Wednesday Bolts – 7.1.15
er Shams Charania of RealGM: “The Thunder and Kanter are expected to discuss three- and four-year contract sheets that could reach maximum-level money with incentives, sources told RealGM. For the organization and Kanter, a restricted free agent, there will be an early window in free agency to reach an agreement before one of the top five available big men pursues larger offers elsewhere.”
Zach Lowe of Grantland: “We’re a year early, but it’s possible no player in league history will have ever had as much incentive to sign a one-year deal as Kevin Durant next summer. Durant is three years younger than Aldridge, and as he hits free agency, he’ll have completed nine seasons — one short of the magic number required to snag that juicy 35 percent max. Durant could sign a one-year deal anywhere, re-enter free agency when the cap leaps to $108 million in the summer of 2017, and ink a mega-max at that 35 percent level. Durant would rake in about $40 million more going that route than by signing a long-term contract deal next summer.”
On the Thunder’s free agency plans.
Berry Tramel: “Never before have defensive deficiencies been so exposed. Kanter might have been the worst defensive center in the NBA last season. Utah’s defense went from bad to great when the Jazz traded Kanter and inserted Rudy Gobert into the lineup. The Thunder’s defense went from good to bad when Kanter started playing, though Serge Ibaka missing the final 17 games of the season certainly didn’t help. Most NBA franchises now know exactly what they’re getting. They’re not scouting or researching off the back of bubble-gum cards. Some wayward organization might glance at Kanter’s offensive numbers and believe he’s Moses Malone, but most decision-makers know that Kanter has a long way to go before his defense becomes merely acceptable.”
Luke Ridnour’s Thunder career was short lived, but a glorious thing.
Darnell Mayberry: “Wait until you see the money that gets tossed around this summer. This year’s deals could make those once-confounding contracts look like teams got off cheap. Welcome to 2015 NBA free agency, a period most anticipate will be a crazed summer of league-wide spending. It’s the trickle down from the record nine-year, $24 billion television rights deal the league signed in October. As a result of that agreement, the NBA salary cap is projected to skyrocket from $67 million next season to approximately $90 million for the 2016-17 season, when the new television deal goes into effect. But teams aren’t waiting until next summer. They’re looking to spend now, with an understanding that financial relief is around the corner and any mistake made now will in essence be wiped clean later. It’s not a good time to be a free agent, it’s the best time.”
The Thunder are doing well in merchandise sales. And just think how good it would be if their branding wasn’t trash.
