Boy this speculation is driving me nuts. Now Darnell Mayberry is on the Blake Griffin trade wagon: “That would make 
Rubio available to the Thunder at No. 3 and open the door for a swap with the Clippers for Griffin. And you can forget about packaging Jeff Green or Russell Westbrook to land Griffin, although any potential negotiating by L.A. is sure to start there. But Thunder general manager Sam Presti likely wouldn’t part with Green or Westbrook and the No. 3, and history suggests he might not have to. Let’s revisit the 1993 draft. There was a power forward named Chris Webber who declared following his sophomore season. He was the consensus No. 1 pick out of Michigan and went first overall to the Orlando Magic. A point guard prodigy named Anfernee “Penny” Hardaway was also available. The Golden State Warriors were able to select him third overall only because the Philadelphia 76ers, with the No. 2 pick, went gaga over a 7-foot-5 center out of BYU named Shawn Bradley. The Magic and Warriors swapped selections, with Golden State also giving up three future first-round picks for Webber’s services. The Thunder sits in position to do the same with two potential lottery picks to offer next year, its own and Phoenix’s. OKC could also throw in its 2011 first-round pick and still avoid mortgaging its future by building a core that includes Westbrook, Green, Griffin and Kevin Durant.”
You know, all that doesn’t sound that far-fetched. If Sam Presti can somehow move to get Blake Griffin, while not giving up a piece of the core, then consider him a wizard. If things go as planned, next year’s and the year after that’s first round picks shouldn’t be all that valuable. In fact, Phoenix’s pick might be the most valuable of all. This next month is going to be fun – or torture, depending on your perspective.
OKC has reportedly worked out Vladamir Dasic, and 48 Minutes of Hell looks at the intriguing prospect: “Vladimir Dasic’s reported skill set makes my head spin. A basic report would tell us that Dasic is a 6′10 combo forward with legit 3 skills. DX has him at 225 lbs, but I’ve been told he is closer to 240. He has three point potential, looks comfortable on the perimeter, and can create his own shot. Good, good and good.”
Rumors and Rants has “NBA: Homegrown Edition” and let me tell you, OKC stinks: “Unfortunately for the Thunder, Blake Griffin isn’t walking through that door – at least not yet. Heck, screw Blake Griffin, Stewie Griffin could start on this team. Oklahoma City will struggle. Evidence of that is the re-emergence of Bryant “Big Country” Reeves, who I’m sure looks a little something like Jabba The Hut these days. Relying on Shelden Williams, Wayne Simien and Ryan Humphrey in the frontcourt is suicidal. Azubuike provides nice athleticism and grit and Brandon Rush is an emerging talent, but there’s no sugarcoating it. Oklahoma City sucks.”
Yet another take on the Thunder’s draft prospects: “With the third pick in this draft they’ll most likely try to fill one of their two weakest positions of SG or C. James Harden and Hasheem Thabeet are the top prospects at those positions. At this point most draft experts, including myself, have Thabeet going to Oklahoma City. He’s the perfect fit for their team and I don’t see how they could pass on him if Memphis ends up taking Rubio. The Thunder have an extremely small front court, but the addition of Thabeet will be able to make up for some of Jeff Green’s lack of size at power forward. At this point Thabeet’s only NBA ready skills are his shot blocking and rebounding, and that’s all Oklahoma City will need him to do. Kevin Durant is on his way to becoming an NBA star with his second and third options (Westbrook and Green) already beside him. Thabeet would be the perfect role player to come in and help this team gel together.”
The JaVale McGee rumors appear to be false – maybe: “I told you guys yesterday not to get too alarmed over the JaVale McGee rumor on ESPN.com. I spoke to someone in the know who told me that there was “absolutely nothing at all” to infer from Chad Ford’s item that Oklahoma City and the Wizards discussed a swap of the No. 3 pick for the No. 5 pick and McGee. It’s understandable that teams would be interested in McGee, with his long arms, highlight reel dunks and oodles of potential. It’s also not unusual for teams to make inquiries about the availability of players this time of year. But the Wizards aren’t looking to move McGee. They are still high on him, encouraged by his potential and upside, and expect him to blossom into a star with this organization. So you JaVale Junkies can relax – for now.”
