Thunder Rumors & News

CBS Sports "The 2021-22 NBA season began last Tuesday, but most of the headlines around the league have very little to do with basketball. Whether it's protests at Barclays Center about Kyrie Irving's vaccine status, the ongoing saga with Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia..." October 25

NBA Analysis "Each year in the NBA, there are players who are moved because they need a change of scenery. This year will be no different. The offseason saw plenty of movement with big-name players. Kyle Lowry was moved in a sign-and-trade deal to the Miami Heat while DeMar DeRozan is now in..." October 25

NBA.com "The Oklahoma City Thunder has exercised contract options for the 2022-23 season for forwards Darius Bazley and Aleksej Pokuševski and guard Ty Jerome, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti. " October 25

Bleacher Report "The 2021-2022 NBA season is still in its infancy, but that doesn't mean we're not already getting some vibes about how the trade deadline is going to shake out. From players in uncomfortable situations to teams who are already starting to look like buyers (or sellers),..." October 25

NBA Analysis "The Sacramento Kings are going to be open for business this NBA season when it comes to the trade market. Whether or not the team is in playoff contention or not, they will be making deals during the season. One of the players they will be looking to move on from at some point is..." October 25

NBA Analysis "The Golden State Warriors have some options if they want to make a trade moving forward during the 2021-22 NBA season. This is a team that is hoping to return to contention as they continue to get healthy. If they want to make a move, the Oklahoma City Thunder could line up well with what they..." October 24

Pro Basketball Talk "At this point early in the season, there is not a lot of NBA trade buzz — not even for Ben Simmons — as teams are settling into the season and figuring out exactly what they really have and what they need. Trade talk traditionally starts to ramp up closer to..." October 24

Bleacher Report "While the NBA trade market rarely closes, it typically builds up over the course of the campaign before potentially erupting in a flurry of activity at the deadline. The extra time spawns movement for several different seasons. Players who inked free-agent pacts aren't..." October 24

Bleacher Report "The NBA has arguably never been loaded with as much promising young talent as it is right now. Between the college game, the international game and the increased viability of other avenues like the G League to bring young players into the league, there's a wider pipeline than there's..." October 24

Bleacher Report "For fans of certain NBA teams, is it too early to panic? A one or two-game sample size certainly isn't much to go off of, but it can reaffirm fears that fans may have already had involving players or weaknesses that the team did not address in the offseason. The war..." October 23

NBA Analysis "The 2021-22 NBA season tipped off on Tuesday night with the defending World Champion Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Brooklyn Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers hosting the Golden State Warriors, two games that were sights to see for everyone who loves the NBA!  Basketball is back and..." October 23

SI "The Brooklyn Nets played their second game of the NBA regular season on Friday evening in Philadelphia against the 76ers.  They were once again without their seven-time All-Star Kyrie Irving who is not eligible to play in games in home games in New York City (vaccine mandate),..." October 23

Clutch Points "The Oklahoma City Thunder are only one game into their 2021-22 campaign, yet the franchise is already probably already looking at the 2022 NBA Draft. For all intents and purposes, the Thunder aren’t looking to stay competitive this season as they look to secure more ping..." October 23

NBA.com "Fiddling with a strap on his backpack, reigning Kia MVP Nikola Jokic stopped his interviewer short of asking about pressure entering a potential repeat campaign. “Brother, I could not care less, for real,” he said. October 22

Hoops Rumors "In a pair of previous articles, we took a closer look at the trade restrictions placed on two groups of players who signed free agent contracts this past offseason. The smaller of the two groups featured players who can’t be traded by their current teams until January 15, having..." October 22

NBA Analysis "The New York Knicks had a massive season last year, making the playoffs for the first time since 2013 and claiming the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference. Losing in the first round to Trae Young and the Hawks definitely hurt, but the Knicks are back and they are going to be a tough team to face..." October 22

USA Today "Headlined by James Harden, Bradley Beal and Zach LaVine, the top of the 2022 NBA free-agent class is loaded with elite shooting guards, the types of players who can elevate a team’s offense just with their presence. There are top-notch players from other..." October 22

