Thunder Rumors & News

Bleacher Report "The NBA's history can be traced from one championship banner-raising partnership to the next. Entire eras have been controlled by dynamic duos. Before Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant or LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, there was Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal or Michael Jordan..." May 20

Clutch Points "Milwaukee Bucks point guard George Hill is a certified dog lover. No question, he would certainly do anything if he ever encounters a dog in trouble. In fact, Hill once actually saved former teammate Paul George’s dog after the critter fell in a lake. ESPN’s Malika Andrews..." May 18

Yahoo! Sports "For the second-straight season, James Harden is on the cusp of winning the NBA’s top award. Harden, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George were named the three finalists for the NBA’s MVP award, the league announced on Friday night. Harden, who won the award last..." May 17

Salt Lake Tribune "The voters have spoken: Rudy Gobert is again in the top three for the NBA’s annual Defensive Player of the Year award. Gobert’s place as a finalist for the award was announced on Friday evening, along with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George. Gobert is the reigning..." May 17

Hoops Rumors "The NBA is expected to tweak the start date and time of its annual July moratorium, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com (Twitter link). According to Bontemps, rather than starting at 12:00 am eastern time on July 1, the moratorium will likely begin six hours earlier, on June 30 at 6:00..." May 15

Hoops Rumors "Thunder power forward Patrick Patterson has decided to exercise his $5.7MM player option for next season, Shams Charania of The Athletic tweets. Patterson’s decision comes as no surprise, since he was highly unlikely to get a better offer on the open market. The 30-year-old..." May 11

Bleacher Report "Whichever team wins the NBA draft lottery on May 14 will focus its attention on Zion Williamson. That organization can also expect phone calls from franchises across the league looking to pry away the No. 1 pick. Regardless of how highly the lottery winner thinks of..." May 08

Bleacher Report "Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George will miss the start of his team's 2019-20 preseason training camp at minimum after undergoing surgery Tuesday to repair a partially torn tendon in his right shoulder, the team announced (per Maddie Lee of The..." May 08

Sportsnaut "The Oklahoma City Thunder were marred by serious injuries to their star tandem of Russell Westbrook and Paul George during a brief playoff run that resulted in a first-round exit. Westbrook underwent surgery Tuesday to repair a torn ligament in a finger on his left hand. He also..." May 07

Bleacher Report "The approaching 2019 NBA offseason means attention will soon pivot from reality to fantasy. When the games end, roster reconstruction begins. That means the draft, free agency and, most of all, fanciful trade speculation. Every team has a shot to do something spectacular..." May 07

Clutch Points "The Toronto Raptors and Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly discussed a trade centered around shooting guard DeMar DeRozan for guard Victor Oladipo and big man Domantas Sabonis in 2017, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. A trade never materialized and the Thunder sent Oladipo and..." May 06

Clutch Points "After another season that ended in a first round exit, the Oklahoma City Thunder must do what it takes to improve around Russell Westbrook and Paul George. That may require some truly difficult decisions that shakes up the makeup of their roster. The main hurdle that could prevent the..." May 04

Fadeaway World "The Oklahoma City Thunder have just been knocked out of the playoffs in the first round for the third straight time now, with Russell Westbrook getting really exposed in both ends of the hardwood once again. It just feels as the Thunder will never win a Championship with Westbrook on..." May 03

Larry Brown Sports "Many theories have been offered to explain why Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to sign with the Golden State Warriors. One popular rumor suggested tension with Russell Westbrook was the biggest factor. An ex-teammate says that’s not the case. Anthony Morrow played..." May 03

Bleacher Report "Before every 2019 NBA free agent ventures into the open market, they'll inevitably be advised of how the grass isn't always greener on the other side. But as that adage concedes, sometimes the grass is greener—maybe dramatically so. A change of..." April 30

Fadeaway World "The Lakers and Thunder are two teams in need of some serious roster changes this summer. There are a number of options as to what that might look like, but in an appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast, Ryen Russillo of ESPN discussed the possibility of Thunder General..." April 30

Larry Brown Sports "The Oklahoma City Thunder saw their season end on a disappointing note last week when they lost four out of five games against the Portland Trail Blazers, but it appears head coach Billy Donovan does not have to worry about his job status heading into next year. While speaking with..." April 29

