The trade deadline comes and goes tomorrow. Yeah, that’s right. And by and large, Oklahoma City hasn’t been involved in any rumors or trade whisperings. But that doesn’t mean nothing will happen. The Thunder has a bunch of great assets and I’m sure Sam Presti’s phone will ring at least a few times tomorrow morning. So just like last year, let’s rank the assets.
Not touchable, in an Elliot Ness kind of way
1. Kevin Durant. Obviously KD is on the top of the list and honestly, behind LeBron, he may be the most valuable asset in the league. (His upcoming contract extension is going to be a big part of this, but I’m almost convinced he gets his max offer and signs the next morning. Maybe I think that way because I’d dunk my head in lava if that didn’t happen.) But I’m about to make a bold statement: I get asked a lot if I would trade Durant for anyone straight up. My simple answer: Nope.
I know, I know… LeBron. But I wouldn’t. Maybe that would make me a bad GM, but I want Kevin Durant on my team over LeBron James. Mainly because my team is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant just works here. He fits the Oklahoma mindset, he fits with his teammates and he just worksas the cornerstone for this franchise. I get tired of people trying to compare things. LeBron or Kobe? Durant or LeBron? Kevin Ollie or Anthony Johnson? Players are different and they play differently. LeBron is the best basketball player on the planet, no doubt. I just don’t see how that’s debatable. But Durant fits within what OKC does and is and he’s not too shabby a basketball player either.
2. Russell Westbrook. His value has skyrocketed this year. In fact, he’s probably one of the five most valued point guards in the league. Yes, you read that right. I’d say 26 other teams would come close to selling the farm to grab Westbrook from Oklahoma City. The fact that he’s just 21, the fact that he’s rapidly improved and the fact that a ceiling hasn’t been defined for him makes him nearly as valuable as Kevin Durant. I said nearly.
3. James Harden. Some might say Harden has been a little disappointing in his rookie campaign. But the reality is, he’s a huge reason OKC has made such a strong push. His 3-point shooting, his ability to create shots for both himself and others, his passing ability and his overall demeanor and attitude have made him an absolute perfect fit. On a different roster where he’s the primary scoring option, Harden might be averaging closer to 15 points a game and five assists. And that’s the thing: He’s going to develop within OKC’s system and in three years, he could be the ideal second scorer and shooter to take some of the weight off Durant’s shoulders.
4. Jeff Green. Yep, I’m putting Uncle Jeff in the “Untouchable” category. He’s always the talk of trade scenarios and probably for the rest of his career will be. He’s a guy that’s probably playing out of position, isn’t a star, doesn’t do one thing extraordinarily well and can be a little inconsistent. But he’s not going anywhere. So long as Kevin Durant is on the roster, that is.
And this isn’t all about KD either. Green has a ton of value to this team. You can crunch numbers and look at plus/minus and do other things, but the reality is, Green plays almost 40 minutes a night on a team that’s 10 games over. He’s improving and has come out of a funk the last couple weeks. He’s always hitting big shots, making winning plays or doing a little thing to help you have more points at the end of the game. Green will get mentioned constantly in trade speculation because he’s not “ideal”. He doesn’t fit the mold of the position he plays and he’s often inconsistent. But at this point, his value can’t exactly be measured by his on-court production. He’s buddies with KD and it’s not like Uncle Jeff is a bad basketball player.
We’d really rather not
5. Thabo Sefolosha. Thabo was just locked up with a multi-year extension, so it’s highly unlikely he’d be mentioned for that reason alone. But the Thunder organization values him almost as much as the four youngsters. Thabo has completely changed the mentality of this team defensively and his on-court value is sky-high. Why do you think OKC is one of the best defensive teams in the league? Answer: Because it has some of the best defenders.
6. Serge Ibaka. Honestly, I almost put Ibaka in the Untouchable category. Why? Because even through 51 games, he’s a total mystery. I have no idea what his offensive ceiling could be. I really have no idea what his defensive ceiling could be. He’s an absolute freak of nature, has a body chiseled of stone and has a great attitude and strong work ethic. Oh, and he’s just 20 years old.
