How the Oklahoma City Thunder saved money – and whether they might have to save more
August 31st, 2018

The early days of NBA free agency saw the Oklahoma City Thunder go big early. In a move that was known to be happening long before it happened, they agreed to re-sign 2018 NBA All-Star Paul George to a four year maximum value contract, and within hours also agreed to re-sign key reserve forward Jerami Grant to a three year, $27.35 million deal.

This was both somewhat surprising and distinctly strong from a team that entered the offseason in …

Posted by at 9:24 PM

Sam Presti’s Survival Strategy In A Post-Apocalpytic Dystopian Nightmare
October 26th, 2009

Simple question: Did the tough economic climate affect NBA team’s spending plans as much as MSM scaremongers would have you believe?

Not-so-simple answer: Kind of.

This summer saw a team that could have had nearly eight figures of cap room opt not to use any of it. The Oklahoma City Thunder did pretty much nothing with their offseason once draft day was completed, and having won a total of 23 games last year, it’s justifiable to ask why that was. …

Posted by at 12:35 AM

30 teams in 36 or so days: Seattle Supersonics
September 27th, 2007

Players acquired via free agency or trade:

Kurt Thomas (acquired from Phoenix)
Wally Szczerbiak (acquired from Boston)
Delonte West (acquired from Boston)

 

Players acquired via draft:

First round: Kevin Durant (2nd overall), Jeff Green (5th overall)
Second round: None

 

Players retained:

None

 

Players departed:

Danny Fortson (unsigned)
Mike Wilks (unsigned)
Randy Livingston (unsigned)
Rashard Lewis (signed and traded to Orlando for way too much)
Ray Allen (traded to Boston)
Andre Brown (signed with Memphis)

 

Bobbins:

It’s …

Posted by at 11:54 PM

30 teams in 36 or so days: Atlanta Hawks
September 12th, 2007

Atlanta Hawks

 

Players acquired via free agency or trade:

None

 

Players acquired via draft:

First round: Al Horford (3rd overall), Acie Law IV (11th overall)

 

Players retained:

None

 

Players departed:

Royal Ivey (unsigned), Slava Medvedenko (unsigned), Esteban Batista (unsigned)

 

Bobbins:

The Hawks got lucky, I think they would admit that. The Joe Johnson trade of 2005 left the Hawks owing two first-round picks to Phoenix. One of these had already been conveyed, and was …

Posted by at 11:54 PM

The Celtics compared to the Bucks
August 3rd, 2007

Consider what recent fortunes have been like for the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks.

Last year, both of these teams pulled the incredibly-unsubtle-tank-job routine, rivalled only in blatantness by that of the Minnesota Timberwolves. So obvious was it that then-Celtic Ryan Gomes essentially admitted to the tank job in an interview, saying, and I quote:

“I probably (would have played), but since we were in the hunt for a high draft pick, of course things are different,” Gomes

Posted by at 1:30 PM