OKC could look like this right now...and why Durant should be mad.

[DMAVS41]

I still don't understand this logic.

First of all...the Thunder weren't winning the title this year with Westbrook hurt even if they had Harden. Not happening. So anyone claiming that the Thunder could be the 13 champs needs to stop.

Second, you don't build a team around 3 perimeter players that need the ball so much. It won't work in the long run...and that is only on the court. Let alone the issues about playing time and shots and being a star...etc...would all start creeping in.

Hell, it's like people have forgotten about the Westbrook vs Harden issues that had already started bubbling over in 11 and 12 at times.

The issue that I think is valid...is that Presti might have been better off trading Westbrook instead of Harden because he could have gotten back way more. That is really the only issue.

Still really like the trade. I'd bet anything that with a healthy Westbrook...they Thunder make the finals last year and are 50/50 to win. Martin filled in just fine...and people...please understand the following;

Martin was designed to fill in enough to give them a chance to win while they allow Lamb to grow.

The Thunder got better on offense and defense this year...and won a higher percentage of games.

Going forward they have Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, Jackson, Lamb, Adams...and cap flexibility after the 15 season to add more.

All of those guys are 25 and under. They are set up to make a 6 plus year run...on top of the last 2 years in which they were contenders as well. So that is 8 years as a title contending team at least.

Not only has it worked...it's going to work.

Thunder will have the best record in the West this year and will be favored in every series of the playoffs unless they play the Heat.

[chocolatethunder]

PG - Westbrook
SG - Sefolosha
SF - Durant
PF - Ibaka
C - Collison

6th man - Harden, Perkins amnestied.

Decent bench.

Fire Scott Brooks, pick up a good coach.

And all of a sudden, you've got a near-dynasty. Harden as a starter as proven to be sometimes inconsistent and very turnover prone and have some questionable shot selections, but he would have run the gauntlet as a 6th man for years to come. Their clutch time line up would consist of two superstars (yes I think Westbrook is that good), an all-star in Harden, a good sometimes very good PF, and a center who frankly is passable (and certainly better than Perkins) on both ends of the floor. That's amazing. 2013 maybe they are in the Finals again, 2014-2017 I say no doubt.


Sam Presti may have literally jeopardized Durant's entire career. Their current lineup can't win a Championship. They could get to the Finals. That is possible. But they aren't beating the Heat and I doubt they would beat Indiana. If I'm Durant, I'm ****ing pissed. Especially after that Memphis series - he was pretty bad clutch time in that series but its hard to blame him when he was being depended on to do literally everything. This is where Brook's revealed himself to be one of the worst coaches in the NBA. Instead of doing something to make the bench/role players step up and creating a game plan that was still a team game, he literally ran pick/ISOs for Durant and Martin nearly the whole game. Most one-dimensional offense maybe ever featured in a playoff series. He won't win any rings as long as he is in OKC. I would demand a trade.

With the new CBA and salary cap/luxury tax, in a smaller market that lineup is just not possible. Before Presti made that trade everyone thought he was a genius. I have no problem w that trade. You're not being realistic because you're too young to understand the hard financial realities in today's NBA.

[SCdac]

Harden shouldn't have turned down the 54 million dollar offer

as they say, it takes two to tango.

[oh the horror]

I keep hearing that the Thunder could have potentially beaten the Heat last year with just a healthy WB and Durant.


Is everyone insane? They were "in" games last year but handled within 5

So they'd go from that to suddenly winning the finals against the Heat?


Miami is literally custom fitted to handle perimeter teams like OKC.


Their bigs are not difference makers in the same mold as Hibbert, Duncan, etc like that.


Come on now.

[Himan12]

My only real problem with the harden trade is they could have made room for him by getting rid of perkins. For some strange reason lots of people thought he was a good fit for them to handle the bigs in the west. (I always believed the general makeup of the Celtics made him look better than he ever was).

Now if the trend of perkins being useless on offense and below average rebounding/defense continues which I have no doubt it will, and they use their amnesty on him; I will consider the harden trade a complete and utter disaster.

[Marchesk]

Harden shouldn't have turned down the 54 million dollar offer

as they say, it takes two to tango.

Because why? So that he can be a sixth man and third wheel for less money?

[SCdac]

Because why? So that he can be a sixth man and third wheel for less money?

To be a part of a "near dynasty" as OP put it.

[Sarcastic]

To be a part of a "near dynasty" as OP put it.

Or he could be part of "near dynasty" if OKC just ponied up the money and stopped being cheap. He was willing to give them a discount, just not as much as they wanted.