Did you know, in Ibaka’s last six games, he’s averaging two blocks a game? That’s what Dwight Howard averages. Now granted, the question is can Ibaka sustain that, but in just 20 minutes a night, Ibaka is blocking shots at a high rate. Everyone talks about the mythical “big man” OKC needs to hunt down that can rebound and block shots. I have a feeling he’s already on the roster. Ibaka can impact games like Chris Andersen on the defense end, but isn’t a liability offensively. Ibaka is easily OKC’s most improved player since the season started. Compared to what he was back in October, he’s made an incredible leap. Imagine what Ibaka could be in two years. In one year. By the end of the season. I think the Thunder could be just fine in the big man department. So don’t sweat that Marcus Camby trade. We may have a newer and improved version already.
7. Eric Maynor. Since Eric Maynor was acquired from Utah Oklahoma City is 18-7. M-V-P? M-V-P?
We’re listening
8. Matt Harpring’s expiring contract. There’s really one reason Harpring’s contract is more valuable than Etan Thomas’, even though it’s for less money: Because Harpring isn’t playing. His contract is being basically entirely paid by insurance since Harpring is essentially retired due to injury. So a team could take his expiring deal and really get out of it without having to pay a dime for him. For a franchise looking to dump money, Harpring is the perfect trade piece.
Emm-Vee-Pee?
9. Etan Thomas’ expiring contract. Thomas’ deal has him worth almost $8 million right now. He’s a valuable piece. But with the salary cap likely lowering, I’m not sure Presti wants to move this valuable expiring deal for something long term. The NBA is in a very unstable financial state and with OKC being the smallest market team, you’ve got to be prudent with your money. But if the right deal presents itself, Thomas would absolutely make a perfect piece for a team looking to salary dump.
10. 2010 first round pick. This is getting less and less valuable with each passing day. And that’s awesome.
11. Phoenix’s 2010 unprotected first round pick. This is getting more and more valuable with each passing day. And that’s almost even MORE awesome.
12. Nick Collison. He maybe should be a little higher, but in terms of something a team would want, Collison has to be down the line a bit. He still has another year left on his deal and he makes more than the MLE. A contender needing inside help would obviously love him (hello Toronto, Atlanta and San Antonio, among others), but Collison makes a little too much for what he’s worth. If he were expiring, he’d probably be five or six.
13. Nenad Krstic. Almost the same story with Collison. He makes less and is expiring in 2011. The only thing with Krstic is that he’s been a little less productive and he’s not exactly filling a “big man” need for teams. He’s a better defender than people realize but he doesn’t really protect the rim, isn’t a great rebounder and is streaky with his jumper and scoring. With the emergence of Ibaka and the appearance that Byron Mullens has some ability, I’d say Krstic is one of the most expendable players though.
14. Byron Mullens. He was drafted as a project and if he were to go anywhere, he’d remain that. But there’s something to be said for a 7-2 guy that can shoot from 20 feet, is athletic and is SEVEN FOOT TWO. I wouldn’t write him off yet.
15. D.J. White. White has had a truly tortured early career. The benign growth in his jaw caused him to miss nearly his entire rookie year. And now he hurts himself practicing this year and will miss extended time. He has ability. And like I’ve said before, he has solid rotation big man written all over him. He’s like a Joe Smith, Antonio McDyess, P.J. Brown type of guy in that he can consistently hit a jumpshot, can rebound a little but isn’t quite good enough to play 35 minutes in the paint.
16. Kyle Weaver. Much like White, just when it looked like Weaver was going to have a chance to contribute, he busts his shoulder. Shame too, because now that OKC has Maynor, there is just no place for Weaver. He may not fit long term with the Thunder, but someone would want a 6-6, long-armed shooting guard that can handle the ball, defend and pass, right?
17. Kevin Ollie. His contract is expiring and he could provide some steady play in spurts for a contender or even a rebuilding team.
18. Grant Long and Brian Davis. Long and Davis for Brian Scalabrine? Who says no? I kid, I kid.
Have a draft pick while we’re at it
19. Minnesota’s 2010 second round pick. This actually kind of a nice pick to have. It’ll likely be in the top 35 and there are good players to be had in that region. DeJuan Blair anyone?
21. 2010 second round pick.
22. Minnesota’s conditional 2010 second round pick. This is the lower of the two Minny picks we got in the Chucky Atkins deal. Yes, you read that right. We got TWO picks out of Chucky Atkins and Damien Wilkins.
Potential throw-ins
22. Robert Vaden’s rights. I actually think Darth Vaden is going to be an NBA player. He didn’t show it in Summer League, but he can flat out shoot it. Over in Europe, he’s over 50 percent from outside. Obviously, I don’t know what kind of defender he is or even whether or not the Thunder needs JUST a 3-point shooter at this point, but once Vaden gets more consistent, he’s going to be a role player on some team.
