Thunder Rumors & News

Sportsnaut "The Houston Rockets’ blockbuster trade to acquire Russell Westbrook from the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier this month had so many backstories. Among them, Chris Paul heads to OKC in the deal after reports of a rift between him and James Harden. While Paul has pushed back against..." July 20

Bleacher Report "Another star is always on the verge of being traded in the NBA. Even if he needs to come out of nowhere, the league always has a next man up. This summer alone is proof. The New Orleans Pelicans shipped Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Oklahoma City Thunder..." July 20

Clutch Points "If Chris Paul really wants to start the 2019-20 season on the Miami Heat, he might have to decline his 2021-22 player option worth $44,211,146. Paul is widely expected to begin the upcoming season on the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Heat are said to be interested in acquiring Paul, but..." July 19

Bleacher Report "OK, what just happened? That seismic shift you just felt on the NBA landscape? That was one of the wildest months in NBA history shaking up your favorite team; your parents' favorite team; your uncle's favorite team; heck, even the cat's favorite..." July 19

The Score "Police in Oklahoma City are conducting an investigation after a man left two voicemails threatening Thunder employees in response to the trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers, according to court documents obtained by Perris Jones of KOCO 5..." July 19

Sporting News "Roughly 40 percent of the NBA entered free agency this offseason. Yeah, that's a big number. With so much talent flooding the market, some free agents were inevitably going to be signed to cheaper deals than expected. Which GMs managed to snag valuable players on bargain..." July 19

Sporting News "Early in the 2016 NBA offseason, it became clear teams were passing out crazy contracts to average-at-best players. That's what happens when the league sees an unprecedented salary cap spike. Over the past three years, some general managers have gotten smarter with..." July 19

Clutch Points "The Oklahoma City Thunder engaged in trade conversations with the Miami Heat during a stretch, as they tried to deal franchise point guard Russell Westbrook. While there had been reported interest in rookie Tyler Herro, center Bam Adebayo and swingman Justise Winslow, the Thunder were willing..." July 19

Fadeaway World "Unless LeBron rolls out at the point, the Lakers need some serious help in the backcourt. With virtually nobody available on the market, and Quinn Cook being their best current small guard, L.A. will need a miracle if they hope to find a starting-caliber PG with their last roster..." July 18

Sportsnaut "The Oklahoma City Thunder have made a plethora of moves in the span of just three weeks. One of them was trading for Chris Paul. Many people speculated that the Thunder would trade CP3, but that is not the case anymore. As reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Thunder plan to..." July 18

Bleacher Report "Following a summer that saw Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, Al Horford, Jimmy Butler, Anthony Davis, Mike Conley and more change teams, 2020's free-agency class looks a bit sparse by comparison. That's not meant as a slight to players..." July 18

Sportsnaut "Now that most of the pieces have been moved during what has been a frantic summer around the NBA, it’s time to look forward to the 2019-20 season. The Los Angeles Lakers added Anthony Davis to team up with LeBron James, creating a ton of pressure for both..." July 18

Sporting News "The Thunder acquired Chris Paul as part of Thursday night's blockbuster trade with the Rockets, but the future Hall of Famer shouldn't get too comfortable in Oklahoma City. With Paul hoping to play for a real contender, and with the Thunder heading into a rebuild following the..." July 18

Deadspin "The provisions of a collective bargaining agreement can be tricky things. After all, by definition they’re negotiated and agreed upon by parties with different and largely opposed interests, who will want different and often directly conflicting things out of them. The purpose or intent..." July 18

SB Nation "You may remember that one of the few NBA salary rules changed in the 2016 collective bargaining agreement centered on the earning power of stars in their mid-30s. We dubbed this the Chris Paul Rule, because CP3 stood to benefit most immediately and he was the players’ union..." July 18

Total Pro Sports "Just when you thought Chris Paul wouldn’t be putting an OKC Thunder jersey on during the 2019-2020, things quickly changed as he is now expected to play for the franchise and he might be there awhile. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Thunder are no longer..." July 18

12 Up "1. Lonzo Ball The NOLA Bayou is a far cry from the bright LA lights, which is perfect for Lonzo Ball. Ball came in with immense expectations, and like D’Angelo Russell, can thrive with a change of scenery as a former No. 2 overall pick. Zo hounds his opponents on defense while..." July 18

KOCO News 5 "Authorities are investigating after police said a man made death threats against the Oklahoma City Thunder and their staff after the team traded All-Star Paul George. A search warrant, which was filed this week, reveals that the man left two voicemails threatening the Thunder's..." July 18

Clutch Points "If the Oklahoma City Thunder continue driving such a hard bargain, Chris Paul may remain with the team far longer than anyone anticipated. In a story indicating the Thunder’s inability to find attractive trade offers for Paul and willingness to play out the 2019-20 season with..." July 17

The Score "The Oklahoma City Thunder have paused their attempts to move nine-time All-Star Chris Paul and increasingly expect that he'll start the season with the team, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Paul was acquired from the Houston Rockets last week along with a bevy..." July 17

SB Nation "With Russell Westbrook now traded, the most important chapter in the Oklahoma City Thunder’s history is officially closed. Westbrook was the last piece standing from the young, upstart team that took the NBA by storm in the early part of the decade. Along with Kevin..." July 17

Yardbarker "Jimmy Butler, Chris Paul and Paul George are “Patients Zero” for the trade epidemic that has rocked the NBA the past two years. Following disappointing ends to their respective 2016-17 seasons, each demanded a trade and was subsequently dealt to a new team that June. Butler went to..." July 17

