Will he or won't he? That is the question

[OKCRT]

Westbrook.......


Also wondering if Presti is going to be able to make any major moves. I wouldn't sign Roberson for over 8 mil per. so hope he gets his money somewhere else. Can't see how trading Kanter makes any sense since he is one of the few scorers the Thunder have.

[Roger S]

. Can't see how trading Kanter makes any sense since he is one of the few scorers the Thunder have.

He's a defensive liability.... We really need some players that can play on both ends.

[OKCRT]

He's a defensive liability.... We really need some players that can play on both ends.

Yes he is but he can play against most teams. There are a few teams he is a defensive liability against but there's also many teams he can dominate at times. Not against trading him if they can get good return though.

[shadfar]

this is where Presti earns his money. The next couple of years are big for him. He doesn't make the right moves it maybe the end of his time here.

[Jake]

The Thunder have zero cap space and have Kanter's awful contract to battle against.

We'll see what happens.

[catch22]

I'm hoping he will sign on July 4!

[Bellaboo]

I'm hoping he will sign on July 4!

That would be ironic.

[Laramie]

After Durant burned Thunder fans with a case of the NBA basketball claps (Golden State Gonorrhea); you don't know what to expect from these superstars. My gut feeling is Westbrook will sign.

My gut feelings were that Durant would resign with the Thunder; my chitterlings were gutted after the news of him joining The Nutcracker Draymond Green & the Golden State Warriors.

[Thomas Vu]

There are reports already saying that Russ is going to sign a 5 year. I don't recall reports about Durant would have signed at the time.

I'm with CRT in regards to Kanter.

[cinnamonjock]

That would be ironic.

It would be iconic.

[Zuplar]

Yep Westbrook resigns.

Him and Presti have already talked and got a plan going forward. That's my best guess anyways.

[dankrutka]

There are reports already saying that Russ is going to sign a 5 year. I don't recall reports about Durant would have signed at the time.

I'm with CRT in regards to Kanter.

I haven't seen a real report dating this. Just pure speculation.

[dankrutka]

OKC's cap situation limits their ability to make any moves. Kanter is almost completely unplayable in the playoffs against any team that plays small - see the Warriors and Rockets. Not that OKC would be able to beat either of those teams, but it's a pretty big liability to pay someone that much money who can't even play against certain teams. I'll understand if they trade him. Unfortunately, I don't think he has much trade value. Kanter can help in the regular season and against some teams so I hope they don't give him up for nothing, but that could happen. We'll see...

I'd go up to $10 million per season for Roberson, but Kanter would likely have to go if that happened. I also could see Oladipo (preferably) or Adams traded in the right deal. For example, in the unlikely situation that OKC can get in the Blake Griffin sweepstakes, offloading one of their contracts would help.

[SoonerDave]

OKC's cap situation limits their ability to make any moves. Kanter is almost completely unplayable in the playoffs against any team that plays small - see the Warriors and Rockets. Not that OKC would be able to beat either of those teams, but it's a pretty big liability to pay someone that much money who can't even play against certain teams. I'll understand if they trade him. Unfortunately, I don't think he has much trade value. Kanter can help in the regular season and against some teams so I hope they don't give him up for nothing, but that could happen. We'll see...

I'd go up to $10 million per season for Roberson, but Kanter would likely have to go if that happened. I also could see Oladipo (preferably) or Adams traded in the right deal. For example, in the unlikely situation that OKC can get in the Blake Griffin sweepstakes, offloading one of their contracts would help.

We can divide the salary by the number of missed free throws and come up with a really nice Bricks Per Dollar figure. Can't believe we'd pay him $10M.

Thunder are a lot closer to blowing up and restarting than they are taking one superstar and making something out of it with essentially no cap space. And I think Presti gets *waaaayy* too much of a pass for that - the contract situation is just awful.

[sooner88]

Woj reported today that we're still showing strong interest in Rudy Gay. I wouldn't be surprised if we sign him (barring he isn't $20mm+), resign as many of our free agents that we can, and trade them by the deadline to avoid a big hit on the luxury tax.

[dankrutka]

We can divide the salary by the number of missed free throws and come up with a really nice Bricks Per Dollar figure. Can't believe we'd pay him $10M.

