Paul George, Russell Westbrook Almost Traded to Raptors

As more and more of the story comes out it blows my mind what actually occurred on Friday night.

The Thunder it seems tried to trade both Paul George and Russell Westbrook to the Toronto Raptors in a deal which centered around Paschal Siakam. But in the end it did not happen and we have this deal the Thunder leveraged with the Clippers instead.

Amazing story.

It just goes to show you how star status contracts in the NBA don’t really mean all that much in this age of superstars building their own teams.

And it turns out that the seemingly quiet Kawhi Leonard was the biggest wheeler dealer in the group as he set all this in motion earlier in the week.

But I am glad Kawhi did not end up with the Lakers with that collection of talent pooled together. That would have been terrible for the league.

As far as the Thunder, they had already showed it didn’t matter how much they spent. They were not going to be championship relevant so in essence once Sam Presti unloads the remaining $171 million owed to Russell Westbrook we can see exactly what the Thunder are going to be moving forward.

I’m not crying because even if you kept these two guys together they weren’t going to win anything or do anything of any team consequence down the road.

They were 3-8 in post season together. They had fallen behind the Utah Jazz, the Denver Nuggets, and the Portland Trailblazers in the pecking order of the Northwest Division. Forget about calibrating any path to an NBA title, Sam Presti didn’t have a plan in place to win his own division.

Presti didn’t move beyond Billy Donovan. He used his recent first round pick to evidently do another Josh Huestis stash or something of the like. He added a couple of vets in Muscala and Burk who in no way would have changed the narrative for the Thunder.

So…at some point why not at least get your fiscal house in order and see if there’s a path to putting a team on the floor which can at least be competitive and have a star who can answer a Berry Tramel question.

The Thunder are not a playoff team even with Westbrook still on this roster so it would seem a youth rebuild is in the offing once we know where Russell Westbrook lands. These Thunder not only will not make the playoffs, but they will not be in the NBA’s Christmas Day package of games.

On this past Friday night the the NBA universe changed in Oklahoma City. The reality of a league Howard Schultz sold himself out of came ‘thundering down’ upon the college market of Oklahoma City.

I’m okay with this because the way the Thunder played the past two seasons was literally unwatchable at times and it will be refreshing to see some young players trying to establish themselves in the NBA.

But let’s make this clear, the window in Oklahoma City didn’t close on Friday night and into early Saturday morning. That window closed on July 4th, 2016, but was only completely validated this week-end by Sam Presti himself.

Paul George Headed Back Home to California

This was two summers ago. Other than Kevin Durant you probably couldn’t have asked for a better replacement player to replace Durant on the Thunder roster.

It didn’t work and in two post seasons the Thunder were 3-8. Paul George had a marvelous second season as he was a final three nominee for the regular season MVP. But still—the Thunder were a quick first round exit against a Portland team they swept in the regular season.

Is it time to blow it up in Oklahoma City and rebuild the team?

Possibly. Or at the least rebuild it from the ground up. But that won’t be easy or painless or quick.

It’s hard to win a championship. Ask the Trailblazers, the Kings, the Pacers, the Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz. Small market championships in the NBA are a rarity.

This hurts for OKC in a huge operational way. Paul George was the first true free agent star to elect to stay in OKC of his own choosing other than Russell Westbrook.

This restokes the narrative that star free agents won’t consider the Thunder a career destination stopping point because of Oklahoma City itself..

One year ago almost to the day Paul George was smoking a cigar at a party in Oklahoma City which was held to dedicate his decision to stay with the Thunder.

But one year later after failing to attract Kevin Durant to come to the Clippers with him– Kawhi persuaded Paul George to be a Clipper with him instead.

And you know what? I don’t blame either one of them.

What’s next for Russell Westbrook I’m not sure. But I do hope he has the opportunity to play in a city which has a chance to be relevant in the pursuit of a championship.

Kawhi and Paul George Headed to the LA Clippers

For the second time in three summers Jerry West took advantage of Sam Presti and officially ended the run of playoff basketball in Oklahoma City. It’s stunning is what it is in that the Thunder for the second time in three years lost an MVP caliber forward to a team from California with Jerry West on their payroll.

Evidently–Paul George demanded the trade and I have no problem with him for doing so because he deserves a chance to win something beyond third place in the Northwest Division.

What this means for Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City I have no idea. I have no idea what another team would give up to acquire that contract. I don’t know if this means a sequence of imminent moves are coming and the Thunder are going into full tank mode or exactly what Sam Presti has in mind in the coming weeks. I mean…what would another team give up to take on Westbrook’s contract?

I would think this puts the Clippers at the top of the West as the preseason pick to win the West and the Thunder now have to decide on what to do with Russell Westbrook’s contract.

As an NBA fan I’m glad it’s not the Lakers with a super team landing Kawhi. Think about what just happened…Jerry West and the Clippers went from the No. 8 seed in the West to the Vegas favorite to win the NBA title next season.

