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2010-11 Thunder preseason schedule

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play a pair of home games at the Ford Center and host a neutral-site game in Tulsa as part of a seven-game preseason schedule leading up to the 2010-11 NBA regular season, the team announced today.

As part of the Thunder’s 2010 Training Camp, Oklahoma City will open the preseason with two road contests: Wednesday, October 6 vs. Charlotte at the Crown Coliseum in Fayetteville, NC and Friday, October 8 vs. Miami at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, MO. The Thunder will then make its third annual trip to Tulsa for an exhibition contest against Memphis on Tuesday, October 12 at the BOK Center.

Oklahoma City welcomes CSKA Moscow, the 2006 and 2008 Euroleague champion to the Ford Center, for an NBA sanctioned preseason contest on Thursday, October 14. The Thunder will then embark on back-to-back road games beginning with a contest vs. San Antonio on Monday, October 18 followed by a game in Denver vs. the Nuggets on Tuesday, October 19. Following the back-to-back, Oklahoma City concludes its preseason schedule at the Ford Center on Thursday, October 21 in a match-up vs. New Orleans.

Phoenix Mercury set WNBA scoring record

The AP reports:

Diana Taurasi scored 26 points, Candice Dupree had 23 and the defending champion Phoenix Mercury set a WNBA scoring record with a 123-91 victory over the Tulsa Shock on Thursday night.

Ketia Swanier added 17 points, Tangela Smith 13, DeWanna Bonner 11 and Penny Taylor 10 for the Mercury (9-12), who also set records with 67 points in the first half, most points in the second quarter (36) and most field goals in a half (25).

Kara Braxton scored 18 points to lead the Shock (4-18). Shanna Crossley had 12 points, Jennifer Lacy added 11, and Ivory Latta and Amber Holt 10 each.

Thunder, GM Sam Presti agree to multi-year extension

Oklahoma City Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett announced today that the team and Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti have agreed to a multi-year extension. Per club policy, the terms of the extension were not disclosed.

“We are fortunate to have Sam leading our basketball organization. He is extremely committed to the growth of our franchise, of our players, and this community. He has helped build an identity for this organization that we can all be proud of. I look forward to our continued work together as we experience the challenges of creating sustainable success.”

Presti, who was named General Manager on June 7, 2007, has rebuilt a Thunder roster that has made steady improvement over the last three seasons. Presti was promoted to Executive Vice President and General Manager prior to the 2009-10 season. The Thunder won 50 games last season capping a league best 27-game turnaround. Presti was named NBA Executive of the Year by The Sporting News after the Thunder captured the franchise’s first playoff berth in Oklahoma City.

“I am extremely humbled to have the opportunity to continue our work here with the Thunder. Oklahoma City is home for me. We have a committed group of players, excellent coaches led by Scott Brooks, and a support staff in both basketball and business, that is integral to the vision of our organization and I am grateful for their partnership. I would also like to thank Clay for his support and trust. He has been central and unwavering in our efforts to build, enhance and sustain an elite franchise. We are fortunate to work with such a committed ownership group.”

Thunder sign Royal Ivey

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed free agent guard Royal Ivey to a contract, Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced today. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

“We are pleased to welcome Royal to the Thunder organization,” Presti said. “His defensive mentality, competitiveness and well documented professionalism adds depth to our backcourt and strengthens the identity of our basketball team.”

Ivey, 28, has appeared in 378 NBA games over six seasons, averaging 3.6 points, 1.2 assists and 1.2 rebounds in 13.1 minutes per contest with Atlanta, Milwaukee and Philadelphia. Last season, the 6-4 guard, averaged 2.1 points and 5.6 minutes with the Bucks and 76ers.

Timberwolves to introduce Luke Ridnour Wednesday

The AP reports:

The Minnesota Timberwolves will introduce point guard Luke Ridnour at a press conference on Wednesday.