Truth About It on the rumor: “Would Thabeet even be an upgrade over JaVale McGee? Doubt it. Thabeet hasn’t been playing organized ball for that long versus McGee, whose baby carriage used to rest courtside while his mom played pro ball; The two can be similar defensive players with the caveat that McGee gains more weight/muscle (although JaVale may always be more finesse); and McGee, even with a long way to go, is leaps and bounds beyond Thabeet in offensive ability.”
Mike Moreau of HoopsWorld sees the playoffs in OKC sooner than later: “One of those teams is the Oklahoma City Thunder, and after spending four days as a guest coach at their free agent mini-camp this past week, I can say this with complete confidence: The playoffs are coming to Oklahoma City. Maybe not next year, or even the year after, but they are coming. How do I know that? Because when I got off the plane in OKC, Judy was right there at baggage claim to meet me. When I walked outside, Wilson was waiting with the van to take me to my hotel. How do I know the playoffs are coming to Oklahoma City? Because when I got to the hotel, I was given all of the information I needed for mini-camp, complete with a personalized daily itinerary with my name on it, right next to a color Thunder logo. I was also given a Thunder equipment bag with not only enough gear for five practice sessions over the next three days, but also an extra shirt to wear on the plane going home. So what ? What does this have to do with making the playoffs? Everything. Because the same attention to detail they gave to me as a guest coach is the same attention to detail they gave the players in the camp, from giving the players a financial seminar to providing massages after practice. And keep in mind that most of these players won’t even get an invite to their summer league team, much less have a chance to make their roster and help them win games.”
Draft Express has OKC now passing on Ricky Rubio and taking James Harden at three, with Memphis taking Thabeet at two. NBADraft.net still has the Thunder taking Thabeet.
More trade speculation, this time from Sactown Royalty: “The #4 and #23 pick and Donté Greene to OKC for the #3 and #25 pick. This is providing that Rubio is still there at #3, of course. The Thunder move up a couple slots later in the 1st round and land Greene at the low price of $870,000, and still get whomever they would have selected at #3. The Kings get their man, and retain a latter 1st round pick. I would be willing to keep Greene and let them keep their #25 pick if that was OKC’s preference.” Umm, no thanks.
Via Kevin Durant’s Twitter, Russell Westbrook is evidently on there too: Now as soon as we get Nick Collison and Robert Swift’s, we’ll be set. Walking to the mall… ah! My ankle! (Update: Also, Thabo appears to be Twittering.)
The Ford Center’s upgrades are underway: And whoever is doing the masonry for it better do a good job. Oh wait, my dad’s company is. So I’m sure he will. Go dad.
Bill Simmons on Durant and Oden (again): “We’re getting there with Oden. Look how well Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah played in the 2009 postseason. Look how much Rajon Rondo grew from Season 1 to Season 3. Look at some of the beauties Durant had this season; same for Kevin Love or Brook Lopez, or even Russell Westbrook. If you’re headed toward greatness, or even goodness, you’re going to show us flashes of your ultimate destiny in your embryonic years. That’s just the law. You can’t go from “I am doing nothing” to “I’m an All-Star!” unless you’re Jamaal Magloire (who immediately went back to nothing). It’s a series of baby steps. And through two seasons, Oden has shown nothing other than a remarkable ability to suffer bad luck with injuries and draw empathy from his fans. I don’t know what else to say. If he’s good, let’s see it. We could always use more blue-chippers. But he hasn’t even shown hints of flashes. It’s been a full-fledged blackout for two seasons. When you’re clumsy, you’re clumsy. We should have seen something by now. Just remember the lessons of the Darko era. After a while, it stops being an accident.”