The Score "The NBA finished its multi-day unveiling of the 75th Anniversary Team on Thursday - and even with a super-sized field of 76 players, the league still couldn't find room to recognize some of its all-time greats. Here are the six biggest snubs. October 22

Clutch Points "The big news of the offseason for the Cleveland Cavaliers was their reluctance to extend guard Collin Sexton. The fourth-year guard saw several of his peer get massive new deals while his future in Cleveland remains unresolved. With an extension off the table, the Cavs keep..." October 22

Hoops Rumors "As we explain in our glossary entry on veteran contract extensions, rookie scale extensions have historically been the most common form of contract extension in the NBA. However, the league’s latest Collective Bargaining Agreement loosened the rules on eligibility for veteran..." October 22

NBA Analysis "The Oklahoma City Thunder are continuing their rebuilding process through the 2021-22 NBA season and as a result, they are going to be looking to get their young talents as much playing time and experience as possible. Last season, we saw them bench veteran Al Horford in favor of..." October 22

NBA Analysis "The NBA season kicked into full gear on Wednesday night with 11 games taking place. We saw some head coaching debuts and new faces in new places. It was only the second day of the season, but there are already contenders for what could be the best games we see and some of the best..." October 21

Fadeaway World "Winning an NBA ring is the most significant achievement for any basketball player. Not only this gives players status, but something nice to wear and remember for the rest of their lives.  These rings always have a terrific story behind them, with teams defying the odds to win..." October 21

Hoops Rumors "The NBA’s rookie scale, which determines the salaries first-round picks earn during their first four seasons, also dictates how much the qualifying offers will be worth for those players when they reach restricted free agency after year four. However, the value of those..." October 21

Bleacher Report "The Ben Simmons trade saga has taken a few strange turns after his late arrival to the Philadelphia 76ers last week. It culminated with him getting thrown out of practice Tuesday and receiving a one-game suspension for "conduct detrimental to the team," per Shams Charania of..." October 21

NBA Analysis "The New Orleans Pelicans are beginning the 2021-22 season without their star power forward, Zion Williamson. This is the second time in three seasons that they will not have him at the start of a season because of an injury. This time, he is recovering from an operation that he had on..." October 21

Hoops Rumors "With the NBA regular season underway, most teams are taking full advantage of their ability to carry up to 17 players, including 15 on standard contracts and a pair on two-way deals. As our roster counts page shows, 23 of the league’s 30 teams have full 17-man squads. Most of..." October 21

Fadeaway World "The process of choosing a team name can be tedious, with owners opting to hear several opinions before deciding on a name. Over the years, there have been downright ridiculous suggestions, but so far, so good, most team names in the NBA are pleasing to hear. Fans across the globe have gotten..." October 21

The Ringer "All eyes are on Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving now, but everyone from team executives to opposing players continues to monitor the Washington Wizards. “Almost every game we play, someone says something,” Bradley Beal tells me over the phone, regarding how often players recruit him to..." October 20

NBA Analysis "The Phoenix Suns shocked the basketball world on the eve of the 2021-22 regular season getting underway. The Suns had three players eligible for rookie extensions from the 2018 NBA Draft class; No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, No. 10 overall pick Mikal Bridges, and No. 26 overall selection..." October 20

NBA Analysis "The NBA’s 75th season is upon us and while all 30 teams in the league enter the new year with playoff/championship aspirations, some dreams just do not become reality. The Los Angeles Lakers and Brooklyn Nets enter the year as two heavy favorites to reach the NBA Finals, but they may not..." October 20

NBA Analysis "This past offseason has been extremely chaotic for the Philadelphia 76ers and they are definitely happy that the 2021-22 NBA season is finally here, but with the new season comes continued drama within their organization. Ben Simmons trade talks went on all offseason long, as the 3x..." October 20

Clutch Points "The Chicago Bulls made some splashy moves in the offseason by acquiring Lonzo Ball, DeMar DeRozan and Alex Caruso, among others. The Bulls’ new front office of Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley has overhauled this roster over the past year in an attempt to take a big step forward after..." October 20

