Tuesday Bolts – 7.15.14

: “When word leaked that the Thunder brass was lobbying Gasol, including talk that OKC was a place he would enjoy living, I knew it was a lost cause. Remember the old saying about shopping in exclusive stores? If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it? Well, if you have to convince Gasol that your city meets his standards, you’ve lost the cause already. It was a good effort. It was a worthy endeavor. But the truth is, the Thunder had little hope of signing Gasol. Most NBA players don’t discriminate much on geography. They like warm weather, and beaches are nice, and the bright lights of New York and LA have an advantage. But culture and cosmopolitan status affect few. Pau Gasol is one of the few.”

Andrew Sharp of Grantland: “Houston also stole James Harden from OKC, and it was a brilliant move at the time. Everyone around the league was cursing Morey’s evil genius. Two years later, Harden’s a first-team All-NBA guard … and he’s neck-and-neck with Dwight for least-enjoyable teammate in the NBA, and probably the biggest reason everything fell apart for the Rockets in this year’s playoffs.”

Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com on LeBron’s power play: “There are three main reasons James is going this route. First, it protects him from missing out on being able to cash in if and when the salary cap jumps in the coming years and provides for a matching large jump in the maximum salary. Second, it opens the door for James to be in position to take advantage if the maximum salary is either abolished or vastly raised in 2017 when a new CBA can be negotiated. You can be assured that James will be heavily involved in those talks. He envisions getting a Michael Jordan-esque payday at the end of his career. Like when Jordan made $63 million over his final two years with the Chicago Bulls, James could put himself in position to get some huge back-end paydays to make up for how he feels he’s been underpaid along the way. Third, the short deals keep his team under pressure to continue spending on talent around him. With the chance to become a free agent every year, James will constantly have the ability to exert maximum influence around the team.”

Marc Stein of ESPN.com on Team USA’s roster: “Aldridge and Leonard have apparently opted for rest this summer after their long seasons, with Leonard also in the midst of negotiations on a contract extension with the Spurs. Wall is also recharging after the Wizards’ run to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, but the door has not been closed on a late summons to camp at month’s end after the recent pullout of Russell Westbrook, with Westbrook deciding to give a right knee that endured three surgeries last season more time to mend.”

Bourbon Street Shots has a season in review of Anthony Morrow: “It’s rare to see a guy so effective from every spot behind the line. Normally, guys become specialists from the corner or one of the wings, but Morrow is over 42% from all five spots. Specifically, Morrow was very good coming off screens (40%) and in spot up opportunities (43.4%) from deep, but where he really thrived was in transition, where he shot 47.4% from three. Morrow headed straight for those wing spots and killed teams when they didn’t find him in transition. And when they did, it opened up the lane for a guard or AD streaking to the basket. In addition to his personal productivity, Morrow makes others better just by occupying a defender in all situations. Point blank, he is just a guy you can’t leave.”

Grant Jerrett is rumored to have a multi-year deal with the Thunder coming. Upside and Motor breaks him down: “Having just turned 21 last week, Jerrett is definitely a D-Leaguer to watch for the next couple of seasons. With the need for floor-spacing and shooting from big men so utterly prevalent in today’s game, Jerrett is as good a bet as any other player in the D-League right now to make the NBA eventually. There is probably a universe where Jerrett continues to develop and reaches the level that Channing Frye hit this season with the Suns. That’s the kind of talent we’re talking about here. Whether or not he can get there will be up to his work ethic and the Tulsa/Oklahoma City coaching staffs. Even if it doesn’t work out like that, this was a no-brainer decision for the Thunder, and one that should pay dividends for them moving into the future.”