Then you’d have to use assets to probably trade his contract later.

The reality is that it’s unlikely KD is available unless he is adamant to push his way out of Phoenix. So we’re probably debating an unrealistic scenario anyway. But I think Presti would pursue it if KD wanted it.

Listen to the down to dunk podcast. I think KD would come back in a heartbeat I don't think the Thunder are interested .

[dankrutka]

Kevin Durant is a top 25 player in NBA history. We barely heard a negative word about KD in the next first 8 years he was with the team. He's the best player to wear a Thunder uniform. While there's no question that KD has had his issues with several teams now, he is still a great player who loves playing ball. You added a lot of speculative claims in your post that are unproven, which just shows your feelings are driving your reasoning, which is fine. But if KD could help this team get over the hump (and I think he could), Presti has to consider it.

[dankrutka]

Listen to the down to dunk podcast. I think KD would come back in a heartbeat I don't think the Thunder are interested .

I listen to every episode and they haven't ever claimed to have any sources on the topic. Maybe some general speculation, but that's it.

[dankrutka]

I'll also note that the players that KD had the biggest problems with have been Draymond Green, and Kyrie Irving, and James Harden. Not exactly three great teammates.

[Urbanized]

So keep Giddy cause he is better than KD and fits better. Is this really what some of you are thinking. We need a 4. He is still currently one of the best 4 in the NBA

Putting words into the mouths of others is a sure sign of a losing argument. Absolutely nobody here has made the statement you’re asserting, or anywhere close to that.

But if you can’t see that one of the top priorities in the off-season MUST be maintaining the team’s enviable chemistry I don’t know what to tell you. The Thunder’s next moves must be surgical. Adding a well-documented cancer to the mix wouldn’t be surgical, it would be the equivalent of taking a sledgehammer the team’s hard-won chemistry. Plus you’d lose half of the fan base. Guaranteed toxicity. PASS!