23. DeVon Hardin’s rights. Hardin probably won’t ever make a roster, but he’s a nice piece to bounce around in your D-League system and then toss in to even out a trade. The guy has serious size and athleticism. He just hasn’t harnessed much skill out of it. If he could develop a little post game, he really could make a decent end-of-the-bench player.
24. Cash considerations. Does anyone really know what this means? And how much is it? A couple hundred bucks? Thousands? Hundreds of thousands? We toss this term out there constantly but I don’t even know what it means.
If you were to ask me, I don’t think OKC makes any kind of major deal. I could see a shuffling of draft picks, but I just can’t see the Thunder jumping into the big name trade talks. Right now, this young roster is developing. Something is working. Compared to three months ago, this team has improved a ton. So why mess with that right now? If the right deal presents itself, I’m sure Sam Presti and Co. will make it happen. But right now, I’m content with the current roster and excited to see where it goes from here the rest of this season.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Yes it might be a moot point. LaMarcus Aldridge got 5/65. I find it highly unlikely David Lee will get a deal less than that. I like David Lee, but I'm not sure I like him for that much money.
Jack :
And at his price-tag Lee isn’t that guy.
That's the part that almost everyone can agree on. Even if he were a major upgrade (as we've discussed, that's unknown), his price-tag may be way too tall. Especially now that he's gotten All Star recognition.
@justin
Fair enough. It probably comes down to what you can get for him. I assume no one thinks he is a max contract player. If we could get him for the 6 mil a year the Knicks are paying him that would be a great deal. I just don't want to see the Thunder making the mistake of overpaying Lee based on what he has done over the last year or so and thus lose out on other opportunities. Even if we have to wait another year to fill out the front court. Summer of 2011 Kendrick Perkins will be fleeing a ruined Celtics squad, for example.
Jax Raging Bile Duct
You're right about the Knicks being slower than I realized. Though they're still 7th in pace. I do think Lee is a better rebounder than Green, I just don't think he is a lot better and that rebounding makes such a big difference that it makes sense to replace Green with Lee as our PF of the future.
Lee has played more efficiently than Green but in doing so he either was only using a handful of possessions (which almost always means he was getting his points off of offensive rebounds and dump downs) or matched up against centers. What Lee isn't going to do is come in and use Green's 20% of possessions and keep his high efficiency. Now that might still help the offense because it means some of Jeff's possessions go elsewhere- KD, Harden or Westbrook and they will likely use them more efficiently than he does right now. But then what you need most of all at the 4-spot is someone who can defend... (rebounding and hustle are good too). If Jeff Green can't be a more efficient offensive player or can't be relied upon to defend against bigger PFs then it makes sense to replace him-- but only if the replacement is a solid improvement over Green going forward. And at his price-tag Lee isn't that guy.
@Jack
I don't think Lee would maintain that type of usage on this team with Kevin Durant around. He'd be a second option at best, and wouldn't be in a situation where we needed to create all of his offense. He can get it on pick and roll / pop whatever. I agree with you that he's unlikely to maintain that efficiency on his usage at PF spot, but I don't think he'd have 24% usage on this team..
You make a lot of good points.
@justin 3P shooting doesn't matter a lot right now because of Green's inconsistency. But if we trying to find a PF for the future range is a really desirable feature, I like the player Green is trying to become. But my real concern isn't the 3P shooting, it's that Lee's offensive production is inflated because he plays the five and that he has yet to play defense for an NBA team. Lee has been at the top of the league in scoring efficiency since he was a rookie. But look at his usage rate. It has sky rocketed from low-mid teens to all most 24% of possessions this year. Now what is impressive about Lee is that he was able to increase is usage rate so much while only sacrificing efficiently slightly. If this was all I knew I would be really impressed. But we also know that the huge increase in usage took place after he was moved to center and the reason is really obvious. He has a great match up advantage on most NBA centers. D'Antoni is just coaching his team to exploit the match up. But if you sign Lee to play him at PF don't expect him to be able to create offense like he does now. If you try to maintain that kind of usage, if you expect him to create offense for the team his efficiency will drop.
@Lefty
That front court is just too small to compete for a title. The Lakers eat us for lunch.
@Jack
Not speaking for Justin, but my own thoughts on the David Lee argument.
