Josh Huestis’s D-League adventure, a misplaced exercise in loyalty
July 23rd, 2014

(originally published elsewhere)

A few days ago, Darnell Mayberry broke the story that Oklahoma City Thunder draft pick Josh Huestis might spend next year in the D-League, collecting a mere $25,000 or so salary, rather than sign in the NBA. This would be groundbreaking, not as the first first rounder to not sign immediately in the NBA (this happens quite often), but as the first to do so who instead signs in the D-League.

It also makes absolutely no …

Posted by at 1:24 AM

Tax Payers, Trade Kickers, And Other Deadline Day Bookkeeping
February 26th, 2011

He looks happy. And why shouldn’t he.

That was one of the most interesting trade deadline weeks you’ll ever see.

Fourteen trades, one kind of funny near trade, 50 players traded, 3 players signed, 4 players waived, 16 draft picks traded, 1 rights to swap traded, and two absolute Stone Cold Stunners of trades that no one expected. And these weren’t trades like Sam Cassell and cash for a 2016 top 55 protected second rounder, either. These were trades …

Posted by at 6:21 AM

2010 Summer League Rosters: Oklahoma City Thunder
July 5th, 2010

Cliff Hammonds

Former Clemson guard Hammonds is an unusual find on the Thunder roster, because he’s already signed for next year. He spent last year in Greece with Peristeri, averaging 12.9ppg, 3.1rpg, 3.7apg, 1.5spg and 2tpps (timely paychecks per season), shooting 48% from the field and 42% from three. He even up his usually dreadful free throw percentage to a vaguely tolerable 71% (still sub-par for a point guard, but no longer sub-50%). Hammonds has signed in France to join …

Posted by at 4:45 AM

Thunder acquire Eric Maynor and Matt Harpring for PETER FEHSE
December 23rd, 2009

I have only 48 things to say about this deal.

1) As his profile suggests, I have long regarded Peter Fehse as a yardstick for a person’s NBA knowledge. If a fan knows who Peter Fehse is, they are hardcore and deserve your respect.

Short story short, Peter Fehse is a lanky German with lots of hair, who was drafted in the second round in 2002 as an absolute longshot based on his combination of height and athleticism. He …

Posted by at 5:54 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

Where Are They Now: 2009 NBA Summer League Teams Part 3
September 3rd, 2009

It’s been roughly two months since summer league started, and most of the players involved have been rehomed now. The following is a list of where everybody currently is, or where they might be going.

This list gets a bit long, so if you want to just skip to your favoured team, you can do so. I’ll allow that.

 

New York Knicks

Wink Adams: Adams is signed with Oyak Renault Bursa in Turkey.

Alex Acker: …

Posted by at 6:09 AM

Liquorice Allsorts
December 25th, 2008

1) As you may know, Houston traded Steve Francis, a 2009 second-round draft pick and cash to Memphis for a conditional 2011 second-round pick. Memphis’s end of this is simple – they got their pick back for free. Houston gave them Francis, enough money to pay him for the rest of the year (or most of it, at least), and Memphis’s own second-rounder next year, which they’d previously given to Houston while moving up in the draft this summer. …

Posted by at 12:35 AM