Ian Thompson on the Rubio situation: “I saw Rubio in Spain last week for an upcoming story in Sports Illustrated. During an extended interview at their home, his parents said Rubio would take his name out of the draft to avoid landing with a “bad” franchise — one that offers a negative future to their son. Is Memphis, which holds the No. 2 pick in the June 25 draft, one of those “bad” teams? The Grizzlies play in a small market with little support; they’ve slashed payroll and — as the Rubio family knows well — they gave away fellow Spaniard Pau Gasol in a controversial salary dump to the Lakers. (In all fairness, the dynamics of that Gasol deal are likely to be duplicated many more times this summer by other teams needing to reduce payroll. The Grizzlies merely were ahead of the curve.)” Wouldn’t the Clippers be the ultimate “bad franchise”? Tough to know what they mean there…
A new Rubio mixtape: “You already know that the hype is crazy about this kid, but truly how good is Ricky Rubio? Some see him as a franchise PG, others as the definite second pick in the Draft, others still have no clue. Check out the latest Rubio mixtape dubbed, “Un Futuro NBA” a.k.a. “The Future of the NBA” and let us know what you think.”
@SoundGuy
Desmond in the booth is PERFECT.
Pinto is great at his job - I've been listening to him since he was TV play by play for the Mavs several years back . . .
I enjoy reading Royce's articles and the discussions. Here's another take on Rubio. I begin by asking myself why Sacramento and not Memphis or OKC. The answer: He can be THE MAN in Sac-town. In OKC, he will be the #3 - #4 player on the team and he will never be the face of the franchise. Ditto Memphis - they are probably going to focus their promo energies on O. J., although he would be higher in the player food chain than he would be in a Thunder uniform. If you are Rubio's agent, you want to maximize his earnings potential as he must pay the Euro buy-out clause. I don't interpret anything the Rubio camp is saying as "anti-OKC". It's all about the money$$$
I agree with the thread concerning the sorry state of local sports talk RE: NBA. As an individual cursed with a long memory, I must remind you that The Sports Animal totally ignored the Hornets during Year 1 of their relocation. Here is a pro sports franchise...in OKC...and they act like there is indeed no 800 lb. gorilla sitting in the living room. No pre-game show. No post-game show. No reporter in the locker room. In year 2, I think they did a couple of weekly call-in shows. Their current coverage is pit-i-ful. But, we are stuck with them for post-game (which is when I tune them in while driving home from games). Let's give some credit to Matt Pinto, who seems to be a good play-by-play radio announcer. He is also doing an occasional call-in show with Traber, which is definitely worth listening to.
Finally, when Desmond retires, I think he is a natural for either the TV or Radio team.
@Vega
agreed but I don't know that you have to crazy overpay for Gortat
Gortat is a darn solid big, but I'd rather try to get a Biedrins or Okafor before overpaying for the Polish Hammer's services.
Just an article involving Gortat and Orlando's salary issues:
http://www.orlandomagicdaily.com/?p=222&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1
I will take Gortat right now...PERIOD...
Have you seen him make a busted play yet?
@Royce
I'm literally speechless at the moment.
I'm just thinking Chummy was Al Eschbach and he was considering using the tattoo column on the radio but was confused by the legitimacy of it.
The fact that someone actually took that tattoo column as a serious evaluation of talent means I have won. I have won the Internet.
@chummy
Somewhere in high school they teach you how to look at the chart title and legend to infer meaning. So when the chart title says "Thunder Tattoo Continuum", you know that it has nothing at all to do with the Denver Nuggets.
Don't worry though, once you get to high school, you'll figure it all out.
chummy you are seriously thinking that tattoo article is serious?
HAHAHAHA! Hmmmmmmm.... you can't stand a filler joke column while OUR team has no hopes for post season play and you feel that Earl doesn't deserve some bashing... excuse if I'm not surprised that the rest of us don't take your comment too seriously.
wow - chummy, are you kidding? Even if you dislike the tattoo story, what about the other hundred??? And by the way, the Nuggets have lost at least one game for being stupid . . . what more do you want?
The truth is, Mr. Royce here doesn't know a whole helluva lot about the NBA either. That tattoo column is one of the dumbest things I've ever read. Especially with the way the Nugs are playing. And whats the deal with the Earl Watson hate?
