OKC Thunder Blog – Page 58 – NBA Blog

Oklahoma City Thunder sign Daniel Orton

The Oklahoma City Thunder signed forward Daniel Orton to a contract, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

Orton (6-10, 255 pounds) appeared in 16 games (two starts) during the 2011-12 season as a member of the Orlando Magic and recorded averages of 2.8 points and 2.5 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per contest.

After attending Bishop McGuiness High School in Oklahoma City, Orton spent one year at the University of Kentucky where he averaged 3.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.40 blocks during his freshman season.

Video: Official trailer for Kevin Durant movie called Thunderstruck

We presume that the target audience for Kevin Durant’s upcoming movie “Thunderstruck” is a young fan base.

Anyway, here’s the official Thunderstruck movie trailer:

LeBron James wants Kevin Durant to shoot a lot

Kevin Durant, the scoring champ in question, has not played in an Olympics before. Like any newcomer, he wants to be liked. So time and again during the U.S. team’s brief time together this year, Durant has passed up the sort of open shots that he drills with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I told KD (Durant) to just be himself,” LeBron James said Sunday after Durant led the U.S. with 22 points and added nine rebounds in a game that was only close for one quarter. “On a team like this you can kind of shy away because there are so many great players here. But KD’s on this team for a reason. He’s one of the best players the world has and he’s a three-time scoring champ. So we don’t want the KD that defers. We want the KD that he is in Oklahoma City.”

James seemed determined to make that KD show up on Sunday. He threw the ball to Durant every time he could, passing up one open shot after another to get the ball to Durant. It was a bit ironic, considering that Durant and James went head-to-head in the NBA Finals this season when the Miami Heat defeated the Thunder.

— Reported by Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer

Kendrick Perkins undergoes wrist surgery

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.

Kendrick Perkins undergoes procedure on right groin

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.

OKC Thunder sign forward Hollis Thompson

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.

OKC Thunder sign center Hasheem Thabeet

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.

Durant still mad about losing to LeBron in Finals

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

Grant Hill interested in Heat, Thunder, Lakers

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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OKC Thunder sign rookie Perry Jones

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.