Thunder assign Reggie Williams to D-League

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned forward Reggie Williams to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Williams has appeared in 20 games (16 starts) for the 66ers this season, averaging 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.55 steals in 37.3 minutes per game.

The forward is expected to be in uniform this morning when the Tulsa 66ers host the Los Angeles D-Fenders at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Okla.

He was originally signed by the Thunder on March 6.

Thunder sign Reggie Williams to 10-day contract

Thunder sign Reggie Williams to 10-day contract

The Oklahoma City Thunder has signed forward Reggie Williams to a 10-day contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

In 20 games this season with the Tulsa 66ers, Williams averaged 20.8 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.55 steals in 37.3 minutes per game.

This past week, Williams was named the D-League Performer of the Week for games played Feb. 24 – Mar. 3 after helping lead Tulsa to a 3-0 week while averaging 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.3 steals during this span.

Williams has appeared in 177 NBA games (32 starts) and recorded career averages of 8.6 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20.0 minutes per game as a member of the Golden State Warriors and Charlotte Bobcats.

The signing of Williams represents the 31st D-League Gatorade Call-Up this season and the sixth Call-Up all-time between the 66ers and the Thunder.

Williams is expected to join the Thunder prior to tonight’s game versus the Suns in Phoenix, AZ.

The Thunder roster now stands at 15.

Thunder announce Wichita and Tulsa 2014 preseason games

The Oklahoma City Thunder will return to Wichita, Kan. and Tulsa, Okla. during the 2014 preseason, the team announced today. The Thunder will host the Toronto Raptors at the INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita on Oct. 17 at 7:00 pm followed by a contest versus the Minnesota Timberwolves at the BOK Center in Tulsa on Oct. 19 at 6:00 pm.

“We are excited to be bringing Thunder Basketball back to Wichita and Tulsa, where we have sold out our games in both cities for two straight years,” said Brian Byrnes, Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing for the Thunder. “We continue to be overwhelmed and humbled by the tremendous loyalty of our fans throughout Oklahoma and neighboring states. They watch our games on TV, buy Thunder merchandise and strongly support the team. This tradition of bringing games to Tulsa and Wichita is a way for us to continue to connect to and thank our fans in those communities. It serves as a reminder for us about the impact our team has even beyond our local community.”

This marks the Thunder’s third consecutive preseason appearance in Wichita and the sixth time the team has visited Tulsa during the exhibition season.

Tickets for both preseason games will go on sale on a to-be-determined date in mid-April.

The Thunder will announce its entire 2014 preseason schedule at a later date.

Russell Westbrook gets amazingly fast triple-double

Here’s the Washington Post reporting on Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, who is known to do things with supreme quickness on the basketball court:

Russell Westbrook gets amazingly fast triple-double

If there’s any question on whether stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant can coexist on the court, Tuesday night helped answer it.

Granted it was against the woeful Philadelphia 76ers, but Westbrook logged the NBA’s second-fastest triple-double in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 125-92 win.

Westbrook finished with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 14 assists in less than 21 minutes of play for his eighth career triple-double. The NBA’s quickest triple-double belongs to Jim Tucker of the Syracuse Nationals, who did it in just 17 minutes in 1955.

“I never go in looking to shoot first, pass first, rebound first,” Westbrook said (via Associated Press). “I just come in and play off instincts.”

Thunder sign Caron Butler

The rich get richer once again.

The Oklahoma City Thunder, already loaded with talent, have signed forward Caron Butler to a contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. A team that really didn’t need any additional help now has an even stronger bench.

Butler (6-7, 217), a two-time NBA All-Star, has appeared in 764 career regular season games (710 starts) and recorded averages of 15.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.42 steals in 33.9 minutes per game during his 12-year NBA career.

“We are pleased to welcome Caron Butler to the Thunder organization and to Oklahoma City,” said Presti. “Caron represents what we look for in a Thunder player and will positively impact our team. His toughness, hard-nosed defense, resiliency and highly regarded professionalism will only enhance our depth and bring additional versatility to the roster.”

This move has been expected for days, but became official this evening.

The 10th overall selection in the 2002 NBA Draft, he has appeared in 47 career postseason games (all starts) and posted averages of 13.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.45 steals in 34.6 minutes per game.

The Thunder roster now stands at 14.

Kendrick Perkins out six weeks after surgery

Kendrick Perkins out six weeks after surgery

Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins underwent a successful procedure on his left groin, the team announced today.

The injury occurred during the third quarter of the Feb. 20 game versus the Miami Heat. This season Perkins has appeared in 54 games (all starts) averaging 3.4 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 19.7 minutes per contest.

Perkins is expected to miss approximately six weeks.

Russell Westbrook health update: He is back

Russell Westbrook health update: He is back

The following statement was issued today by Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti regarding Russell Westbrook’s availability to play in tonight’s game versus the Miami Heat:

“We are all very excited to have Russell back. He has worked extremely hard throughout his rehabilitation, and his addition will allow us to build on the progress we have made in his absence. As Russell integrates back into the team we are going to manage the transition by building his minutes over time and will evaluate his availability in back-to-back situations. These steps are an effort to control the areas of his return to play where feasible, given the reduced practice and conditioning time during the regular season. Our goal is to create the best foundation for Russell and the team as we head into the postseason.”