First, the pace the Knicks play isn't as fast as you're used to seeing. The knicks are actually about league average. The suns, warriors, pacers and raptors are very fast paced. The fast paced argument could be used for Bosh before Lee.
Also, the TS% does take efficiency into consideration, as well as free throws. It's the tell all shooting stat. So if Lee is scoring at a higher TS% than Green, it is taking Green's 3 point shot into consideration.
Also, if you go by rebounding %, and not just totals, you still find that Lee is a very good rebounder compared to the league average, and Green is not. I agree that it has some to do with offense and defensive play style. Nevertheless, Lee still get's a higher percentage of available boards, and if we're going to play the defensive argument, the other side of the coin is that there should be many more defensive rebounds available for Green in our system.
So once you consider everything, Lee comes out deserving of his All Star status, and a definite upgrade over Green at this point in their careers.
So don't replace Green. Replace Krstic with Lee.
@Jack
3pt shooting would matter if Green was good at it, he's way too streaky.
David Lee was just as effective offensively as a PF, he's been near the top off the league in scoring efficiency since he was a rookie. There's no reason he wouldn't be able to score for us playing power forward.
Again, I'm not even saying Green is a better player than Lee right now. But if you're going to replace Green's minutes replace him with someone who is you know coming in is going to be able to defend the position.
into the mind of Sam Presti we go...............
I have a lot of assets.....hmmmm...who is a big, who just had knee surgery and their GM is pretty ignorant and will give to me for a couple 2nd round pics.....
Whoever fits that criteria...will be the only trade....
Justin:- I never said Lee got offensive boards because he is undersized. Rather, he scores easily on bigger, slower centers. I have no idea why this wouldn't make sense to you. This is the entire justification for small ball.
Lee and Green are the same height. Green gives up three inches in reach but Lee gives it back in hops.
Three point shooting matters because it is a far more efficient shot than the long two. OKC already doesn't make enough of them. And again, part of David Lee's efficiency is that bigger centers have to give him room or he can drive by them. But Lee isn't going to be able to rely on that at four.
justin :The worst part for us this deadline is all the teams clearing additional cap space for 2010. Our shot at a guy like David Lee has gotten even more slim.
This is why I'm starting the samprestipleasesigndavidlee.com website. Grass roots, my friend!
I guess I'm not that worried about rebounding. Ibaka projects to be an elite rebounder- his percentages are already there, he just needs more minutes. And we might have the best rebounding back court in the league in Sefolosha, Westbrook and Harden. Lee is a good rebounder but his numbers are artificially inflated by the Knicks' fast pace and the fact that no one else on the Knicks rebounds. To put in perspective how bad the rest of that team is at rebounding: if Jeff Green played for the Knicks he'd be their second best rebounder. I also imagine it is easier to grab rebounds if you don't bother to challenge shots :-)
It is certainly possible that Green never gets any good at defending bigger post scorers but I don't see why it couldn't happen. He really just needs to put on 5 pounds of muscle and work on his lower body strength. Post defense is one of the harder things to learn, it isn't surprising that it gives a third year undersized forward some problems. Anyway, my point was just that there is certainly no reason to think Lee can do it either.
A 60% TS% probably is too high for Green, but I could see him having a career year in 3-4 years where he averages 58%.
The worst part for us this deadline is all the teams clearing additional cap space for 2010. Our shot at a guy like David Lee has gotten even more slim.
@Jack
You're completely off base:
- David Lee rebounds well because he's a good rebounder, not because he's playing center. In fact, he's getting fewer offensive rebounds this year than ever because he's stuck playing center. So your idea that he gets offensive boards because he's undersized (???) isn't true.
- David Lee is not undersized for a PF, he's 6'9" with a 8'10.5" reach. That's perfectly acceptable.
- Jeff Green tries because he's been coached to try. Green didn't play defense this way as early as last season. Lee is stronger than Green, he's quick for his size, and doesn't have any physical problems that would prevent him from playing defense.
- Your idea that Green keeps defenses honest makes no sense either as David Lee is a better shooter than Jeff Green from everywhere except three point range. Lee is shooting almost 46% from 16-23 feet. Jeff Green? A whopping 30% from the same distance. Sure, Jeff Green makes some threes, but that certainly doesn't make up for David Lee's huge advantage offensively from everywhere else on the court. Lee's a great pick and roll player and he can hit the outside jumper out to 20 feet, he'd takes a lot more pressure off our guards than Jeff Green.
