Daily Thunder.com

Ben Golliver of SI.com has OKC as a deadline winner: “Delicate is the word to describe Thunder GM Sam Presti. Oklahoma City pulled off two moves on Thursday, dealing reserve point guard Eric Maynor to the Blazers for a trade exception and acquiring guard/forward Ronnie Brewer from the Knicks for a 2014 second-round pick and cash. The Thunder boast one of the league’s deepest rosters but the pair of moves provides just a touch of improved balance. Maynor was not having his best year following a major knee injury that cost him most of the 2011-12 season. The more athletic Reggie Jackson was emerging as Russell Westbrook’s back-up and there just aren’t that many minutes to go around when the All-Star starter plays 36 a night. Brewer gives coach Scott Brooks one more experienced, defensive-minded body to add to a wing mix that includes Kevin Durant, Thabo Sefolosha and Kevin Martin. Brewer can be used when OKC goes to smaller lineups or in certain matchups that might not be as favorable for Martin. He also provides an added degree of injury protection for Sefolosha. Presti also shaved more than $1 million off of his books this season. That’s delicate defined: improving the bench’s positional balance while cutting payroll.”

Matt Moore of CBSSports.com on OKC acquiring Ronnie Brewer: “He does give the Thunder another defender to throw at wings, though, when Thabo Sefolosha is otherwise occupied and they want to keep Kevin Durant out of foul trouble. Not a bad pickup, but he’s also unlikely to make a big impact for them this season.” Keep Reading…

Darnell Mayberry: “That kind of felt like a nightmare come true, no? The ghost of James Harden coming back to exact some revenge on his old team. Each shot hurting worse and worse. Each drive, each Euro-step, each pinpoint pass only exacerbating the fact that he not only no longer plays for your team, but he also is excelling with someone else. It’s one thing to see it from afar. It’s entirely another to have to watch Harden rip your heart out, like you used to delight in seeing him do to so many others, and know there isn’t a thing anybody can do about it. The Thunder has never encountered that. Not before Wednesday night, when Harden shook off miserable performances in his first two meetings against his former team and hung a career-high 46 points on the Thunder in a 122-119 win inside the Toyota Center. It’s convenient to say it’s only one loss for the Thunder and just one win for the Rockets. But it’s really not. The reality is it’s not about today. What we witnessed Harden do here was a cold-blooded reminder of what could have been in OKC. Nothing has ever drilled that home quite like the show Harden just strung together.”

Jonathan Tjarks of SB Nation: “While Oklahoma City is far from a perfect basketball team, any upgrade they could find on the trade deadline is unlikely to be worth pushing them over the luxury tax limit. The looming penalties, which could cripple a small-market team financially, were why they dealt Harden in the first place. They’ve already got $66 million in salaries committed for next season and more than $50 million each in 2014 and 2015. Since they can’t take on much salary and don’t have any “dead salaries” on their roster, any significant deal would force them to give up an important player on this year’s team. Even their mid-level veterans, guys like Kendrick Perkins and Sefolosha, have a clearly defined role, so there’s not much room for them to maneuver without affecting cohesion both on and off the floor.” Keep Reading…