Clark Matthews :
I’m not sure why media types keep lumping Oklahoma City in with Memphis as a destination Rubio would struggle to land in. The Thunder are considered a team on the rise with great fan support, while Memphis is still a mess without much prospect of improvement. Plus, there is not nearly enough mention of how poorly the Grizzlies have done ingratiating themselves to the country of Spain. They failed with not only Pau, but also Juan Carlos Navarro, and I doubt Marc Gasol is singing their praises while he watches O.J. Mayo jacking up thirty shots a game from the point guard position.
I'm totally with you here. I don't think the media knows what to make of Rubio's "bad situation" comments (or that of his mother's at least). I think some are taking that as small market talk and some are taking it as bad franchise talk. I don't really buy any of it because every NBA franchise - no matter how bad it may be - is bigger than Ricky Rubio.
@Kev
BBJ can talk to you about the Celtics. He get's their roster correct at least. I do everything within my power to keep Craig Humphrey's voice from ever reaching my ears, so maybe he's the other basketball fan. I can honestly say that I have no idea who Brandon Rush is. If he's a host, he's not one I know of. But outside of those potential three, I'm not even sure there is a host who watches games other than the Thunder (and I'm not sure all of them even watch Thunder games).
I'm not counting on them getting any better. Besides, even if the hosts did know more about basketball than they let on, they're probably worn thin from years of calls from dullbrains all over calling in with stupid crap. (Wow. I really wish I could curse on this site). If I were a host on the show, and I got the 43rd call in a row about trading for Blake Griffin, I'd just give up and drone out like the rest of them do.
@Nix
I can't be asked to sit through Craig Humphrey's in order to listen to the post game and caller comments. Half the callers talk about the energy in the crowd. Ok. Next? The other half of the callers talk about the same performance the last guy mentioned. Lame. Plus, you have to endure Craig's oddball perspective on the game, and how Krstic is the game's MVP for his hustle on that one play where the tide seemed to turn for a bit and the Thunder had momentum for that one stretch there in the 3rd quarter. Nevermind Durant's 35 points and Krstic's 1-13 shooting.
THEN there's Craig's delivery. Only 4 words are needed to describe how bad it is. Boom goes the dynamite. That's Craig Humphreys.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
you make good points, BUT how hard is it to watch the same games we do?? You can tell that the majority of them don't. Sorry, but if you're going to talk NBA for an hour or two, you should know The Lakers' (best team in the NBA) backup point guard - the fact that the producer had to go look it up is a JOKE . . .
@Clark Matthews
the seats in MEM home game highlights are always empty.
@Nix
Thanks for the vote of confidence. Maybe rather than taking it down, they should just hire me and Royce to host a show.
I'm not sure why media types keep lumping Oklahoma City in with Memphis as a destination Rubio would struggle to land in. The Thunder are considered a team on the rise with great fan support, while Memphis is still a mess without much prospect of improvement. Plus, there is not nearly enough mention of how poorly the Grizzlies have done ingratiating themselves to the country of Spain. They failed with not only Pau, but also Juan Carlos Navarro, and I doubt Marc Gasol is singing their praises while he watches O.J. Mayo jacking up thirty shots a game from the point guard position.
@Clark Matthews
Come on Clark...take down the Animal for us...We know you can do it.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Agreed on the issues of the demographic, but why can't they bring in people who know the NBA for the NBA show they do before the game and for the post game show? That's when it's actually people calling in about the NBA, and before the game they have Al, Jim and Humphreys. That's when it should be someone else. I think Brandon Rush is the most NBA informed Sports Animal worker, but he just produces the shows (I think).
Post game I often wondered if they watched the same game as me.
@Alex
You couldn't even tell me Jeni Carlson is around just for looks.
I do like Tramel though. I've met him several times and he definitely knows his NBA history. He told me he won't say something unless he feels he has an informed opinion. Meaning he doesn't just make up stuff. Like Jim Traber saying, "The Thunder WILL take Jordan Hill, end of story."
