Wojnarowski thinks Durant and Westbrook will likely leave OKC

TO Houston? Or just leave OKC? (Your post in GARM biases me to think it's to Houston)

 

Loyalty is overrated. TD is a vanilla guy, from top to bottom, inside and out. People think KD is the same, but he's not. Westbrook certainly is not. Both will want to go to a bigger city with more going on, as long as the basketball is still good.

 

Yet TD was still damn near wooed out of SA to Orlando. If it weren't for his wife he would have been paired with T-Mac and what? about 30 games of Grant Hill?

Point is anyone can leave any team no matter how good we think they have it. Even the sorry ass Lakers.

 

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I don't think it would be to much of a shock if they did. At the end of the day it's still Oklahoma. I could see Westbrook wanting to be relocated. Durant staying without him would not work. So although Durant is fine in Oklahoma, he wouldn't be ok playing for a bottem team.

And bringing a legit star would be hard, because if they were to leave their recent team, why go to Oklahoma?( not trying to put Oklahoma down in anyway, i just think stars would think there were better options)

They should try to trade for a 3rd star now or next year and persuade them to stay.( extensions)

 

Wojnarowski thinks they will likely leave, then I have to agree with it. OKC would likely not win a title within two years, the city is a small market city, Durant was a former UT player, you should know that UT people hate OU very much, so Durant need come back Texas, Houston is your choice.

 

I can see KD leaving if OKC doesn't win a ring by the time his contract is up. Why should he be loyal to them when they're too cheap to keep a young contending core together?

 

I think Durant going to UT is being overplayed. He did only go there for one year and that was when UT basketball was really good and relevant. I don't think he cares too much about the OU rivalry (isn't it a football rivalry anyway?).

But I do think OKC needs to either prove they can win with Durant or Westbrook, or go get a third all star caliber player. If not and Westbrook leaves, Durant is sure to go. If anyone can fit Harden, Howard and Durant together, it will be Morey.

 

CH7 - - why is this in this forum?

Sure, KD and RW will stay. Presti is a genius.

 

How about Seattle gets a franchise back and signs both KD and Westbrook from OKC. That'd be the ultimate payback for Clay Bennett stealing their team.

 

One smaller note of interest from the Thunder segment: Woj completely throws Jeremy Lamb under the bus.

"I don't know if he'll be a big part of their future. I don't think he fits their culture."

Those are pretty strong words, and not something Woj would say without solid intel.

 

Because Jalen Rose insinuated that Durant would be coming here, so this is just adding more fuel to that fire. Also, Presti is far from a genius. He's handcuffed by their cheap owner, but he's also made some unforced gaffes on his own.

 

LeBron, it's early, what are you hearing and thoughts on LeBron? Does he stay in Miami? Cleveland?

It'll be a big story all year. I think it's more likely he stays. Things can change and they do. Wade's health will play a big factor in that going forward and the year he has. You look at Cleveland and go "Can he walk into Cleveland and keep winning championships?". Kyrie is great but he has been injured a lot. ...... I've been told all along it'll be Cleveland or Miami. There aren't a lot of teams set up to absorb him into cap space. Maybe Chicago if they let Deng leave and amnesty Boozer and create space but he's not going to Chicago. It doesn't make sense at this point. That's not going to happen. It's Cleveland or Miami. ...

You think back to when he left Cleveland for Miami. I don't think the Heat were mentioned as contenders. It was New York/New Jersey. Miami was an underdog the whole time right?

They were an underdog. They picked up steam as it went on.

Anybody who picks up steam this time around? Lakers?

I don't think so. The Lakers will try. I can't imagine where Kobe and LeBron play together. They don't have much to build around. He either goes back to Cleveland or stays where he is. I don't see anything else out there that makes sense or furthers his legacy. I do think things are set up for him to stay there. But things happen over the season. Things can change.

Kevin Durant, he has 3 more years in OKC. Is he a franchise guy with the Thunder (like Ewing/Knicks, Jordan/Chicago)?

