@daywalker02 - I feel like they're going to be connected to every single big name on the trade market because... well no one can match their assets, but then I just never see the splash happen. It makes me think they're not serious and just kicking the can down the road. @Aruba77 - In fairness, a lot of those moved 2nds were for the botched Brook Lopez situation, which I can't really hold against Stone too much, plus getting off KPJ was just a necessary thing at this point. I agree with most of your sentiment though, OKC is better than us right at this second AND loaded with assets. You can't really complain about that. I just need to see him pull the trigger on this elusive superstar and see how it fits with SGA, Chet, and them. Until then, I'm not sure what to think of them other than "nice young squad."
It is really up to the individual to evaluate how good of a trader Sam Presti really is, I think he is not known as a trade specialist. https://clutchpoints.com/thunder-10-best-trades-in-franchise-history-after-move-to-okc-ranked Acquiring Shai and Paul George were not shabby.
I think Presti has done a spectacular job of navigating the tank and collecting assets to further improve his roster. But he has an uphill battle simply based on location. Who in their right mind wants to live / play in the middle of Dust Bowl Nowhere? Even if it's done via trade, he has to convince a star to come play in what may be the least desirable city in the league. As for Stone's use of 2nd round picks to move players around, I'm not upset with that - None of those players are currently on a standard NBA contract - they are all on 2 way's. The Thunder have four picks in the 2025 draft, three in 26 and two in 27. They don't have roster spots for that many - They literally cannot make all those picks. Similarly, this Rockets roster doesn't have space for those 2nd round picks. He used 2nd's he would never have roster spots for to dump guys who are fringe NBA players and free up cap space to potentially land a game changer in Lopez who by all reports was ready to sign on the dotted line and backed out at the last minute. If Lopez doesn't back out, Stone most certainly has assembled a playoff caliber roster by adding him to FVV, Brooks and the internal improvement. Doing that after the three seasons where the high water mark was 22 wins is job well done.
Joe, respectively. Your outrage at how it was handled is not important to the team, nor should it be.
Its not about my outrage fool lol I wish they had listened to my outrage at having him here in the first place, guess that didnt matter either lol "nothing matters" another idiot that sounds like DD. Next you'll call me a terrible leader for not wanting kpj on the team lol
Also the rockets didnt say he would never be with the team again right away they just leaked rumors that he would be traded and stone said that weeks later. Another poster keen on changing history to fit their emotions lol Im merely explaining why there was rage dont change details and lie about what happened it shows you really have no point at all.
Yeah, I have been saying similar. There IS a point where those are just wasted assets and OKC seems to be dangerously close to that point. Sure no team has more assets to throw at a trade, but also those assets depreciate when people know you can't possibly use them all and once they start paying Giddey and Holmgren and eventually Jalen Williams along with Shai this roster could start to get very expensive. They are locked into a lot of firsts at that point which are generally high value picks BUT if you are in the luxury tax you start paying extra in luxury tax dollars for those new picks lessening the value to you. I suppose the play here is - by 2025 they should have an idea of what this team's identity is and they would have a deep enough treasure chest of first over the next few years that they go build the team of their dreams and throw ALL the picks and young studs(maybe Giddey or Holmgren are thrown in) to get THE perfect fit for your roster from who you decide to build around - maybe that's Shai, maybe that's Williams, maybe Holmgren, etc. I think the problem with that strategy is - is anyone really for sale at the right price? Let's say they get to that point and decide they need an elite 3 and d wing to pair with Shai and find their top 5 choices are not for sale by their teams - maybe those teams just really like their player, maybe they don't want a rebuild, maybe they don't like the particular players OKC is offering or maybe those teams have redundant positional players on their roster....regardless, it opens up the possibility that you wanted a Kawhi type of player but end up with a Harrison Barnes instead. Not a bad player - but not exactly the type of player you trade a ton of assets and let's say a Jalen Williams for...
You also (even with depreciation) parlay the picks into future picks to where you have picks for perpetuity.
Yeah, I get it but of course it's NOT in perpetuity if it's depreciating. Those are opposing concepts but I think the better way to look at it is you are renting the right to choose that pick at some cost that you will probably eventually lose money on if you decide to sell it - Promise is generally worth more than Actual. It's never valueless, but it's also a poor return on investment unless you happen to win the ping pong balls in a Wemby type of draft with that pick.
it’s in perpetuity if you are also taking the player the Thunder just used to create 4 2nd round picks. The ever injured Oladipo
If ever there were a cautionary tale, KPJ is it. I hope he gets his life together as a person. I'm glad I no longer have to endure him as a fan.
One thing I could see OKC trying to do with their excess picks in the coming years is to target aging guys on expiring contracts as superstar rentals, similar to Kawhi Leonard's time in Toronto. Getting 2-3 firsts for a last year contract guy in his 30s would probably be seen as a coup for most teams; and OKC could realistically pull that maneuver every single year for the next half-decade, without even touching the three consecutive lottery picks that Houston is going to be sending them. Most of the leverage that superstars have to choose their destination comes down to the threat that they won't sign a long term deal. But just looking at Jrue Holliday, Chris Paul, and James Harden this summer, these are guys that you probably don't want to have to feel obligated to sign to a long term deal. Just bring them in, let them play for their next contract, and then cycle out their salary slot for the next disgruntled expiring contract the following summer. It's a fairly unusual and risky way to build a team. When you trade away lots of picks for short term gain, it's a near certainty that eventually one of the picks turns out to be a superstar. But it seems clear to me that these kinds of players are a market inefficiency that OKC is poised to exploit if they want to.
What did your 2023 hold Clutchfans that you're thankful for? Me, I'm thankful this utter clown is no longer wearing Rockets red. When I need to put a smile on my face, I just go back and read the tweet which spurred the creation of this thread. Truly a thing of beauty.