Ridnour and the Timberwolves agreed to terms on a four-year contract worth $16 million last week. The 29-year-old is being brought in to add some veteran experience to a roster where no other player is older than 25.

InsideHoops.com editor says:

With Jonny Flynn and Ramon Sessions on board and Ridnour joining the party, the point guard position is pretty crowded. Rumors that Sessions is on the trading block have existed for a while now. Maybe he gets dealt in the near future, and perhaps Flynn or the rights to Ricky Rubio will be moved next summer.

Trail Blazers hire Rich Cho as general manager

The Portland Trail Blazers have named Rich Cho as the team’s new general manager, Trail Blazers President Larry Miller announced today. Per team policy, financial details were not disclosed.

“Rich is the perfect fit for our organization,” said Miller. “He has the right balance of basketball knowledge, business acumen and tremendous people skills. Everyone I spoke to about Rich commented not just on his qualifications but on who he is as a person. He is well known for his ability to connect genuinely with people. Rich will be a great fit for our organization and for Portland. He is an executive on the rise and we’re thrilled to have him as a Trail Blazer.”

Cho, who becomes the ninth general manager in Trail Blazers history, joins the Trail Blazers after spending the past nine seasons as assistant general manager of the Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder.

“I am extremely humbled and grateful for this opportunity, and I will do everything I can to help this great team get even better,” said Rich Cho. “When I met with Mr. Allen, Larry Miller, and coach McMillan, it was immediately apparent to me that this organization has an incredible commitment to winning. As someone who grew up in the northwest, I’m aware of the unbelievable passion and support that Trail Blazers fans have, and I’m excited to be a part of this rich tradition.”

Thunder sign Kevin Durant to contact extension

The Oklahoma City Thunder have signed forward Kevin Durant to a multi-year extension, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. We’ll post details of the deal later today.

“Today is an exciting and important day in the growth of the Thunder organization,” said Presti. “The mutual and substantial commitment by both Kevin and our ownership group comes by way of aligned values and vision. Kevin’s consistent work ethic, humility, team-first mentality and strong community investment are just some of the reasons that today’s commitments stretch beyond our franchise and throughout our community and the entire state of Oklahoma.”

Durant averaged 30.1 points and 7.6 rebounds, while leading the Thunder to a 27-game improvement during the 2009-10 season. Durant became the youngest player to ever lead the NBA in scoring while shooting 47% from the field and 90.0% from the free throw line. Durant capped-off the season by being named to the All-NBA First Team while finishing second in the league’s MVP voting.

“I am excited to remain a part of the Thunder organization and the Oklahoma City community,” said Durant. “This is a big day for my family and myself. I would like to thank God for putting me in this position, the Thunder for believing in me since I was drafted and my teammates for supporting and encouraging me everyday.”

Durant holds career averages of 25.3 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.2 steals in 37.7 minutes per game during his three seasons with the Thunder. This last season, Durant started all 82 games for Oklahoma City and set a franchise record by scoring 30+ points on 47 occasions. In addition, his 756 made free throws are a franchise-best and the most recorded in a single season since Michael Jordan connected on 833 free throws during the 1986-87 season.

The Seat Pleasant, Maryland native was named 2007 NBA Rookie of the Year after averaging 20.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists while appearing in 80 games (all starts) during his first NBA season. Durant was selected with the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft after a stellar season at the University of Texas where he was the consensus National Player of the Year.

The University of Texas product was voted to his first All-Star game during the 2009-10 season and scored 15 points and grabbed five rebounds in 20 minutes of action. Durant also won the NBA’s second annual H-O-R-S-E competition in Dallas during All-Star Weekend.

“Kevin Durant personifies what we are building with the Oklahoma City Thunder,” said Thunder Chairman Clay Bennett. “His dedication to his teammates, to continually working at his game, and to this community is at the core of what we want this organization to represent. We are excited to have the opportunity to continue to watch Kevin evolve as a player and just as thrilled to have someone of his personal character on our team.”