[The JKidd Kid]

You're right he should just request a trade to the Nets now instead of waiting for his free agency in 2016.

[SCdac]

Or he could be part of "near dynasty" if OKC just ponied up the money and stopped being cheap. He was willing to give them a discount, just not as much as they wanted.

There was disagreement on both sides, I'm sure. Small markets have to be cheap, players in their prime have to seek money. Financially, it was probably the right decision for Harden to turn down OKC, but either way even if he stays for less he's still a multi-millionaire and they're in position to build around three max type players. As is, just not enough money to go around and there's only one basketball.

[snipes12]

They should traded harden and ibaka last year to dwight dwight durant and westbrook would have been scary

[Sarcastic]

There was disagreement on both sides, I'm sure. Small markets have to be cheap, players in their prime have to seek money. Financially, it was probably the right decision for Harden to turn down OKC, but either way even if he stays for less he's still a multi-millionaire and they're in position to build around three max type players. As is, just not enough money to go around and there's only one basketball.

I am so sick of hearing these small market team owners cry poverty all the time. Most of them are multi multi multi millionaires, and in some cases billionaires. The owner of the Portland Trailblazers is Paul Allen. He's one of the richest men in world. He is worth more than the Knicks and Lakers combined. You think he couldn't afford a $10 or $20 million tax bill? I am sure the OKC ownership is extremely rich as well, and are swimming in cash. If they weren't, they never would have been approved to buy the team. They can afford a tax bill. They just don't want to.


And if I were a superstar athlete, there is no way in hell I am playing for less than I am worth. These guys have a small window to make as much as they can for themselves and family, and then that's it. There is nothing after that. They have their physical prime to make what they can, then hopefully they save enough and don't blow it all. If OKC really would be willing to give up Harden over 5 or 10 million dollars, then that's not the best place to be. He's in Houston now playing with Dwight Howard. I think he made the right choice.

[AussieG]

Yeah, but I don't know if they beat the Spurs without Westbrook.

Before he got injured I would have said for sure, but after seeing them against the Grizz and the Heat, I think you're probably right. Spurs were seriously good last season. It didn't look that way vs the Warriors but after that point, they went into beast mode.

Oh.. just realised you meant without Westbrook, I'm talking WITH Westbrook.

[SCdac]

I am so sick of hearing these small market team owners cry poverty all the time. Most of them are multi multi multi millionaires, and in some cases billionaires. The owner of the Portland Trailblazers is Paul Allen. He's one of the richest men in world. He is worth more than the Knicks and Lakers combined. You think he couldn't afford a $10 or $20 million tax bill? I am sure the OKC ownership is extremely rich as well, and are swimming in cash. If they weren't, they never would have been approved to buy the team. They can afford a tax bill. They just don't want to.


And if I were a superstar athlete, there is no way in hell I am playing for less than I am worth. These guys have a small window to make as much as they can for themselves and family, and then that's it. There is nothing after that. They have their physical prime to make what they can, then hopefully they save enough and don't blow it all. If OKC really would be willing to give up Harden over 5 or 10 million dollars, then that's not the best place to be. He's in Houston now playing with Dwight Howard. I think he made the right choice.

OKC probably thought, based on harden's attitude, role, skillset, and negotiations that he either wasn't genuinely interested in sticking around or wasn't genuinely interested in the probable role he'd have playing next to young All-Stars in Durant and Westbrook. Hence being frugal. With the new CBA, it's totally fair for owners of small market teams to be frugal. I don't blame them, Harden likely outgrew the team he was on, can't entirely stop that.

[KG215]

Or he could be part of "near dynasty" if OKC just ponied up the money and stopped being cheap. He was willing to give them a discount, just not as much as they wanted.

The offer, had he accepted, would've been paying Harden nearly $14M ($13.75M to be exact) per year. That's pretty damn god money for a third option. So you would've had Durant making $20M/year for the next three years, Westbrook making close to $16M/year over the next three years; and Ibaka making $12.25M/year. So, I don't see how offering your third best player a 4yr/$55M deal is exactly "cheap". He accepts, and OKC is paying four players a combined $61M-$62M/year on average.


I think people's biggest gripe should be about them not amnestying Perkins to clear cap space for Harden; not for being cheap for offering Harden $13.75M/year. But there is still some level of reasoning for them not amnestying Perkins. Although it would've cleared up cap-space, the owners still would've had to pay Perkins around $24M over the next three years had they amnestied him before last season.