Sam Presti and Clay Bennett have some serious thinking to do in the coming days and how they structure the Oklahoma City Thunder for the future.

1977 Portland Trailblazers

This is the answer to a great trivia question asked this morning on ESPN while the mods were discussing the possibility of Kawhi Leonard joining the Lakers.

The question was… Name the last NBA team to miss the playoffs six years in a row and then win the championship the next year?

I knew this one immediately because the 1977 Portland Trailblazers and the 1983 Philadelphia 76’ers are my two favorite NBA champions of all-time.

Dr. Jack Ramsey was the coach. Bill Walton had his dream season before his feet betrayed him. Maurice Lucas was arguably the best power forward in the league and a rookie guard by the name of Lionel Hollins out of Arizona State enjoyed a rookie season for the ages.

These Trailblazers are my favorite NBA team of all-time because of the way they played the game.

In case you didn’t know the LA Lakers have now missed the NBA Playoffs six years in a row. It’s no given whatsoever the Lakers would win the O’Brien Trophy if Kawhi joins them, but they would clearly be the Vegas prohibitive favorite.

So as we await Kawhi Leonard’s decision…keep this piece of NBA history in your mental vault as we see this summer unfold.

Kawhi Leonard Doesn’t Need a Super Team

Kawhi Leonard arrived in Toronto on Wednesday to allow the Raptor ownership group to make their presentation to the best player in the NBA. Leonard promised the Raptors he would make their presentation the last he would listen to before making his decision.

Kawhi Leonard is twenty-seven years old and unlike Kevin Durant three years ago has nothing left to prove minus perhaps he could join the five title clique in the next eight years or so.

Leonard doesn’t need a super team to win a ring and he’s proved it twice already at the tender age of twenty-seven. If both he and Danny Green return to the Raptors their championship team is basically intact with a young coach in Nick Nurse who looks to have the respect of his players.

Kawhi Leonard doesn’t need the Lakers—they need him.

Leonard doesn’t appear to be a person who would thrive dealing with the daily turmoil and drama of being on a super team in Los Angeles. I could see the Clippers perhaps, but why possibly should he demean his legacy by whoring it up with LeBron.

Kawhi Leonard holds the balance of NBA power in his hands as he decides where his next basketball stop is going to be.

If he stays in Toronto then Adam Silver has a league with parity and compelling narratives which will only make the NBA even more popular than it already is as only the NFL has more fan interest as a league.

Silver now has two superstars in Durant and Irving in New York with the Nets. He has LeBron and Anthony Davis in LA…and if Kawhi stays in Canada the world considering the NBA at truly the world’s premier sports league.

What a great time to be Kawhi Leonard.


Alex Morgan’s Nose

I have to tell you I’m not a great soccer fan, but like many I’m excited about the U.S. women’s team and their appearance in the World Cup Final on Sunday.

I know Trump has been entangled in a Twitter war with one of the U.S. players and I’ve done my best to ignore all of that.

But today after hearing Alex Morgan scored the game winner in a 2-1 win over England…I googled Alex Morgan and became transfixed on her nose.

What an exquisite nose. Other than Kate Beckinsale’s nose…I know of no nose like Alex Morgan’s. It stunned me. I couldn’t take my eyes off her nose. She has a cleft on the underside of her nose which if I were on The Bachelor would cause me to pick her without even asking her a question.

I have no idea who the U.S. plays on Sunday, but I will take the time to watch the World Cup Final.

Durant Did the Right Thing By Leaving Oklahoma City

So we’re now at this place where we as adults can evaluate the past three seasons of Kevin Durant in Oakland. The emotion is no longer raw. It is a time for pragmatic thought and words.

If Kevin Durant was my son what I would say is that you did the right thing minus one detail. You should have been open about why you made your decision. A point guard who plays like a fourth grader and a shooting guard who still can’t shoot were why you had to leave. You should have left for the simple reason that the Thunder organization didn’t and still haven’t been able to two do things which need to be done to become a real contender.

Namely:

1 Find a coach who can coach Russell Westbrook. Who is this person? I surely don’t know who that coach is short of Pop perhaps. But I know this, the manner in which Russell Westbrook calibrates risk-reward on the floor is precisely why the Thunder are 4-12 in post season without Kevin Durant making Sam Presti look a great deal better than he is as a GM.

2 No quality shooting guard. Shooting guard implies just that. Have a guard who can shoot. This doesn’t mean you pay Andre Roberson $10 million a year to be the worst shooting guard in the history of the NBA. This means you add a SHOOTING GUARD who can shoot. And to Russell Westbrook’s defense somewhat…Sam Presti still hasn’t done this unless you’re a Little Nick Gallo or Low Energy Royce Young zombie who believes Terrance Ferguson is that dude who can be the next Danny Green or Fred van Fleet.