It is scary how similar this is to the 1993 draft when it comes to the top prospects. I've always thought Thabeet was a shorter version of Shawn Bradley. Hopefully, Memphis will play the role of the 76ers.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
I agree with you Jax, but I still think they ought to be held to a higher standard in terms of knowing the rosters of the remaining playoff teams...I don't necessarily care if they talk about the minutiae of the triangle offense, but they should know that Shannon Brown and Farmar back up Fisher, or that Alston has been starting at PG for a while now. That said, even when I do get fed up with them, I flip it over to AM1340 in the afternoons and listen to Jenni Carlson for about five minutes and quickly thank God that the Sports Animal exists...
The Sports Animal is at it's best when opinionated hosts talk about general issues (steroids, top 10 lists, ranking coaching jobs, Tiger Wood's supremacy, last week's college football game and all the hindsight knowledge that goes with it). They make their biggest buck second guessing local teams when something went wrong. They have a few people there who can talk about recruiting off and on. They appeal to the greatest audience, which is the lowest common denominator of the demographic. They day they start dissecting the intricacies of basketball's motion offense, or why baseball teams should play small ball, or examining the split stats and success ratio of run plays off left tackle per situation, they lose that demographic.
In simpler terms, the majority of Sports Animal listeners want to hear how good their football team will be, how bad other teams are in comparison, and how they should get more respect. They don't want detailed news. They're not looking for sports strategy. They're looking for dime a dozen opinions from a handful of guys who aren't too hard to listen to. It's not news, it's entertainment. Slow sports days result in verbal arguments between the hosts, which result in some drama, which results in "good radio" that takes the place of a busy sports schedule.
Half the Daily Disappointment Staff take up air time. That alone should discredit any newsworthy intentions the station may have.
I still listen from time to time though. Pat Jones and his stories are worth it. They have a few guests from time to time that are worth it. The morning animals are good for a smirk or a smile at least once a show.
It is what it is, and until our demographic grows up and asks for something else, they'll keep doing what they're doing, and I don't really blame them.
@Royce:
"I don’t understand why it would be difficult to bring someone in to talk about the NBA a bit. Someone that has watched and is up to date with things. (cough cough)"
So what do you answer if WWLS calls and offers you a speaking gig on the Sports Animal???
@Royce
We should start making up crazy stuff and posting it here to see if it eventually ends up on the Sports Animal...Then Lost Ogle could break the news 'Daily Thunder makes up insane trade rumors and the Sports Animal Believes It.'
Okay, first one, Trail Blazers seek to trade Greg Oden to Thunder for #3 pick. (oddly that seems realistic)
Kev :
I am disappointed in the Animal - surely once Oklahoma got an NBA team, they could find people that actually WATCH as much NBA as we do - and we do it for free. Listening to that station is painful sometimes . . .
Exactly. I don't understand why it would be difficult to bring someone in to talk about the NBA a bit. Someone that has watched and is up to date with things. (cough cough)
Rubio for Bynum? And the thing is, like Joe said, ANYBODY can make up these rumors. Anybody. And just because someone has a list of trades that a team COULD do, doesn't make it an actual rumor. I don't think people know the difference.
@Kev
Ugh...It's just sad.
I am disappointed in the Animal - surely once Oklahoma got an NBA team, they could find people that actually WATCH as much NBA as we do - and we do it for free. Listening to that station is painful sometimes . . .
I called in the Sports Animal a little bit ago because I heard Mark Rogers say the Magic started to struggle in the Playoffs when Alston had to come in to replace Courtne Lee when he got hurt...
(Obviously he has no idea what's going on)
And we talked for a bit and he said the newest rumor is we trade Rubio for Bynum (Lakers)... I thought I would laugh on air...Who makes this stuff up? It's a brilliant idea at first, but...No, it's something people just make up.
I swear we should start our own NBA local radio station. We would atleast know that Alston has been starting since Jameer went out. (and that the Magic had the best record before Jameer went out)
Baldwin must really be bad then . . .
@Kev
Darnell really isn't all that great anyway, but he's far better than Mike Baldwin.