Clutch Points "Oklahoma City Thunder veteran guard Raymond Felton says the criticism star point guard Russell Westbrook gets is “stupid” and he doesn’t like it one bit. Westbrook has been heavily criticized his entire career, but after what happened in the playoffs against Damian..." April 26

Yahoo! Sports "Damian Lillard and Russell Westbrook were going at it throughout their opening-round playoff series, providing fans with perhaps the best matchup in the first round of the postseason. One of the best moments between the two guards came in Game 3, where the Oklahoma City Thunder picked..." April 26

The Oklahoman "Andre Roberson is on track to return for Thunder training camp. The defense-oriented guard broke the news in his exit interview Thursday, his first media availability since preseason. Roberson has been out since rupturing his left patellar tendon in a game against Detroit on Jan. 27,..." April 25

Pro Basketball Talk "Damian Lillard made the coldest shot the NBA has seen in years – a buzzer-beating, series-winning, 37-foot pull-up 3-pointer over Paul George. George called it a “bad shot.” Lillard on the Pull Up podcast: It was a good shot. I think a..." April 25

ESPN "After a contentious series against the Trail Blazers that ended in another first round elimination and what some perceive as a dent in his reputation, Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook shrugged off criticism on Thursday. "If you want to determine..." April 25

The Score "On the Portland Trail Blazers' very first offensive possession of their first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Damian Lillard strolled past half court, pulled up from the logo, and splashed a 32-footer. Even at the time, it felt like a statement. Maybe even a..." April 25

NBC Sports Northwest "After every summer workout, Damian Lillard knows what time it is. Exhausted. Legs burning. Soaked in sweat. It’s time for one final drill: An array of 3-point shots so deep that he’s stepping on the halfcourt logo. A source close to Lillard says the Portland star purposely finishes..." April 25

Bleacher Report "LeBron James hasn't played any games in April, but that didn't stop him from having the top-selling jersey in the NBA during the month. Golden State Warriors point guard Steph Curry and Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo rounded out..." April 25

Real GM Basketball "Television ratings for the 2019 NBA Playoffs have been down significantly during the first window.  Going into Wednesday's doubleheader of Game 5s, ratings and/or viewership have declined for 30 of the 33 playoff windows compared to last season. Twenty-six games have declined..." April 25

Clutch Points "Boston Celtics small forward Marcus Morris wishes his twin brother Markieff Morris didn’t sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After the Washington Wizards traded Markieff to the New Orleans Pelicans, the swingman was waived by New Orleans and..." April 25

Clutch Points "The mere concept of trading Russell Westbrook might be too fraught for the Oklahoma City Thunder to fathom. No player in the league, with the ever notable exception of Damian Lillard, is more synonymous with his team than the Thunder’s superstar point..." April 25

Pro Basketball Talk "Paul George averaged 28.6 points per game against Portland in the first round, but he wasn’t his mid-season efficient self, shooting 31.9 percent from three, where he took 46.5 percent of his attempts. George tried to make up for it by attacking the rim and drawing fouls, and he..." April 24

Total Pro Sports "Through the first games of the 1st-round matchup between the Portland Trail Blazers and OKC Thunder — there was hardly any trash talk from the lower seed as they headed home to get back into the series. Throughout Game 3 and once the game was in hand, Westbrook had a bunch of..." April 24

SB Nation "When I woke up this morning after barely three hours of sleep, I had a message from my little brother: “Russ has got to learn how to shoot, man.” Damian Lillard’s deep three to clinch the series against the Thunder was amazing, and so expected in the midst..." April 24

Larry Brown Sports "Paul George was not impressed with the shot selection on Damian Lillard’s series-clinching three-pointer against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night, and Lillard seems quite amused by that. George was the one defending Lillard when the Portland Trail Blazers star buried a..." April 24

SB Nation "The Oklahoma City Thunder haven’t won a playoff series since Kevin Durant skipped town in 2016. In fact, the Thunder are now 4-12 in playoff games since KD’s departure after losing in five to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday night. That’s not very..." April 24