Do we then get to get an opponents Bricks Per Dollar figure considering Roberson is a top 3 wing defender in the NBA? Seriously though, I get that Roberson is frustrating. I get frustrated by his offense. But, I don't think people realize he is the key reason OKC had a top 10 defense. He makes the game easier for every other defensive player. He also understands his limitations on offense and, when he is able to cut to the basket, he can do okay at times. The market will tell, but I suspect Roberson will be gone because some team will pay him $12 million a season. And, the problem for OKC is, it'll be hard to attract a replacement. That's why getting Roberson at $10 million may be the best OKC can do.

[dankrutka]

Woj reported today that we're still showing strong interest in Rudy Gay. I wouldn't be surprised if we sign him (barring he isn't $20mm+), resign as many of our free agents that we can, and trade them by the deadline to avoid a big hit on the luxury tax.

I don't understand the supposed Rudy Gay fascination from OKC (maybe Gay's camp is leaking it to increase his value). I'd rather have Roberson than Gay, but here's a good write up from Andrew Schlect: http://dailythunder.com/does-rudy-ga...h-the-thunder/

[Jake]

I agree with all of this. Roberson is one of, if not the only, player on the team that is good at defense.

His offense is frustrating, but his defense is suberb. I'd like to keep him.

[Thomas Vu]

OKC has been dead last in ball movement for the last two years, and we'd probably set some record if Gay joined the team.

As much flack as Kanter gets here, a few words could be changed and the same argument could be made about Roberson on the other side of the court. He's a great individual defender, and in the playoffs it translates to a high PnR at the beginning of every set of every opponents play.

[sooner88]

With Gay's Achilles injury there's a possibility that we may be able to get him for cheap, and/or use the MLE. I agree that he's not a top tier FA like some of the others, and the injury will reduce his effectiveness on the court but if the $ is right it could be a good acquisition. He averages 18 pts/gm, and we all know that an additional offensive threat would be welcomed with open arms. Kanter is good, but the fact that he is rendered useless in entire series makes him expendable. I don't think that anyone will offer anything worthwhile for him though, so I don't see him leaving. Roberson is a big question mark. I am really curious to see what he will get offered, and I'm sure we have an internal dollar amount that we're willing to match. The next week or two is going to be really fun (hopefully) for Thunder fans.

[OKCRT]

Roberson is more of a liability on offense than Kanter is on defense. Roberson was really exposed during the playoffs and teams will expose him even more this upcoming season. He is just brutal on offense and a team like the Thunder needs scorers. He is just not a good fit for the Thunder at this time. He causes the offense bog down and defenses are playing 5 on 4 when he's on the floor. THAT IS NO BUENO! If I'm the Thunder I don't sign him at any price.

[Thomas Vu]

Roberson is more of a liability on offense than Kanter is on defense. Roberson was really exposed during the playoffs and teams will expose him even more this upcoming season. He is just brutal on offense and a team like the Thunder needs scorers. He is just not a good fit for the Thunder at this time. He causes the offense bog down and defenses are playing 5 on 4 when he's on the floor. THAT IS NO BUENO! If I'm the Thunder I don't sign him at any price.

I was trying to find a nicer way to say that. In addition to everybody hedging on him on offense, he's hackable. He's like a a less potent DeAndre Jordan, and even less so with him standing in the corner. He gets those cuts to the rim cause nobody is watching him.

[SoonerDave]

I agree with all of this. Roberson is one of, if not the only, player on the team that is good at defense.

His offense is frustrating, but his defense is suberb. I'd like to keep him.

If we're going to have an offense predicated on jacking up 3's as much as anything, we've got to have at least one guy who can actually offer a decent chance at *making* them.

[Jake]

I'd rather have Roberson than Rudy Gay. By a lot. Every advanced metric and statistic says the team is better with Roberson on the floor.

Rudy Gay is going to be 31 years old, coming off of a torn Achilles who is a career volume shooter that never fully pieced it together for any team he's been with. Together with Kanter, I don't understand why Presti is so keen on players that are, at best, reclamation projects. (Kanter, Waiters, Gay)

[Jake]

As far as Roberson's offense, namely his free-throw shooting goes, yeah, it's horrendous. There's no defense for it. Being a wing player and being that awful at free-throws is a definite problem that needs to be addressed and fixed.

He's defininitely not an amazing, all-star player or anything. But his flaws aren't what's holding the team back right now imo. The bad roster and bad contracts are, and signing Rudy Gay and letting the team's only good defender walk would make it worse.