Tuesday Bolts – 7.26.16

James Herbert of CBSSports.com: “It is not entirely fair that Westbrook is in this

position. He’s dealing with the stressful part of free agency — potentially devastating a franchise and a city — but he is not really free because his options are limited. He won’t, for example, be able to make a move to a championship team like Durant did. No contender would realistically be able to acquire him without gutting its roster. Even if Westbrook fully respects Durant’s decision, it would be difficult for him not to be frustrated by the effects of it. And he can’t really be mad at Oklahoma City, as the front office obviously must avoid losing both of them for nothing.”

Anthony Slater: “The Thunder may have sniffed out the dying market for Waiters and, fearing he’d take it and wanting to maintain financial flexibility for a possible renegotiation/extension with Westbrook or another move, pulled the qualifying offer. If Westbrook was ready to renegotiate, there’s no question the Thunder would jump at the opportunity. Westbrook’s intentions remain unknown.”

The Ringer has a map of Waiters Island: “After visiting the Troll, a hypnotized Dion journeyed north, desperate for semi-open looks. After days of walking and flailing his arms about, he found himself at Thirst Pond, a small body of standing apple juice on the northeast side of Waiters Island. Though he drank from the pond alongside new teammates dressed in blue, Dion remained thirsty.”

Here’s a thing about Russell Westbrook’s present situation I wrote.

Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript: “Upon him putting pen to paper in Miami, Waiters takes his cap hold off the Thunder’s books, of course. The team can open up about $14.4 million in cap space if it chooses to do so. With Waiters’ money officially off the books, you can bet they’ll do everything they can to convince Westbrook to renegotiate and extend his deal. Sometimes, front-office decisions aren’t just about ability. They can be about finding complements, too. The Thunder are particularly high on the newly signed Alex Abrines. They already have Andre Roberson. Westbrook and Oladipo seem poised to man the starting guard roles. So, would Waiters have found himself the odd man out if he were to have returned? And would he have come back for the same amount of money he took in Miami, where he may not have to fight as hard for playing time?”

If you missed it: Cameron Payne had surgery.

NSFW: I also wrote something about Durant’s debut at Oracle tonight.

Sam Amick of USA Today: “Yet as Durant has acknowledged, this union never would have happened if any of the incumbent Warriors players had been reluctant to make him feel welcome. But in that Hamptons free agency meeting where the deal got done — Curry, Thompson, Green and Andre Iguodala sat across from Durant while getting interrogated by his agent and later went for a players-only walk outside the rented mansion — their ability to convince Durant that they truly wanted him on board was as big a factor as any. And Thompson, who was grilled by Rich Kleiman of Roc Nation Sports, more than the rest, sent the kind of genuine message that clearly resonated.”