Daily Thunder.com

Sam Amick of SI.com: “Fisher was a good fit for Oklahoma City last season when he played the role of the sage point guard so well behind Russell Westbrook. The timing was right, with the Thunder needing someone besides Kendrick Perkins to tell a few championship tales while being the consummate pro and a capable backup. One source close to the situation says the chances he’ll be back with the Thunder are “remote,” though, as they have a full roster and three point guards on board with Eric Maynor returning from a torn ACL and Reggie Jackson — the 24th overall pick out of Boston College last year — entering his second season. The same goes for Miami, which has had talks with Fisher but doesn’t appear motivated to bring him on board.”

Kurt Helin of PBT: “As I keep saying, the Thunder have known the price tag for Harden since before they inked Serge Ibaka’s new deal. They can pay it now or they can wait and pay it next summer if they want to keep him (which they do). We’re going to get a lot of spin and people talking back and forth about it, but the mechanics are pretty straightforward. It’s just a matter of what decision the Thunder make and when.” Keep Reading…

Berry Tramel doesn’t think OKC will re-sign Harden: “I don’t see how it’s going to happen. Even if the Thunder signs him at $12.5 million, it’s going to cost OKC quite a bit in luxury tax. But signing him at $15M per year? No way. I think he plays this year without an extension.”

Kurt Helin of PBT: “The Thunder knew this was coming, they have known since before the new CBA was signed the price Harden would command on the open market. They made their deal with Serge Ibaka knowing full well what the future costs of Harden would be. This is not on Harden, this is fully on the Thunder and their ownership. They can make the max offer before the Oct. 31 deadline for a contract extension and avoid the season of drama (they have no plans to trade him), or they can wait until next summer. Their call. The price isn’t changing.” Keep Reading…

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “But with home-grown stars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook already locked up with long-term deals, the Thunder’s decision to reward Ibaka as they attempt to get back to the NBA Finals and ultimately win a championship has ushered the elephant into the room. Alas, system changes that were so vital to the future of the NBA that they were almost worth losing an entire season have ramifications for the Oklahoma Cities of the world too.”

Zach Lowe of SI.com on players on notice: “Kendrick Perkins: The luxury tax concerns are real with James Harden now extension-eligible. Also real: Perkins’ value as a post defender, brutal screener and all-around setter of a nasty tone. But Perkins’ reputation as a Dwight Howard stopper is nearly two years out of date, and he’s not nearly good enough at his strengths to justify his pricey contract once you factor in his glaring limitations — poor hands, endless traveling violations, shaky speed and sky-high turnover rates. There aren’t many worse offensive players in the league, at least among regular rotation guys. Perkins needs to get healthy and show a bit more, on both ends, to quiet the amnesty chatter.” Keep Reading…

Matt Moore for PBT on scorers: “But the environment has changed. And it’s less about all the other star-studded teams because those teams aren’t putting up 125 offensive ratings and having three guys score 40 a night. It’s not the talent. The defensive systems have changed, which kick-started the accumulation of talent to override that. But now the defenders are better, because the talent is better. It’s a vicious cycle. And the solution is to get back to the idea of ball movement and of team-actualization.”

Sekou Smith on OKC’s top spot in the Ultimate Rankings: “Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest of their Oklahoma City Thunder teammates spent their entire summer with a nagging pain eating away at them, knowing that they didn’t finish last season the way they wanted to. Losing to the Miami Heat in The Finals is a stain on their record that won’t be shoved aside until they get back to The Finals and break through. But in the absence of a championship won on the court, the Thunder can revel in the fact that they’ve finished on top in another race.” Keep Reading…

Serge Ibaka checks in 43rd in CBSSports.com’s Elite 100: Matt Moore: “The runner-up to the Defensive Player of the Year and the fourth member of Oklahoma City’s Big Four is simultaneously overrated and underrated, both in the league, and here. Ibaka’s defense comes with a dazzling array of blocks and showy moments of physical aggression, but comes with a price. When the goaltends aren’t putting points on the board for the other guys, his overzealous rotations are leaving his man open for a dunk, often when the primary defender is contesting the layup well enough to prevent a score in the first place. His rebounding is good-to-great, but that doesn’t make up for some of his missed rotations and what he lacks in court awareness. All of these things, though, can be fiex and are part of the natural development process. There’s every reason to believe, that in a short time, “Iblocka” will be the defender he’s made out to be.”

Hollis Thompson: “My strength is I can score. I love to score. I love to play for my team. I can do a lot of things. And I’ve got weaknesses in all areas. I can get better in all areas. So I’m looking forward to playing basketball and getting better.” Keep Reading…