Exactly. The ONLY way Russ stays in OKC is if he is just crazy enough to think "f' KD and this superteam crap, I'm going to stay and be the greatest Thunder player ever and win some rings"... with that crazy sense of bravado he has. But that seems super unlikely. His personality is a clash with OKC, and OKC is no longer the best basketball landing for him to be in contention every year. The market is too small, etc. Russ isn't staying. If Presti could get Isiah Thomas, the Nets pick in 2017, and maybe another player, that'd be a steal for him at this point. Even if its just those two, that's a solid return. IT has two years left, and is one of the best contracts in the NBA. I'd go for something like: the Nets pick, unless it is the #1 pick, in which case the Nets pick the following year, plus IT, and get on with that FAST. as bad as the Nets will likely be, there's lots of bad teams, and you're most likely looking at a top 5 pick, not the #1 pick. It gives Ainge some protection, too. But a top 5 pick, in what is supposed to be a better draft, in Presti's hands, is a potential superstar.
It would be disastrous to leave yes but not if the alternative is the crap that Ainge is rumoured to be offering. Hunter, Amir and Zeller and Smart. If there is a good legitimate offer then yes but if not better to roll the dice and see what happens.
For sure. Do you think the Suns rumor offer is "real"? Bledsoe, Bender, 2017 first? That's not a bad package at all - Bledsoe health aside. Seems like Presti only really needs 1 legit offer to start the negotiation game. The question would be does the value go up or down as the season progresses. Seems like it can only go down. So if he has just 1 legit offer right now, or this summer, I think he has to move on that, try and negotiate with Celtics, or Lakers or whomelse for something better, but otherwise pull the trigger.
With Durant gone, Westbrook has the green light to go full Westbrook and inflate his numbers, I'd expect his value to go up
He could average 35/10/10... and it still won't change the fact that he's an upcoming free agent, and the less time a team has to get him acclimated, get chemistry working, and make a deep playoff run with him on the roster, the more unlikely it will be he'll stay with that team. The issue isn't his production. Everyone knows what he is. The question will be, will he resign with the team. Presti needs a couple of teams he might resign with. While he isn't speaking, one would assume he'd be okay signing long-term with the Celtics, Lakers, Spurs. Potentially the Knicks (if he values the market... but what could they trade?), Miami.
I am not aware of such a rumour. Where did you hear it from? Anyway I wouldn't be surprised because Sarver is an impatient owner who wants a star and would take the risk. Same with Kroenke in Denver. I can see either of them taking the chance. For sure if the offer they have to beat is the kind that Ainge is rumoured to be making.
Assuming this is a true offer, i don't think it's good enough honestly... An injured Bledsoe is not what Presti is looking for at this point imo...even if healty (and that's a very big "if") he's far from a franchise player project, and that's what i'm sure they're looking for right now, a guy like Russell, Mudiay, Booker...Bledsoe takes them nowhere... Bender is ok i guess, but since they just traded for Sabonis i'm not sure that's a great asset for the Thunder... The 1st would be just an ok pick, probably not even a lottery one if Westbrook goes there, i mean, with Chandler, Knight, Booker, Tucker...if they trade for a decent/good stretch 4, they can fight for the playoffs pretty easy.
Well, it was just a rumor. That aside, that's the rub right. Bledsoe is injured a lot, but very solid when healthy. Bender is another PF prospect, but is nonetheless a very high draft pick prospect. And the Suns with Westbrook are clearly improved, but playoff worthy? OKC in KDs injured year was better and didn't make it (though the West was better overall). I just don't see them as playoff worthy even with Westbrook. While that's not a star in return, or guaranteed high lotto picks... it's a decent haul, and the current OKC roster isn't competing for championships so basically you'd have a whole season down the drain towards nothing, all resting on the hope of Westbrook resigning, which intuitively seems like less than a 50% chance, only to then have to figure out how to make the team even better after going through that FA ****show again (as it will undoubtedly be). Basically, you have to trade Westbrook. Its not quite the Dwight situation, where even as it was happening it was obvious DM shoudl have moved him for a bag of chips if it wouldn't have hurt the offseason cap space. But it is a situation where you really have to move him. So a return like the Suns package isn't great, but its a decent return.
Eh, i don't really know at this point, they were with a very young Adams, a pretty bad Ibaka (who also went out in the end of the season) and guys like Singler, Kanter...personally i'd take a core of Chandler, Tucker, Knight and Booker over those Thunder guys, and i think in a scenario like this, the Suns would want to go all in and trade for a very good PF...i mean, i know it's not that easy, but what if they can trade for Millsap? Chandler Millsap Tucker Booker Wes That's a very good and balanced team if you ask me...not sure they can trade for Wes AND Millsap but they have a lot of assets...two Miami 1st rounders (one unprotected), all their picks, Len, Warren, Knight/Bledsoe, Bender, Chriss, Ulis, the rights of Bogdanovic... In the end i agree it's not a bad package but eh, i think they can easily do better.
Yikes! I think this situation will be more interesting to watch play out then even watching the Warriors. You know the Warriors will be dominant. Westbrook is going to be crazy in terms of absolute stats this year. Presti is a fantastic GM, but has made a couple of HUGE blunders (not that losing KD was his fault necessarily... but did they keep Brooks too long, not getting Harden done and giving him an ultimatum, etc.) But it's virtually a 100% given that Westbrook will entertain a superstar like FA period next offseason where 5 or 6 teams come to meet him in some random location, and it will come down to the Thunder and some other front runner and be 50/50. If Presti (and Thunder ownership and management) have the guts to see that through again... more power to them!
He was going to lose the trade regardless but he didn't have to take a F on it or lose the following season when he could have had Harden on a rookie deal and traded him the following summer as a RFA.