If Durant were my son and Harvard wanted him to come there…I wouldn’t say don’t go there—they already have too many smart people. I’d want my son to go where he has the opportunity to fulfill his potential to the max and be rewarded for his work ethic and dreams.

To me…Durant going to Oakland was him going to Harvard to see what it’s like to be on a team with a coach whose players listen and a friggin’ shooting guard who can shoot. How ironic for me that Klay Thompson is my favorite player in the NBA and the model for what a shooting guard should be. Meanwhile–Sam Presti still embraces long players who can’t shoot. It’s stunning. It’s like the OKC Chamber of Commerce volunteering to be guinea pigs for sonic booms. Sam Anderson knows. I wonder if Clay Bennett could make a few calls and get Mary Fallin a third term? Who are these people in Oklahoma?

So now Durant is gone to Brooklyn with his Achilles is on the mend. Will he be the same player down the road? We don’t know. But we know this…Kevin Durant has two championship rings and two Finals MVP trophies he wouldn’t have if he’d stayed in Oklahoma City.

The axiom is a simple one. Dumb teams in any sport don’t win championships. Did you see a smart team in Oklahoma City this past season as Paul George had an MVP worthy season?

No we did not and it’s time to make some conclusions about the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kawhi Should Stay in Toronto

The NBA is on the verge of complete parity if only Kawhi Leonard will be smart and not head off to LA to become a Laker with LeBron and Anthony Davis.

Yes, I do write this from the perspective of a Warrior fan since of course Klay is going to sign a max deal and stay a Warrior forever. Klay is my favorite player. I can’t chain myself to the dimwit Thunder any longer. These people are doomed. They cannot make the right decisions. They made Mary Fallin governor….twice. For crying out loud they have Little Nick Gallo as the director of their communications operations. No wonder they haven’t found anything in the draft since James Harden.

But still, I’ll keep the domain and somewhat follow the doomed Thunder even though Sam Anderson and I both know the window is closed. You can’t make the same mistakes over and over and win a championship. NBA championships are very hard to win. Make no mistake of that. Dumb decisions don’t bring home rings.

The whole league hinges on Kawhi this week as he ponders his future. I would say to Kawhi…stay in Toronto. You just won a championship in the loveliest city in the league. The women are beautiful. You have the St. Lawrence River. You have Young Street. You have the Hockey Hall of Fame. You had Joe Carter’s walk off homer. You have the Leafs. You have the Falls of Niagara which you share with Buffalo. Buffalo is a dump—I’ve been there. Toronto is the ticket—stay a Raptor with Serge. You have the adoration of an entire country and you don’t have Donald Trump.

Sure—you could come to LA and win a ring with LeBron, but so what. Why diminish your own legacy doing this when you’ve already won two rings on two non super teams. Why become the latest NBA whore? Why do what Kevin Durant did? Why?

You can visit California whenever. I was born in San Diego. I get it. But stay in Toronto and see if you can beat the Splash Brothers with Klay on the floor.

Kawhi…please stay in Toronto.

KD Heads to Brooklyn With Kyrie

I’m happy for Kevin and I’m happy for the Splash Brothers now being a threesome including DeAngelo Russell. I’m happy the Indiana Pacers added Malcolm Brogdon and Sleepy Jeremy Lamb as well.

If you’re a New York Knick fan…what can any of us say other than your owner sucks.

Kawhi still to be determined, but this day belongs to Kevin Durant. He moves on from the three seasons in Oakland where he won two rings and two Finals MVP awards.

I can be a Kevin Durant fan again. I can move on and appreciate the fact I got to see this dude play in my little college market city for eight years and lead the Thunder to an NBA Finals in 2012. I can let all the angst go away.

Kevin Durant can be at peace and so can Thunder fans. It’s over and there will be a day when this soaks in to the knuckleheads who booed Durant.

I’m also happy for Steph Curry because he got on a plane to see Durant and told him to his face man to man…thank you.

Thank you, Kevin for coming with us and allowing us to win two more titles. Thank you and we wish the best for you in Brooklyn.

Durant continues his journey and I hope he gets back to the Finals again at some point as he pursues the all-time scoring record held by Kareem.

We saw something special in Oklahoma City. Generationally special. The ending on July 4th hurt, but time should heal and the next time a former Thunder great has a day in Oklahoma City it should be Kevin Durant if he retires before Russell.

Klay will stay and now I have to tell you the Warriors become my favorite team in the NBA even though I have this blog. The Pacers now fascinate me in the East and become my favorite team on that side.

Isn’t it odd…the Pacers just became the team Sam Presti could never put together in Oklahoma City after the Durant exit. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Jeremy Lamb becomes a key contributor.

I have no idea what Sam Presti is going to do with the Thunder. Maybe he’ll add another long player who can’t shoot.

But most of all with me it’s about Kevin. I can be a fan again. I can appreciate everything he did while in Oklahoma City.

He can be at peace and so can everyone else in the basketball universe.