National Basketball Association

[Roger S]

You are one big ray of sunshine.

At this point I'm pretty sure this poster is either Stephen Smith or Skip Bayless trolling small local forums testing out their material.

[Anonymous.]

You are one big ray of sunshine. Our management had no control over 5 year contract options, salary cap, etc determined by the league. Lots of factors play into player movement.

We can thank the Thunder ownership for having a team in OKC.

Haha, right? Casual fans still don't and never will understand the money parts of the entire thing. All they can clamor is "ownership was cheap". At the time of our 2012 Finals run, zero people had any idea the cap was going to go up when it did. Without this future-telling knowledge, the only way to make decisions was based off of what the current CBA was at the time - which would have put OKC in a heavily compounding repeater tax for multiple seasons down the road. (Almost no teams go into this)

Then like the rug being pulled out from OKC, the CBA was renegotiated and the Harden trade now is a big "I told ya so!"

But wait, the entire thing isn't done biting our franchise yet. Instead of smoothing the cap rise, the players and other franchises voted to let the cap jump up for 2016 in one big leap. This allows multiple teams to magically have superstar-level capspace open up overnight. Cue the Golden State Warriors influencing KD and the combination of Klay Thompson going nuclear in game 6 to finally stick it to OKC and teach the franchise a lesson.

Again, the casual fans will clamor once more "But you had 8 seasons of KD/RW and couldn't win a ring" - yet again, the casualness often forgets that during that entire reign the team was riddled with major injuries and [perhaps] a lacking Scott Brooks.


If anything, the entire timing of everything for OKC has been [probably] the unluckiest scenario in professional sports history.

[dcsooner]

You are one big ray of sunshine. Our management had no control over 5 year contract options, salary cap, etc determined by the league. Lots of factors play into player movement.

We can thank the Thunder ownership for having a team in OKC.

I do I am a season ticket holder (5 years now)

[dankrutka]

All our castoffs are either Starting or contributing big time..

Agreed. I've really enjoyed watching Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, Anthony Morrow, Mitch McGary, Randy Foye, DJ Augustine, Steve Novak, Grant Jerrett, Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, Hasheem Thabeet, Eric Maynor, and Byron Mullens ALL either Starting or contributing big time..

[Thomas Vu]

Agreed. I've really enjoyed watching Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, Anthony Morrow, Mitch McGary, Randy Foye, DJ Augustine, Steve Novak, Grant Jerrett, Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, Hasheem Thabeet, Eric Maynor, and Byron Mullens ALL either Starting or contributing big time..

Rumors of even Reggie Jackson were circulating when the regular season winded down.

[king183]

At this point I'm pretty sure this poster is either Stephen Smith or Skip Bayless trolling small local forums testing out their material.

No kidding. This is his M.O. He is the most negative and predictable person on the forum. But it's actually become hilarious to me because I can always (literally 100% of the time) predict what his response will be to certain posts.

[king183]

Agreed. I've really enjoyed watching Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, Anthony Morrow, Mitch McGary, Randy Foye, DJ Augustine, Steve Novak, Grant Jerrett, Perry Jones, Jeremy Lamb, Hasheem Thabeet, Eric Maynor, and Byron Mullens ALL either Starting or contributing big time..

Hahahaha. Love it.

And as Thomas alluded to, Reggie Jackson has become (always was?) toxic and probably won't be with the Pistons next year.

[dcsooner]

No kidding. This is his M.O. He is the most negative and predictable person on the forum. But it's actually become hilarious to me because I can always (literally 100% of the time) predict what his response will be to certain posts.

Nostradamus has returned (Lol)

[Bellaboo]

I do I am a season ticket holder (5 years now)

You live in North Carolina, either giving your seats away to relatives or selling them on the TicketExchange or StubHub.

I'm going on my 8th year in club level, and attend most of the games.

James Harden was offered a great contract by the Thunder, but was limited to a 4 years deal. Russell already had the Thunders 5 year deal and Houston's 5 year contract is what lured him. And I don't blame him one bit. I also saw an interview last year with Harden where he offered up that he, at the time, regretted his move to Houston. Now that they are winning this year probably not anymore though....

[chuck5815]

Will be interesting to see how ESPN's troubles might impact the NBA. I read that the average cable package includes about $30 of NBA related costs per year.

If people continue cutting the cable cord, that's potentially a lot of missing revenue for ESPN, and by extension, the NBA.

[Anonymous.]

So I've been watching some of the other series still going on in the NBA. And I honestly think Golden State could go 16-0. It is effortless for them right now. KD could legit chill on the bench until the WCF and they would still sweep.

[Thomas Vu]

So I've been watching some of the other series still going on in the NBA. And I honestly think Golden State could go 16-0. It is effortless for them right now. KD could legit chill on the bench until the WCF and they would still sweep.

Rockets may take 1 with TP going down. Sucks that Hill didn't play last night.

[SoonerDave]

So I've been watching some of the other series still going on in the NBA. And I honestly think Golden State could go 16-0. It is effortless for them right now. KD could legit chill on the bench until the WCF and they would still sweep.

That was the whole point of them "recruiting" him - it was worth paying him whatever they needed to in order for him *not* to play for the Thunder. His contribution to *their* team was and remains entirely incidental.

[Thomas Vu]

That was the whole point of them "recruiting" him - it was worth paying him whatever they needed to in order for him *not* to play for the Thunder. His contribution to *their* team was and remains entirely incidental.

He's a complete upgrade in every way to Harrison Barnes too.

