Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors: Buying or Selling Gossip Ahead of 2015 NBA Draft
The weeks leading up to the NBA draft are typically a time of rumors, gossip and anticipation. While the Oklahoma City Thunder haven't generated as much buzz as some of the other teams in the lottery, there is still a fair amount of speculation over what the club will do on June 25.
However, what is to be believed and what should be taken with an Enes Kanter-sized grain of salt?
As of right now, the only facts surrounding the Thunder are the team will walk into the Barclays Center with the Nos. 14 and 48 overall selections.
Since the May 19 draft lottery, general manager Sam Presti has understandably kept his intentions close to the vest, but has insinuated all options will be considered, per Daily Thunder's Royce Young: "It would be really hard to speculate just based on what’s going to happen in front of us and what kind of player could potentially be there. And that’s also making the assumption that we keep the draft pick and select there, that we don’t move back or use the draft choice in another way."
After finishing with a 45-37 record and missing the playoffs, the Thunder find themselves in a different position than in past drafts. This will be the earliest the team has been on the clock since using the No. 12 overall selection, acquired in the James Harden trade, on Steven Adams in 2013. It's also the first time the Thunder are in the lottery on their own merit since 2009.
Oklahoma City also has a new coach in Billy Donovan who is familiar with the college ranks after a storied career at the University of Florida. Donovan's knowledge of the SEC will come in handy this year as the conference could have six representatives taken in the top half of the first round, starting with projected No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns of Kentucky.
In recent weeks, many respected scribes both around the basketball world and on the Thunder beat have gone public with what they are hearing about OKC's plans. With the draft drawing closer, this seems like a good time to sift through the smokescreens in search of some fire.
The Thunder Made a Promise to Murray State Point Guard Cameron Payne
During his May 27 chat, ESPN.com's Chad Ford dropped this nugget regarding OKC and Murray State's Cameron Payne: "As for the Thunder, since late last week there's been a lot of buzz among rival GMs that the Thunder promised Cameron Payne they'd take him at 14. I don't know how much of that is smoke, but he is a great fit at 14 and talent-wise he may be the best pure point guard in the draft."
On the surface, the Thunder guaranteeing to select a point guard when they already have Russell Westbrook and D.J. Augustin under contract seems a bit odd, especially since the club could use small forward depth and perimeter defense instead.
However, there is a past history of Presti making these kinds of arrangements. In 2011, there was speculation the club made a promise to Reggie Jackson, which is something Jackson later denied, even with Westbrook and Eric Maynor on the roster.
Last year, the Thunder hatched a similar plot with Stanford forward Josh Huestis, per Grantland's Zach Lowe. Huestis became the first domestic draft-and-stash player in NBA history by passing on his rookie contract and opting to sign a D-League deal instead.
One potential issue that may give the Thunder pause about drafting Payne is he recently suffered a non-displaced fracture in his non-shooting hand, per Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress. The injury won't require surgery but will keep him in a splint for three weeks. Given everything OKC went through this season with the injury bug, it will be interesting to see if this minor setback turns them away.
However, with a stacked roster and limited needs, Oklahoma City could afford the luxury of adding the best player available, which could very well be Payne. The 20-year-old was one of the most productive players in the nation this past season, albeit against ho-hum competition, averaging 20.2 points and six assists as a sophomore, per Sports-Reference.
Augustin is a free agent next summer and is coming off a season where he shot 37.1 percent from the field in 28 games with the Thunder. It is understandable if Presti is looking for an upgrade.
Buy or Sell: Buy
Oklahoma City Is Shopping Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones and Steve Novak Before the Draft
On June 22, SI.com's Chris Mannix reported the Thunder are looking to trade three of their seldom-used players.
The decision to move Lamb, Jones and Novak shouldn't come as much of a shock. All three were buried at the end of the bench under Scott Brooks' reign last season and are set to make a combined $8.8 million next year. By moving those contracts, it will help the Thunder trim a piece of their luxury-tax bill.
Lamb, once the gem of the Harden trade, has struggled with consistency throughout his career, while Jones has durability concerns. As for Novak, he's a 32-year-old journeyman who only serves a purpose as a stretch 4.
If the team can somehow turn those three into a draft pick, it would give them a cheaper asset to utilize down the road. A deal would also clear up some of the congestion on the roster, as OKC already has 13 players under contract for 2015-16. That doesn't include free agents Kanter and Kyle Singler or this year's two selections.
A change of scenery would also be beneficial for the unlucky trio. Lamb is still only 23 years old and owns a 34.8 percent career mark from three. Even with his inconsistent usage, he's averaged seven points per game during his three years in the pros. With the right coaching, it's not unrealistic for him to have a Danny Green-like resurgence.
The same goes for PJ3, who is the same age and has plenty of potential—if he can stay healthy. He's a 6'11" forward with a sneaky outside jumper, is capable of handling the ball like a guard and can crash the boards like a big man.
While finding a suitor willing to take on OKC's reclamation projects will be tough, you can't blame the team for trying.
Buy or Sell: Buy
The Thunder Could Possibly Trade the No. 14 Pick
Darnell Mayberry of the Oklahoman recently threw out the idea of the Thunder trading up into the top 10:
"Oklahoma City could attempt to maximize the 14th overall selection Thursday night by packaging it and trying to move up in the draft.
Several teams slotted in front of the Thunder — New York at No. 4, Sacramento at No. 6, Detroit at No. 8 and Charlotte at No. 9 — reportedly have interest in moving back.
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Mayberry went on to discuss what the team might be able to offer: "In addition to the 14th pick, the Thunder also has the 48th overall selection in this year’s draft, as well as players such as Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones, Steve Novak and possibly Dion Waiters to offer in trade talks, although the team isn’t believed to be interested in trading Waiters."
You can't fault the logic of Mayberry or anyone else on board with the Thunder moving up. With Kevin Durant an unrestricted free agent next summer, there's a greater sense of urgency surrounding this upcoming season.
Theoretically, the Thunder aren't going to get many opportunities in the lottery as long as Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka are together. So why not swing for the fence here, right?
The problem is Oklahoma City's lack of ammunition to move up. It's unlikely that the prospect of adding someone like Lamb or Jones is enticing enough for a team to want to move to the back of the lottery. Also, if Presti is adamant about keeping Waiters, that further hamstrings the Thunder's chances—especially with future first-rounders already owed to the Philadelphia 76ers and Utah Jazz, respectively.
Even Presti himself believes moving up is difficult, per Young:
"I think history shows it’s not an easy proposition to move up into the lottery, period. When you get to the place where we’re currently anchored, to penetrate into the top 10, it becomes a little more challenging. It always comes down when making a transaction with another team is finding how to partner so that you have aligned interests with them.
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As exciting as it would be to see OKC land a potential stud like Duke's Justise Winslow or Arizona's Stanley Johnson, the team just doesn't have the assets to pull off that kind of move—especially if Presti isn't willing to include Waiters. The safer bet would be the Thunder staying put at No. 14.
Most years, the rumors and gossip leading up to the NBA draft provide more excitement than the selection process itself. With a team as polarizing as the Oklahoma City Thunder, it is fun to conjure up predictions as to what might happen on draft night.
Unfortunately, a lot of the speculation never comes to fruition and all we are left with is a boring little thing called reality. With a rookie unlikely to get much run on a stacked Thunder roster, the most likely scenario is the team keeping it simple and taking the best player available.
Buy or Sell: Sell
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