Tuesday Bolts – 2.24.15
Jon Hamm for NewsOK on the trade: “Another way to look at it: What people wanted was for the Thunder to take a shot with 20 seconds left on the shot clock. By sticking to its plan, the Thunder has created a better shot by taking its time and running the offense. If all goes according to plan with Kanter and Singler, the Thunder could be more than $10 million over the luxury tax line next season, depending on what other moves they make. A payroll $10 million above the luxury tax line would result in a tax bill of at least $16 million, and the tax rates escalate from there. The actual numbers are still very fluid. Whatever the final tally turns out to be, the Thunder is prepared to pay the piper and perhaps silence some of its harshest critics.”
Jason Concepcion of Grantland evaluating performances after the trade: “OKC seems like a great fit for Kanter. He gives the Thunder a post-scoring dimension they’ve lacked — and not a minute too soon. Kevin Durant recently told GQ, “Obviously our players aren’t as good as, you know, than they were before. But you have to figure it out.” That probably sent an arctic chill down Sam Presti’s spine, as he’s the “you” who has to do the figuring. Kanter will be a restricted free agent this summer, and the Thunder are infamous for treating the luxury tax like sarin gas, but it’s either show KD you mean business or risk watching him in Wizards colors while you drink heavily. Once Steven Adams’s paw heels up, the Thunder have a sneaky deep front line of Adams, Mitch “Hassan Whiteguy” McGary, Kanter, and Nick Collison.”
David Aldridge of NBA.com with a must-read on deadline day: “Also, when would the Thunder — facing years of being over the cap, and in the tax, and having low first-round picks — ever have a shot at a talent like Kanter, taken third overall in 2011? (The same logic was part of what spurred OKC to get Waiters, the fourth pick in 2012, though the Thunder were more familiar with him because of assistant general manager Troy Weaver, who’d known Waiters for years.) If it did nothing, OKC would have had around $5 million next summer to try and make additions to the roster. Who could the Thunder get for that amount that would make a difference? It came down to whether OKC would take the shot at Lopez — talented, and more experienced, but older (26, to Kanter’s 22), more injury prone, and more expensive. Lopez also had an option for next season, and with one of the most powerful agents in the game in Arn Tellem representing him, Lopez would be sure to have any number of teams chasing him if he opted out to seek one more big payday.”
Marc Stein has the Thunder 11th in power rankings: “Russ Westbrook is a full-fledged MVP candidate, ESPN’s Basketball Power Index suddenly rates OKC with nearly 80 percent odds to make the playoffs and the Thunder were widely tabbed as a trade deadline winner. And yet no one in Loud City can dare exhale thanks to the latest KD news.”
NBA Lockdown podcast talking Thunder stuff.
SLC Dunk on Enes Kanter: “Max Ergul, Kanter’s agent, is almost 100% correct when he asserts that the Jazz took no interest in developing him. He probably should amend that to “certain wins obsessed Jazz coaches who had a “no fire clause” in their contracts did not have any interest in developing Enes,” but hey. We all can’t be that direct. The lack of a unified direction within the Jazz org, and between the new GM and the existing coach ended up creating friction.”
Sam Smith of Bulls.com: “Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was famously among several Western Conference coaches to complain in 2008 when the Lakers seemed to steal Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies. It subsequently worked out for the Grizzlies, who quietly received the rights to the unheralded Marc Gasol in the deal. So maybe everyone will withhold judgment on the Jazz handing Enes Kanter to the Thunder for basically salary cap flexibility—not generally a big deal in Utah which is not exactly a free agent destination—and a protected first round pick. Kanter got his second double/double Sunday in two games for the Thunder and 16th of the season, a rare young big man with offensive skills who runs the court. The Jazz now in less than two years have basically given away Al Jefferson and Paul Millsap, both All-Stars, and now Kanter, who is good enough to become an All-Star. The Thunder’s fate, obviously, rests with Durant, who underwent another foot procedure. So we’ll see if he is able to be at full health for a playoff run. Perhaps for Oklahoma City it’s not quite making up for moving James Harden, but it was a heck of an acquisition.”