- Green will always be at a fundamental disadvantage against power forwards defensively and on the boards. He's getting better defensively, but he still gets murdered by any four with a physical post up game like Josh Smith or especially Carlos Boozer. He's a very poor rebounder and one of the reasons we give up a lot of offensive boards. I love Green's energy and the way he plays, but there really isn't anything he can do that will make him a truly effective defender across the board or a good rebounder. It just won't happen at the PF spot.
I'm getting kind of nervous. I really hope we do something with all these assets
mcgrady and landry to kings for kevin martin and some other players, no landry hurts the rockets
@Jack
Also, he keeps Royce's tattoo continuum thing going.
As far as defense, I actually think Green does pretty well defending face-up style 4's. He just gets murdered by the stronger ones who can score in the post like Boozer, Randolph, etc. I don't see that changing, but I also don't think that's as critical as rebounding.
Green could definitely learn to be more efficient scoring. He's been taking it inside more lately, and he finishes really well around the rim. The coaching staff might figure out how to better use him eventually + he might develop a couple more moves. That said, I doubt he ever gets his TS% to the ~60% range.
@Jack
Rebounding is hard to teach. RPG explosions like Gerald Wallace has had this season are extremely rare.
@Jack
Fair enough, but the reason we like David Lee, or at least the reason I like David Lee, has nothing at all to do with defense. It's all about his rebounding and downlow scoring. This is something we're missing pretty bad right now. No one on our team does it with any consistency.
And, really, who's to say he can't defend? Sure, he hasn't done it to this point, but neither had Durant before this year. He would be a lot more motivated to put in the effort with a real (read: not one year) contract on a winning team, instead of what he has with the Knicks. We overlooked Durant's defensive liabilities because he was an efficient scorer and a potential All-Star. David Lee is also an efficient scorer and is also already and All-Star.
David Lee might be a disaster if he came here. He might also be exactly what we need. I'm not sure! None of us really are. There are certainly risks involved. I do know that Lee fits the profile of high-character that Presti likes.
I don't really understand the David Lee thing at all. You all want to replace the minutes of your undersized PF with an undersized PF who can't play defense? Lee is exactly the kind of player that kills championship chances. In the Knick's system he puts up nice offensive numbers because he is a match up nightmare for bigger fives, he is smalled, quicker and has a nice mid-range game. He is perfect for New York's screen and roll. But the reason he is a match-up nightmare for bigger, slower defenders is also part of the reason he is useless on the other end of the court. Now Green has trouble guarding bigger forwards as well- but Green is a much better defender than Lee, he is more athletic and you know, tries. Can anyone even imagine David Lee playing defense the way Jeff did against Dirk in the 4th quarter Tuesday?
Now the thing is, Lee would be great coming off the bench. He wouldn't get killed by second units on defense and he could dominate them on offense- but you're going to have to pay him way more than is justified by bench minutes. Not to mention a lot of our offense is generated off of guard penetration and that goes away when your forwards can't spread the floor. Green is a streaky shooter but he still keeps defenses honest, making things easier for Westbrook and Maynor.
I think there is still a good chance Green becomes a really solid stretch 4 on offense and figures out how to guard bigger fours. His college coach called him the smartest player he had ever coached (and before he was at Georgetown JTIII was at Princetonw). Of course, the Thunder shouldn't past on a good starting-caliber PF just on the hope Green improves. But if you're going to replace his minutes at least replace him with someone who can guard opposing PFs better than he can!
@justin
Yes, but OKC has a pretty solid unit compared to the injuries and really just sucky play of most of those teams as of late. OKC is going in the right direction ^ while these teams have been fallin and need a pick me up...hopefully one that doesn't work
Giving up Carl Landry sucks but at the end of the day they traded bench players for an All Star shooting guard who will help them in two things they suck at (eFG%, FT/FTA).
It also makes the Kings players in 2010 free agency, depending on what they do with McGrady.
Crappy deal from OKC's perspective.. so that's the Rockets, Mavs, and Blazers who have improved this deadline and Memphis is also trying to make a trade. Almost all the teams right around us in the standings..
Possibly the dagger in the heart:
After speaking with the Suns owner, Amar'e believes he won't be dealt.
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/35454877/ns/sports-player_news/
^^^
Whoops, I'm anonymous.
