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Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins underwent a successful procedure to repair a ligament tear in his left wrist, the team announced today.
Perkins suffered the injury during the 2012 Western Conference Finals. Following a scheduled postseason evaluation, it was determined a procedure was necessary. The nine-year NBA veteran is expected to be ready for the 2012-13 season.
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Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins underwent a successful procedure on his right groin, the team announced today.
This past season, Perkins appeared in 65 games (all starts) for the Thunder and recorded averages of 5.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.12 blocks in 26.8 minutes per game.
Perkins is expected to miss 4-6 weeks before returning to normal offseason activities.
The Oklahoma City Thunder signed forward Hollis Thompson to a contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
During his three season collegiate career at Georgetown, Thompson recorded averages of 8.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 24.6 minutes while setting a school record with .440 percent three-point field goal shooting.
The 6-8, 212-pound forward earned All-Big East Honorable Mention honors this past season after scoring in double figures on 25 occasions.
Thompson will undergo a minor procedure this week on his left groin, and is expected to return to off-season activities in 3-4 weeks.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder signed center Hasheem Thabeet to a contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. We’ll post contract details on this page later today.
Thabeet (7-3, 263), the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, has appeared in 135 games (16 starts) with Memphis, Houston and Portland, averaging 2.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 10.3 minutes per game.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to welcome Hasheem to our organization,” said Presti. “We look forward to him continuing his development as a young player as a member of the Thunder.”
The center played three seasons at Connecticut, averaging 10.3 points on .611 shooting from the floor, 8.5 rebounds and 4.2 blocks in 100 games (99 starts). He was a two-time winner of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) National Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2008 and 2009.
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Kevin Durant can’t hide from the hurt this summer.
LeBron James is right there every time he steps on the basketball court now. The NBA Finals ended in Miami only about three weeks ago, with James’ victory celebration interrupted only briefly to embrace his opponent in a consoling hug.
Durant admits it bothers him coming to the gym and seeing James every day.
“It does. It does, but what can I do?” Durant said Tuesday. “He’s my teammate now. I’m a team player. I can’t let that affect this. This is bigger than that. It’s tough to lose in the finals and play the guy you’ve been going up against for five games who beat you. So me, I’m just going to get over it, still be a great teammate, come out and play hard.”
Kobe Bryant was in Durant’s shoes four years ago, having to shake off the disappointment of a finals loss to the Boston Celtics and get back out on the court for the Olympics. He said it’s normal to not want to play for a few days, but figures Durant has had enough time to get over it by now.
— Reported by the Associated Press
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Free agent forward Grant Hill is still considering at least two other teams–the two teams in last month’s Finals, Miami and Oklahoma City–as well as the Lakers as he decides where he’s going to play next season, according to a source with knowledge of the 39-year-old forward’s thinking.
Reports Tuesday indicated that Hill has decided either to play for the Lakers or retire. But the source strongly indicated that Hill has not limited himself to Los Angeles as he makes up his mind. The Lakers emerged as a strong favorite for Hill after they agreed to terms with the Suns last week on a sign-and-trade deal that will send Steve Nash to the Lakers after the end of the July Moratorium on the 11th for four Draft picks and $3 million. But Hill is looking at the Heat and Thunder as well.
— Reported by the NBA.com Hangtime blog
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Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today that the team has signed rookie forward Perry Jones.
All players selected in the first round of the NBA Draft are guaranteed to receive a contract. So, this signing was expected, and is standard.
Jones, the 28th overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft, averaged 13.5 points and 7.6 rebounds in 33 games while leading Baylor to an Elite Eight appearance during his sophomore season. He was named AP All-American Honorable Mention, while also picking up Second-Team All-Big 12 honors by the media and Third-Team by the coaches.
As a freshman, Jones was named a unanimous Big 12 All-Rookie selection as he became the first player in Baylor history to be named a USBWA Freshman All-American.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder has agreed with former No. 2 overall pick Hasheem Thabeet on a two-year contract.