@Royce
Tell your dad to bury a Sonic Jersey wherever he is laying brick for good luck! It's brilliant...
poor showing by Mayberry . . .
a) he's assuming Memphis wants Thabeet based on unfounded rumors
b) he's assuming that The Clips can unload the superfat contract of Baron Davis, a guy that mailed it in last year . . .
c) he's assuming that the #1 pick is up for grabs in the first place . . .
that's a lot of assumptions, and saying that the Thunder "has a shot at Griffin" is just playing to homeetown fans . . .
I know it's the offseason, but hoopefully he's capable of better . . .
agree about the potential trade - no way are we getting Griffin . . .
unless 1 of their names was john wall!
i would love the #1 for #3 plus future picks deal ..
the thunder have a ton of young players & will likely not get much better by drafting 2 kids a season for the next few years ...
its like the best of both worlds
ok, the Nick Collison tweeter page I was referring to has been changed to:
twitter.com/nickcollison4
The speculation will be around up until draft time, so get used to it.
As for giving up three 1sts to move up, I would be a bit skeptical. I don't know if it would be worth it if the Clippers want Rubio anyways.
http://therookiecontract.com/
Jax Raging Bile Duct :I started skimming/skipping all draft related scenarios shortly after the lottery. I’ll return to paying full attention about June 24th.
I would do the same, but alas, I can't. Plus I'm a sucker for speculation.
I started skimming/skipping all draft related scenarios shortly after the lottery. I'll return to paying full attention about June 24th.
On another note, I'm pulling hard for Denver. The halftime show on Birdman was cool. I met Birdman twice while he was in OKC with the Hornets, and I thought he was as normal a dude as you can find. He loves to laugh and he's all about having a good time. I hate it that he got into trouble while he was here, but I'm so proud of him for fighting through it. Everywhere that guy goes, he's got teammates and fans that think he's great. I know he loves living in Denver and playing there, but my selfish side would love to see him on my homecourt again.
It makes me wonder too, seeing Birdman and JR Smith play so well for Denver, about Bryon Scott and his coaching ability. The utter collapse of the Hornets this year can be explained with injuries and bad contracts. Of course, Birdman's personal actions were outside Scott's control too, and maybe JR Smith was too young to fully evaluate at the time. I know one thing though, Scott wasn't going to give him a chance to develop.
As much as I loved the Hornets, I'm glad that we have a better GM, not to stick us with too many bad contracts (Peja, Mo Pete, overpaid for Posey). AND a coach who is willing to let the young guys play and develop, and not send them to the end of the bench to learn a lesson 82 games in a row.
Come to think of it, Petro is on that Denver team too. Lots of guys on that Denver team went through OKC for a bit. But if Denver can't win it this year, I'd like to see it happen for Joe Smith.
Pennington :@RoyceWe aren’t going to have a Mavericks logo in the brick work like the OU logo at T. Boone Pickens stadium are we? You should ask your dad to do a background check for diehard NBA fans.
Haha! I don't think so... my dad was a Celtics fan growing up, but I don't think he cares enough to do something like that. Now, I wouldn't put slipping an OU in there past him or one of his employees though...
@Royce
We aren't going to have a Mavericks logo in the brick work like the OU logo at T. Boone Pickens stadium are we? You should ask your dad to do a background check for diehard NBA fans.
@Royce
"Probably means it was a fake."
Could have been. Sure looked legit. Wished I had taken a screenshot. He only had a few posts -- about his daughter's birthday party, then playing pig in his driveway with a cousin, and then about having to break up a fight between his daughter and some other kid.
@daniel
August or September. That's when it came out last year (I think).
And I'm with you Vega. I love that McGee trade. Almost seemed too good to be true though.
Ugh. October is so far away.....
Does anyone know when they will release the 2009-10 Thunder schedule?
I'm kind of hoping that the Javale McGee trade happens. I think he would fit well on the Thunder.
@daniel
Probably means it was a fake.
@Vega
I'm with you on the being happy with who we get (see my Sam Presti thing). But if the door is supposedly open to get Blake, I'm sure Presti is looking. I think Darnell is really reaching there to draw a corrolary, but still interesting nonetheless.