*edit*
Maybe Mike Brown read your post. KD carrying the team through the most of 3 quarters.

[Anonymous.]

May 5th, 2017. So I've been watching some of the other series still going on in the NBA. And I honestly think Golden State could go 16-0. It is effortless for them right now. KD could legit chill on the bench until the WCF and they would still sweep.

1 win away. KD hit the biggest shot of his career last night with a transition 3 with about 45 sec to go. They're going to do it. They're actually going to go undefeated down the "hardest road" and KD gets his first ring.

[Anonymous.]

KD got his ring and Finals MVP last night. It took Cleveland having an amazing game on Friday to keep them from 16-0. Crazy to think how good Cleveland is, and then the fact they basically got swept - really shows the lack of competition the Warriors have.

I don't know if it is just my own bias and emotion, but something odd about KD's celebration last night gave me a vibe that even he felt/knows how empty that championship is.

If KD stays in Oakland, the next few years of the NBA is going to be warriors planning annual parades, and Cleveland trying to collect every possible veteran in the league to even have a chance at taking a game. Wake me up in 2020. ZZZZZZzzzzzzzz....

[chuck5815]

I don't know how the Warriors can keep that core together without dipping into the tax fairly deeply. They have to finally start paying Curry, Igoudala is going to be expensive on the open market, and Livingston ain't cheap either.

[dankrutka]

I don't know how the Warriors can keep that core together without dipping into the tax fairly deeply. They have to finally start paying Curry, Igoudala is going to be expensive on the open market, and Livingston ain't cheap either.

The Warriors will be good for the next two years and then it gets more complex. That KD is already talking about giving the Warriors a discount is depressing even if that can only help so much. As Zach Lowe points out in this excellent article, the logical solution in a few years is to trade Klay: http://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/1...017-nba-finals

Three superstars and trading Klay for cheaper role players would likely keep the championships rolling in. I honestly think this Warriors team is the most talented team in pro sports history and barring multiple massive injuries, I see them winning the next 3-5 titles without much competition. Unfortunately, the only way to compete with them is for another team to somehow assemble a super team and further gut other teams in the league. This will put pressure on players like Russ to form superteams, which likely would not be in OKC. Maybe The NBA will still be fun, but the conclusion is pretty much a guaranteed Warriors champtionship every year until something big changes.

[SOONER8693]

"most talented team in pro sports history"

You need to look into the history of the Yankees.

[SoonerDave]

Gotta tell you guys, this narrative about superteams and the NBA's general indifference toward them really gives me pause about how OKC is going to keep the Thunder going/viable. What happens in a few years when the grousing starts about the age/condition of the Peake, but it's no longer hosting a perennial title contender?

Said it when KD shafted OKC, and I'll say it again..I'm not sure the Thunder will exist in OKC in five years (well, now, four). Don't mean to be a debbie downer, but...esp with there being no guarantees about RW (and he can't be the whole team, either)

[Zuplar]

Gotta tell you guys, this narrative about superteams and the NBA's general indifference toward them really gives me pause about how OKC is going to keep the Thunder going/viable. What happens in a few years when the grousing starts about the age/condition of the Peake, but it's no longer hosting a perennial title contender?

Said it when KD shafted OKC, and I'll say it again..I'm not sure the Thunder will exist in OKC in five years (well, now, four). Don't mean to be a debbie downer, but...esp with there being no guarantees about RW (and he can't be the whole team, either)

I've had these same concerns. Sure hope we are wrong.

[SoonerDave]

I've had these same concerns. Sure hope we are wrong.

Me, too. That Peake issue is a big deal, because we got that thing for *absurdly* cheap, whereas a comparable new facility would easily be a nine-figure proposition. I know we've done quite a few upgrades to it, but none of that will have the appeal of some city who has a brand new arena they need to fill. And let's not even talk about what might happen if RW doesn't see the roster changes to at least try to rebuild the franchise...then I think it might well be game over.

Lots of folks here warned everyone to enjoy the time we had with those great teams, because they're fleeting, and they wouldn't last forever. Welcome to the wrong side of that rear-view mirror.

[OkiePoke]

The Peake has all the amenities that the brand new arenas have. Thinking OKC will not have a team in 4 years is absurd. Small market teams go in cycles, this is no different.

[SoonerDave]

The Peake has all the amenities that the brand new arenas have. Thinking OKC will not have a team in 4 years is absurd. Small market teams go in cycles, this is no different.

I'm sure at some point the folks in Seattle thought the idea of their not having a team was "absurd." Just saying don't take it as a given. Because it isn't.

[Zuplar]

Me, too. That Peake issue is a big deal, because we got that thing for *absurdly* cheap, whereas a comparable new facility would easily be a nine-figure proposition. I know we've done quite a few upgrades to it, but none of that will have the appeal of some city who has a brand new arena they need to fill. And let's not even talk about what might happen if RW doesn't see the roster changes to at least try to rebuild the franchise...then I think it might well be game over.

Lots of folks here warned everyone to enjoy the time we had with those great teams, because they're fleeting, and they wouldn't last forever. Welcome to the wrong side of that rear-view mirror.

As devastating as it was for Durant to leave, loosing Westbrook at this point would be even worse. I'm hopeful as long as the ownership is truly committed to keeping the team here and competitive we have nothing to worry about. I just worry what happens if the worst happens and we lose Westbrook and becoming a cellar dweller in the West. Then I have a feeling people spend their money elsewhere then we have that whole debacle. This is part of the reason I'm honestly against things like getting the NFL or NHL.

Overall I'm just hoping for the best.