The deal cannot officially be signed until the league’s free agent moratorium period is lifted on July 11. Financial terms of the deal were not immediately known, but the contract, which will be fully guaranteed for both seasons, is believed to be a minimal salary, or roughly $880,000 in the first year of the contract.
Thabeet will join his fourth team in four seasons after being drafted by Memphis in 2009. He was taken one spot ahead of Thunder guard James Harden, but the 7-foot-3 center has had a disappointing start to his professional career after earning Defensive Player of the Year honors in his final two seasons at Connecticut.
— Reported by Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman
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The Oklahoma City Thunder signed Head Coach Scott Brooks to a multi-year contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager, Sam Presti. We’ll post details of the contract in this spot on this page later today.
This past season, Brooks guided the Thunder to a second consecutive Northwest Division title and a trip to the NBA Finals. Under Brooks, the Thunder has claimed the second most victories (152) in the NBA during the past three seasons.
“Continuing with Scott as our head coach is extremely significant for the future of our organization,” said Presti. “As we have continually communicated, he has been integral to our success and we have a deep appreciation for his tireless dedication to our players’ development. His experiences and core values are invaluable to our players as they continue to grow and improve and we are thrilled to continue our partnership.”
Oklahoma City has qualified for the postseason in each of the last three seasons and since taking over as Thunder Head Coach on November 22, 2009, Oklahoma City registered a mark of 174-125 (.582).
“I would like to thank Clay Bennett and Sam Presti for the opportunity to continue with the Thunder,” said Brooks. “Oklahoma City is a special place and I’m eager to build upon the foundation and culture of this franchise for years to come.”
After guiding the Thunder to the best record in the Western Conference at the midway point of this past season, Brooks and his staff represented the Thunder by coaching the Western Conference All-Stars in Orlando. Led by Brooks, the Western Conference All-Stars captured a 152-149 victory over the Eastern Conference.
Brooks, the 16th head coach in franchise history, received the 2009-10 Red Auerbach NBA Coach of the Year award after his second season on the Thunder sideline. During his first full year at the helm of the Thunder, Brooks oversaw one of the biggest turnarounds in NBA history. A year after winning 23 games, the Thunder concluded the 2009-10 season with a record of 50-32 (.610). The 27-win improvement was tied for the eighth largest in NBA history.
Brooks enjoyed an 11-year (1988-99) playing career in the NBA, appearing in 680 regular season games with Philadelphia, Minnesota, Houston, Dallas, New York, Cleveland and the Los Angeles Clippers. Brooks’ teams advanced to the postseason six of his 11 NBA seasons, and in 1994, he was a member of the NBA Champion Houston Rockets. Brooks holds career averages of 4.9 points and 2.4 assists per game.
A native of Lathrop, California, Brooks began his collegiate career at Texas Christian University, where he played one season. He then transferred to San Joaquin Delta College for his sophomore season, before spending his final two years at UC Irvine, where he averaged 23.8 points per game as a senior.
The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Perry Jones III with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft held this evening at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Jones III (6-11, 235 pounds), appeared in 63 games during his two season at Baylor University and registered averages of 13.7 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 32.2 minutes per game. As a sophomore, Jones III earned AP All-American Honorable Mention honors before leading Baylor to an Elite Eight appearance in the NCAA tournament.
This past season, Jones III recorded nine double-doubles and received Second-Team All-Big 12 honors by the media and Big 12 All-Tournament First Team honors. During the Big 12 tournament, Jones III averaged 22.5 points and 9.6 rebounds in three games.
As a freshman, Jones III was named a unanimous Big 12 All-Rookie selection as he became the first player in Baylor history to be named a USBWA Freshman All-American.
In high school, Jones III was named a Parade, McDonald’s and Jordan Brand All-American while playing at Duncanville High School in Texas.