I think it's gonna be hard for them to keep him and Westbrook, I really do, especially if they're not winning titles. You look at the Harden trade, they don't have a lot to show for it right now. Martin left as FA. I'm not sure Jeremy Lamb will be a part of their future there. I don't know that he fits their culture. I don't know if he's going to be a big part of it. Maybe that'll change. Maybe he'll grow. You look at them, as long as they have both Durant and Westbrook, they'll contend and win a lot of games but to me the chance of them keeping him for the long, long term was winning titles. Then it's hard to leave because you know you have this championship group. If that doesn't happen over the next few years, it's much easier for him to leave not just for NY or LA but Washington where he grew up, where John Wall is. I think it'll be hard to keep them. Westbrook is a LA kid. Russell spends a lot of time in New York in the fashion industry. I think that for OKC, they gotta win a title here to make those guys think twice. It's 3 years for Durant but it's a greater challenge now than we thought a year ago. The Harden deal has not worked out in any way. They don't have much to show for it.

These are, when you look at Durant and the possibilities, it's obviously NY, LA, the big markets but he is from Washington. They'll have a ready made backcourt of Wall and Beal. Those are the challenges and the competition the Thunder face when he comes up. Sam Presti is really, really good. He has done a tremendous job of acquring talent, keeping talent. You can criticize the Harden trade, it didn't work out the way they hoped it would but no one has done a better job. You look at the players he brought in: Ibaka where they drafted him, no one was taking Westbrook 4th, they were the only team that viewed him that highly, and you go down the list of the talent they brought in there. I won't count against Presti and Troy Weaver to continue to improve that team but the challenge will be great...to keep any player of that player in a small market will be difficult. Indiana has done a tremendous job. That first contract, it's always easy to keep the guy.

What the hell are the 76ers doing?

They're chasing history. This will be the worst team in history. They gutted it. I understand they were stuck in the 30-33 win group but they gutted it. The thing is, no matter how bad you are, you have a 75% chance of not getting the number one pick. Chances are they probably won't get Wiggins. The worst team has not won the lottery that often but no question that's the model they're following. Gut it and get as many picks as they can. Philly has taken it to another level.

Carmelo Anthony - staying or leaving?

I think he stays. He can get the full 5 years. I don't know how going to LA puts him closer to a championship. They don't have the pieces going forward. I think he'll end up staying and NY will go back at it in the summer of 2015 in FA.

Best player no one is talking about?

Best young player who I think is going to have a big season is Harrison Barnes. This is a guy who wants to be great and cares deeply. I think he's going to be a real star. He'll make a big jump this year.

Can the Warriors make the Finals?

Yes. Absolutely. I picked them in the West too. They are, Bogut is healthy. That's important to them. All their young players are a year older. They lose leadership with Jarrett Jack but I think their young guys are more mature. Defensively they do some of the best things in the league also. You look at the West, OKC - Westbrook will be back sooner than later but I give Golden State a real punchers chance to get out of there but the West is loaded. It'll be super competitive.

Kevin Love - what happens there?

He still got a ways to go here on this deal. A couple more years. I think he'll have a big year coming off the injury. I know he put in the time this summer. I think the best chance of Minnesota keeping him long term is the growth of Rubio and being the PG you don't want to leave and B) growing more comfortable with Flip Saunders. I don't know how much longer Adelman will coach and the direction they go from there will be key. The best way of keeping a great player is to win and have the pieces in place. That will be key for the Wolves.

 

If Durant decides to leave and he wants to head back to Texas, the Mavericks could be in a better position to get him if they decide not to totally bottom out in the next few years.

 

Took the words right out of my mouth. Could not have said it better. F--- Clay Bennett.

 

unless the Mavericks have enough talent to win a championship with Durant, then he's not going there. He'll want to win a ring with whatever team he chooses.

 

I get the first part; just don't agree it belongs here. I also don't agree Jalen Rose deserves a national platform.

To the latter, I guess you didn't see the sarcasm meter. Sorry.

 

Thanks for this!

 

LOL....the Sixers are going to suck monumentally!

They've totally taken the concept of gutting a team and rebuilding to another level......Happy to see that "Be Well" will be part of that fiasco! :grin:
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