This last season Durant helped lead the Oklahoma City franchise to the playoffs for the first time since the 2004-05 season. During the Thunder’s six-game first round playoff series versus the Los Angeles Lakers, Durant averaged 25.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in his first career postseason appearance.

Hornets trade Cole Aldrich, Morris Peterson to Thunder for Craig Brackins, Quincy Pondexter

The New Orleans Hornets finalized a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder this morning that sent the rights to Cole Aldrich and guard Morris Peterson in exchange for the rights to Craig Brackins and Quincy Pondexter.

“The concept that we liked was the idea of being able to add two young players in the draft,” said General Manager Jeff Bower. “By getting two picks, we had the opportunity to add two different types of players like Craig and Quincy. It continues our pursuit to strengthen our team and gives us two experienced college players who had great careers at their respected school.”

Brackins, the 21st overall pick in the draft, averaged a team-high 16.5 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists as a junior last season for Iowa State. Craig was named to the All-Big 12 First Team as a sophomore and the All-Big 12 Second Team as a junior. The 6-10, 230 pound forward started every game during his three-year career for the Cyclones.

Pondexter, the 26th overall pick in the draft, finished third in the Pac-10 in scoring (19.3 ppg) and rebounds (7.4 rpg) for Washington his senior season. Quincy was named All-Pac-10 First Team and Pac-10 All-Tournament Team his senior season and set a Pac-10 record with five player-of-the-week honors his final season for the Huskies. The 6-6, 225 pound guard/forward finished his career as Washington’s all-time career leader in games played (136) and finished third in scoring (1,786 points).

New Orleans originally selected Kansas’ Aldrich at the 11th slot. An early entry candidate for the 2010 Draft, Aldrich averaged 11.3 points and 9.8 rebounds as a junior, registering 15 double-doubles for the Jayhawks.

Peterson holds career averages of 10.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 27.4 minutes in 707 games (487 starts) with Toronto and New Orleans. Last season he played in 43 games (39 starts) for the Hornets, averaging 7.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists in 21.2 minutes per game.

Both players will be part of the Hornets’ entry in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas and are expected to participate in this evening’s practice. The Hornets will play their first summer league game Friday, July 9 vs. Golden State.

Kevin Durant signing 5-year Thunder extension

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant is signing a five-year contract extension.

The young superstar quietly revealed the news on Twitter Wednesday morning, one day before the start of the NBA free agent signing period.

According to ESPN, the five-year deal is for $86 million. It will keep him with the Thunder through the 2015-16 season. Durant still has one season left on his rookie deal.

According to the Oklahoman, Durant’s deal is guaranteed through the 2015-16 season and has no player option. It is worth between $85M-$86M depending on the 2011-12 salary cap.

The NBA world is busy waiting to hear where LeBron James is going to sign. Multiple reports today said that the Miami Heat are expected to land both Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Durant last season averaged 30.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per outing. He played in all 82 regular season games.

Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.

Thunder trade Eric Bledsoe draft rights to Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers acquired the draft rights to University of Kentucky guard Eric Bledsoe from the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a future protected first round draft pick. Originally selected by the Thunder with the 18th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft at the WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Bledsoe joins number eight pick Al-Farouq Aminu as the Clippers second player chosen in the first round of this year’s draft.

Bledsoe, 20, appeared in 37 games for Kentucky in 2009-10, averaging 11.3 points, 2.9 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game in his first college season. A Birmingham, Alabama native, Bledsoe averaged 15.3 points per game and shot 58 percent during the Wildcats NCAA Tournament run and hit on 38 percent from three-point range during the season.

The 6-foot-1 inch, 190 pound guard was named to the Sporting News SEC All-Freshman Team and was named a CollegeInsider.com Freshman All-American. Bledsoe comes to the Clippers in the club’s 14th draft day trade since 1982 and brings toughness and athleticism to the Clippers in addition to a deft long-range shooting touch.