OKC Thunder exercise options on Harden, Ibaka, Maynor, Mullens and Aldrich

James Harden

The Oklahoma City Thunder has exercised contract options on five players Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today.

The Thunder exercised its fourth-year options on guard James Harden, forward Serge Ibaka, guard Eric Maynor and center Byron Mullens, as well as its third-year option on center Cole Aldrich.

Harden, who was selected third overall by the Thunder in the 2009 NBA Draft, averaged 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game in his second season. Harden appeared in all 82 games for the Thunder and was selected to the 2011 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge and Youth Jam Sophomore Team.

serge ibaka

Ibaka, the 24th overall selection in the 2008 NBA Draft, appeared in all 82 games (44 starts) for the Thunder during the 2010-11 season. The Republic of Congo native averaged 9.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks (3rd in the NBA) per contest.

Maynor, who was acquired by the Thunder via trade on December 22, 2009, appeared in all 82 games for the team this season. The VCU product averaged 4.2 points and 2.9 assists in 14.6 minutes per game.

Mullens, the 24th overall selection in the 2009 NBA Draft, appeared in 13 games for the Thunder during the 2010-11 season. Mullens made 14 appearances (14 starts) for the Tulsa 66ers, the Thunder’s D-League affiliate, where he averaged 14.9 points and 6.8 rebounds in 27.7 minutes per contest.

Aldrich, the 11th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, appeared in 18 games for the Thunder. The Kansas product appeared in 21 games (21 starts) for the Tulsa 66ers where he averaged 10.3 points and 8.6 rebounds in 29.3 minutes per game.

Author: Inside Hoops

InsideHoops.com has been a world leader in NBA basketball coverage for over 20 years. Read our blog, but also be sure to read our main website on www.insidehoops.com