I feel like the rockets trade is great news for us. they gave away a great rebounder and interior scorer for a shooting guard. I definitely feel like we match up better with thabo should be able to gaurd martin well, yet i dont feel comfortable saying that about anyone and landry.
And we practically gave Landry away in the draft.
Kevin Martin to Houston is done. They gave up Carl Landry to get him. Great deal for both teams, IMO...
Kevin Martin to the Rockets in a possible 3 way also involving the Knicks. I'm not sure that I like the Rockets adding Keving Martin. Damn.
@Keith
We should not ever ever mention anything ever about Amar'e ever going to the Nuggets. Ever. Keep him as far away from the best team in the division as possible.
That said, it would be fun to watch him and Carmelo together. On the Thunder. With KD. And LeBron.
@Keith
I was going to say Denver. Maybe Orlando or Boston. If any one of those three teams want to pass the Lakers, they need an upgrade somewhere... or a significant LA injury.
All three of Durant, Green and Harden have been "on" from 3 point land the last 10 games. I'd think that would get a share of the credit for the win streak.
@Stephen
The problem is that no team is willing to risk too much on a player who might walk or might not be at all as good as Phoenix has made him look. It's why teams are leery of GS players and, even if effective, have little trade value. Who could he legitimately help more than the Suns? I don't think there's anyone just one player away from competing with Cleveland or LA this year (at least among teams with assets). I think a great deal for both sides would be Denver throwing JR Smith, Chris Anderson, and their small contracts for Amare. Phoenix could save a few million this year, a few million in the offseason, and get at least two quality depth guys. JR could be a starter in Phoenix with his shot.
In that sense you have to feel good about having Sam Presti as a general manager. Can you see him giving $9 million a year to Boris Diaw? Or trading for Jason Richardson? Signing DeSagana Diop to a $35 million deal? His willingness to spend might be questioned but it's definitely better than these other teams with all the dead weight..
@Keith
Exactly. The Philly rumors are just weird. Amar'e playing with Elton Brand? Robert Sarver taking on Iguodala's contract?
They probably can't afford to lose Amar'e for nothing because they won't have the flexibility to sign a free agent in the offseason to replace him. Just a mess of a situation.. how do they improve that team now?
But he'd have to be traded to a team he could legitimately help (worth giving up picks or cash) this season for my above statement to work on both fronts.
@justin
Unless they do an extend and trade with Lee (which would also keep his price tag down a little). But certainly strange. Phoenix wants out from under his contract, yet the main piece they are likely to get in return is a 12 million dollar SG. Strange.
I think the Suns are trying to do one of two things. Either A) just testing his value in order to drop him next year as he will most likely opt in or B) try to sway him into opting out. Perhaps if he gets fed up enough with the Suns, he'll opt out. It's obvious he's not a max player, and Phoenix is built around Nash, not Amare. If they can't find a good trade, this could all be an attempt to get him to leave.
If Phoenix could get equal salary in expiring deals + cash and/or draft picks, why not move him? Assuming, of course, they can't/won't extend him.
Pretty good improvement in his second year. Still has a way to go, including on D. Restricted free agent, who knows what Minny will do now or this summer. Probably don't want another project but with centers I'd look at them all at least a bit.
The fact that they are shopping him at all is weird. What are they trying to do? Most of the teams that might want him will be able to just sign him in the offseason, so it's not like they'll get a lot from those teams at the deadline.
It'd be like us trading Jeff Green for David Lee. Makes no sense at all.
Oh and for the Star Wars naming tag I might mention Nathan Jawai.
Probably why he's still in Phoenix lol. I'm just hoping for a Phoenix tank job, so whatever it takes to make that happen.
@Stephen
I've heard they also rebuffed offers from Miami centered around Beasley, so either they want too much or Beasley isn't highly valued anymore.
@Royce Young
Thanks Royce. I would have never figured this out haha
One thing I miss from the Sonics days are all the connections to the front office and the excellent beat writers who had ears in the organization. Sam Presti is tight lipped, and maybe he isn't planning anything, but this is one of the few teams in the NBA with nothing swirling around as far as trades or even other team's inquiries.
I guess 10 teams could win 46+ in the west next season.
It wouldn't take that much change.
Tough conditions. If the Thunder improves its record over this season much it will probably have to be because of offense or overall clutch-time performance.
They want talent back.. they reportedly declined Illgauskas, Hickson, Cavs 1st, and Danny Green.
Are the Suns looking for players back for Stoudemire or just cap relief/cash?