Fadeaway World "Things are getting heated this NBA playoff and that doesn’t seem to be changing any time soon. Debates come and go all day long about everything that is currently taking place in the association, but one of the fiercest and most controversial are the ones involving the current NBA MVP..." April 23

The Score "The Portland Trail Blazers moved within one win of the Western Conference semifinals after defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder 111-98 in Game 4 of their first-round series Sunday evening. While the Blazers' past postseason struggles - including back-to-back first-round sweeps the..." April 22

Larry Brown Sports "If you’re wondering why the Oklahoma City Thunder are down 3-1 in their first-round playoff series with the Portland Trail Blazers, look no further than the play of Russell Westbrook. Two years removed from an MVP season, Westbrook had an atrocious season as a shooter this year...." April 22

Bleacher Report "Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes Russell Westbrook's handling of the media could lead to problems down the line. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard has refused to answer questions from Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman and only..." April 22

Larry Brown Sports "Russell Westbrook had a game on Friday night and made sure to let all his opponents know it. Westbrook scored 33 points in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 120-108 win over the Portland Trail Blazers. He taunted Damian Lillard with a couple of “rock the baby”..." April 20

Clutch Points "Following his team’s 120-108 Game 3 victory against the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Russell Westrbook did not appear to be in the best of moods during the post-game press conference. As a matter of fact, the former MVP winner decided to completely ignore one..." April 20

Sporting News "Paul George called Russell Westbrook "a man of his word" after leading the Thunder to a highly charged Game 3 win over the Trail Blazers. Westbrook said his display in a Game 2 loss in Portland was "unacceptable" and stepped up in a big way Friday, contributing 33..." April 20

Blazer's Edge "The Trail Blazers’ offense unraveled in the fourth quarter allowing the Thunder to secure a crucial Game 3 victory to push the series to 2-1. Reserve guard Dennis Schroder attempted to add salt to Portland’s wound by mocking Damian Lillard’s signature “Dame time”..." April 20

Larry Brown Sports "Paul George added an extra element of intrigue to the Portland Trail Blazers-Oklahoma City Thunder playoff series with a gratuitous act at the end of the contest. As the seconds were ticking down on the clock with the Thunder up 120-108 in Game 3 on Friday night, George styled with a..." April 20

Clutch Points "Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard CJ McCollum says his backcourt mate Damian Lillard and Oklahoma City Thunder star Russell Westbrook are “two pit bulls” who love to compete for 48 minutes. Lillard and Westbrook have been going at it in the first two games of their..." April 19

Clutch Points "It’s not time to panic, but Russell Westbrook and the Oklahoma City Thunder will need to get their act together if they plan on advancing in the Western Conference Playoffs. After Tuesday night’s 114-94 loss, the Thunder find themselves trailing in their first-round series..." April 19

Clutch Points "Portland Trail Blazers big man Enes Kanter expects the Oklahoma City Thunder to be “aggressive offensively” in Game 3 on their home floor. Kanter played for the Thunder before, so he knows better than anyone how loud the OKC crowd gets in the playoffs. The Blazers are up..." April 19

USA Today "Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook called his performance in Game 2 unacceptable. He said he needs to play better. He better if the Thunder, down 2-0, have any chance of getting back in and winning this first-round Western Conference playoff series against the Portland Trail..." April 19

SB Nation "The NBA playoffs define the legacies of great players, yet they’re also when those players often aren’t at their best because of injuries. Many times, we don’t find out about these injuries until months or years after the fact. At that point, those..." April 18

Real GM Basketball "Almost everybody in the NBA can do every basketball thing. Six-foot-nothing guards mess around with hook shots in practice. Big doofusy centers can throw a behind-the-back pass. Behold: Ben Simmons, who has taken 17 three-pointers in his professional career and missed all of them, nailing nine..." April 17

Pro Basketball Talk "Russell Westbrook was putting up triple-doubles and impacting games all season long, but he wasn’t efficient doing it. He shot 29 percent from three this season, and his 50.1 true shooting percentage was well below the league average. That has carried over to the playoffs...." April 17

Hoops Rumors "Thunder swingman Hamidou Diallo underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his troublesome right elbow today, the team announced in a press release. Diallo had been ruled out of Tuesday’s Game 2 vs. Portland due to right elbow soreness. According to the club,..." April 17