The Thunder could have ran the Warriors playback before the Warriors did: Ibaka Durant Thabo Westbrook Harden
Damn. Thunders could have won 3 championship by now if they Harden. That's what happen when your owner is cheap. $2 millions a year more is what James wanted and the OKC Thunder said no thanks. James is only worth 13 millions a year, not $15 millions a year. $2 millions more a year is what separate the Thunder from becoming the Golden State Warriors and we would never have to hear about Stephanie Curry or Bass Mouth Raymond Green. $2 millions a year folks!! Ok, so they would have to pay all those luxury tax. What was the real cost with the luxury tax? $20 millions a year?? Isn' that worth those championship? Cleveland is paying $100 millions in luxury tax to resign T Thompson and everyone else. But Thunders were to cheap "Wednesday's deadline to extend Harden or allow him to become a restricted free agent next July had been hanging over the Thunder from the moment they reported to training camp, but sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein late Saturday the Rockets intend to sign the swingman to the max contract extension he was seeking before Wednesday's midnight deadline. The Thunder offered Harden $55.5 million over four years -- $4.5 million less than the max deal Harden coveted and will get from the Rockets, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Chris Broussard."
Warriors traded Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish for JB Carroll. LOL We would never heard of Bird and the Lakers vs Celtic crap in the 80's if the Warriors didn't give up 2 future HOF for 1 lazy center. Now because the Thunder gave away Harden, we have to hear about the Golden State Warriors. OKC created this GSW nightmare. This should never have happened.
They could have done two things to keep Harden: 1.) Give Harden the max that he wanted and pay the Luxury tax for the next 5 years like the Heats had to do and what the Cavs have to do now. 2.) Amensty Perkins to avoid the luxury tax 3.) Trade Ibaka They picked option #4. Trade Harden away for what they thought were assets.
The best super team is drafting Lebron James. Man Child is Guaranteed to take you in the playoff and go deep. Lebron plus 4 scrubs. But now I guess Lebron tired he has scrubby team mates and needs super stars.
Lebron, Wade, and Bosh still lost to Dallas their first year to reach the finals together. What's your point? Post
That only goes for the Eastern Conference. LeBron plus 4 "scrubs" is giving him way too much credit. He missed the playoffs his first 2 years and joined up with Wade and Bosh by 26 years old. That leaves 5 seasons out of his entire career that you could argue LeBron could carry a team by himself to the playoffs(in the extremely weak East). Even then, you disregard all of his veteran and role player help and top defensive squads in Clevland those years.
The point is they lost to them and LeBron won a championship AGAINST THEM Team A beat team B. Team A is better .
They could have kept all 4 by amnestying Perkins. And they kept Kendrick Perkins over James Harden. Let me repeat. They kept Kendrick Perkins. Over signing James Harden to a mini-max.
Again, what's your point? Team A wasn't built via the draft per the OP. Did you read the topic or forget the Heat were built via free agency? Post
What's your point? I don't care how that team was built, they lost. Miami won championships with LeBron. I'm not doing a what if this, what is essential what everyone does when results in reality doesn't fit what they want The point is they wouldn't stay together Durant didn't like Westbrook and Harden wanted to be a top star on his own squad 99
The spurs dynasty deserves to be debated against okc and gsw. Also, I just want to remind people that Toronto had both Vince Carter and Tracy mcgrady drafted back2back years. Blew it up before rookie contracts ended. Idiots.
Good to know you have no clue the OP asked if OKC was the best team BUILT FROM THE DRAFT. Your, "No, the Heat were better and I don't care how they were built!" tells us everything we need to know. Namely, you didn't read the OP before weighing in. Cheers! Post
Its karma for the way their ownership and David Stern screwed over the city of Seattle to move to OKC.
Duncan Ginobilli Parker Leonard Pretty Stout - Actually ringed (as did Dubs). OKC did not. Now if you're talking each players peak, but still being together? OKC damn scary; although I'd like to see that against the Spurs at each of their respective peaks (Duncan '01 - '04, Ginobilli '05 - '07, Parker '09 - '12, Leonard '18 - '22)
Don't forget Marcus Camby 2nd overall in 1996. Was there only 2 seasons and led the league in blocks (3.7bpg) and was really mobile and athletic when he was younger. They traded him at 23 years old for 35 year old Charles Oakley. Lol. They also traded Doug Christie for Corliss Williamson. Losing T-Mac wasn't really on them though. He left in free agency because he wanted his own team. The rookie contracts were different back then. Had it been like today, they would have just extended T-mac, but he became an unrestricted free agent after his 3 year rookie contract.