Bleacher Report "Superstars run the NBA. It's been that way for years, and for all of the innovations and evolutions in the basketball world, that part of the formula may never change. So, what defines a superstar? As broad as that question is, we'll use a simple answer for this..." October 20

NBA Analysis "Marvin Bagley is forever going to be a player that is held under a microscope in the NBA. Bagley was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, going one pick ahead of Luka Doncic. October 19

ESPN "The NBA is celebrating it's 75th anniversary all season long during 2021-22, and part of that celebration includes the unveiling of the list of the 75 greatest players in NBA history. It has been 25 years since the league unveiled its list of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, which..." October 19

NBA Analysis "It is not very often that the Oklahoma City Thunder are mentioned as a potential NBA free-agent destination. The organization has made it abundantly clear what their plans are with the transactions they have made recently. Oklahoma City is rebuilding and collecting as many assets as..." October 19

Fadeaway World "Fortunes rise and fall quickly in the NBA. Sometimes an injury can push a playoff team into the lottery, while other times a great offseason pickup can help push a struggling organization into the postseason. Last year we saw five non-playoff teams from the 2019-2020 season jump into..." October 19

Sportsnaut "With the NBA season now upon us, Philadelphia 76ers star Ben Simmons and his team continue to be mired in drama that is usually reserved for day-time television and reality shows.  Following an off-season in which Simmons requested a trade and remained away from the organization..." October 19

NBA Analysis "The deadline for NBA teams to get extensions done with players from the 2018 draft class was yesterday, October 18, and while we saw a lot of teams agree to new long-term deals with some of their key talents, other teams in the league were not as successful in negotiations. Those that..." October 19

Sportsnaut "Last season saw LaMelo Ball beat out Anthony Edwards for the NBA Rookie of the Year award. One year prior, Ja Morant earned the top individual honor. The moral of this story? Simply because a player is picked No. 1, it doesn’t guarantee him the award.  Now that the..." October 19

Sportsnaut "With the 2021-22 NBA regular season set to get going with a doubleheader on Tuesday, we’re no closer to a Ben Simmons end game with the Philadelphia 76ers than we were months ago. By now, you likely know that Simmons has requested a trade from the Sixers. While the three-time..." October 19

NBA Analysis "Stephen Curry is an MVP candidate once again, Draymond Green is a Defensive Player of the Year candidate once again, and for the first time since the 2019 NBA Finals, Klay Thompson will make his return from injuries during the 2021-22 season for the Golden State Warriors. This team has a real..." October 19

Bleacher Report "It's time for a new NBA season, with the 2021-22 campaign tipping off with a pair of games on Tuesday. And it should be an exciting night of action to begin the new year. First, the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks will open the season by hosting the Brooklyn Nets, another team..." October 19

The Score "NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league is still interested in implementing a soccer-style in-season tournament but faces at least one significant obstacle before overhauling the regular-season calendar: support from the players themselves. "We have a fair amount of work..." October 18

Sportsnaut "NBA power rankings: The Milwaukee Bucks will look to defending their NBA championship once the season gets going in mid-October. Others fancy themselves as contenders following a busy offseason. Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Nets could be seen as one of the most-talented teams in Association..." October 18

Bleacher Report "The 2018 rookie class set an NBA record for contract extensions after Jaren Jackson Jr.'s four-year, $105 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies took that draft class over a billion dollars in extension agreements, per ESPN's Bobby Marks. That number could rise ahead of..." October 18

ESPN "It's time for our last fall tradition: our five most intriguing NBA players of the season. We try to stay away from rookies, sophomores, and superstars. The goal is to highlight X factors, and guys in the sweet spot of "will they or won't they?"..." October 18

Forbes.com "Despite a pandemic that kept arenas mostly empty during the 2020-21 season, the average value of an NBA franchise has risen 13%, to $2.48 billion, since Forbes’ last set of valuations, published in February.  For the first time, there are three..." October 18

EuroHoops.net "The NBA has reached a multiyear deal with Google, as announced on Monday. Google Pixel will become the first-ever presenting partner of the NBA Playoffs. Per NBA: “Google and the National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced a multiyear marketing and technology..." October 18