South Florida Sun Sentinel "So where do the Miami Heat stand with Chris Paul? As casual spectators, while waiting to see what might come their way. Unlike the team's pursuit of Russell Westbrook, when Pat Riley and his front-office staff negotiated with a proactive approach, the Heat have taken a more..." July 17

Clutch Points "The Oklahoma City Thunder received Chris Paul in the blockbuster trade that sent franchise star Russell Westbrook out of OKC, but to complete this planned rebuild, the organization must first move Paul to its next destination. Despite hopes that a move can get done by the start of the 2019-20..." July 17

Real GM Basketball "Sam Presti issued an extended statement as the Oklahoma City Thunder announced their trade of Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul. “We recently had conversations with Russell about the team, his career, and how he sees the future," said Presi. "Through those conversations..." July 17

Bleacher Report "Another hectic round of NBA free agency has come and gone, and with the dust now settling, teams are left to grapple with the roster holes that went unfilled. Nothing, of course, is set in stone so far from training camps. But barring any more blockbuster trades, depth..." July 17

Clutch Points "The New York Knicks were never truly interested in trading for Russell Westbrook, according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY Sports. Despite having struck out in free agency after whiffing on the likes of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard, the Knicks remained committed to..." July 17

Fadeaway World "The Pistons need to make another move to truly take that next step. A step which would turn them into viable contenders in an up for grabs Eastern Conference. We have to answer a few important questions first. What is the deal that could make this potential move happen? Why would both the..." July 17

12 Up "It really does feel like the NBA offseason is more entertaining than the regular season sometimes. This summer has shaken up the league tremendously with a bunch of old faces in new places, and plenty of mouths left agape after finding out who’s going where. Let’s take a look at..." July 16

Pro Basketball Talk "The Thunder are starting over in an unprecedented way. By sending Paul George to the Clippers and Russell Westbrook to the Rockets, Oklahoma City is becoming the first team ever to trade two reigning All-NBA players in the same offseason. The Thunder are the first team in decades to..." July 16

Fadeaway World "Summer Leauge is already here which means most of the NBA rosters are already set, and while we’re going to see a lot of trades go on throughout the season, several top-tier players are likely to stay put for most of the season. You just can’t win in this league unless you..." July 16

Pro Basketball Talk "No Andrew Wiggins, no problem. The disconnect between Wiggins and Canada Basketball seemed like a big deal when Wiggins looked like a budding star from a country without much basketball pedigree. But Wiggins has stagnated. Canada, on the other hand, looks like a rising..." July 16

Bleacher Report "Nothing lasts forever. That's the lesson of the 2019 NBA offseason. Actually, based on the shake-ups, teardowns, undertakings and overhauls we saw this summer, it seems more accurate to say nothing lasts for more than a year or two. Example: Of the 25 players named to..." July 16

The Ringer "The NBA’s newest Big Two is the most fascinating from a tactical perspective. James Harden and Russell Westbrook played together for three seasons almost a decade ago for the Thunder. But how will they readjust as teammates now that both have won an MVP playing apart? And can the..." July 16

The Oklahoman "Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni has coached James Harden and Russell Westbrook together before. The trio has Olympic gold medals to show for it. All three were members of the 2012 gold-medal-winning USA men’s basketball national team, D’Antoni as..." July 16

Heavy "Since news broke that the Thunder may be looking to move Chris Paul, some have connected the point guard to the Lakers given his close friendship with LeBron James. Fans hoping to construct Team Banana Boat may be disappointed to learn about the numerous hurdles the Lakers have to overcome to..." July 16

SB Nation "NBA summer league lost its main attraction when Zion Williamson exited with a knee injury just nine minutes into his debut for the New Orleans Pelicans. Williamson wasn’t the only top draft pick to miss time in Las Vegas: Ja Morant, Jarrett..." July 16

Total Pro Sports "It looks like the noise about Chris Paul not being very liked extends further than just to people who have played alongside him. Over the weekend, Chris Paul found out his talents were being sent to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Russell Westbrook and an assortment of draft..." July 15

Clutch Points "Troy Daniels had received interest from the Golden State Warriors and Oklahoma City Thunder before ultimately signing with the Los Angeles Lakers, according to Bill Oram of The Athletic. Daniels received a minimum deal from the Lakers, citing Anthony Davis and general manager Rob..." July 15

The Spun "Russell Westbrook has seemingly gotten over Kevin Durant’s decision to leave him for the Golden State Warriors, though the now-former Oklahoma City Thunder star did have some fun at his former teammate’s expense. Video has emerged of Russell Westbrook’s “Why..." July 15

Bleacher Report "Who will be the breakout stars of the 2019-20 NBA season?  Before we answer that question, we need to address what the term means, as both "breakout" and "star" can be somewhat subjective.  For the purpose of this article, we'll..." July 15

SB Nation "There has been unprecedented movement of NBA stars in recent years. It’s not over. It’s never over. The churn is eternal thanks to shorter NBA contracts, a player mindset that is less wed to the concept of staying with a single franchise over an entire career, and teams..." July 15

Larry Brown Sports "Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti has torn down the team’s roster about as effectively as you could hope for when entering a rebuilding phase, but that does not mean he is pleased with the way the offseason has gone. Despite acquiring 15 future first-round picks..." July 15

Dime Magazine "Russell Westbrook is a Houston Rocket. It’s a pretty odd sentence, all things considered. If anyone was going to stick with one team and follow the Dirk Nowitzki blueprint, it was going to be Westbrook. But even he saw the writing on the wall once Paul George was traded to the..." July 15

Bleacher Report "Did your favorite NBA team overspend on free agents this summer? Still scratching your head over that $60 million deal for the career backup? Has your team's front office lost it, or is there actually a plan here? For some big-money free agents, the initial numbers may..." July 15

247 Sports "It's time for a blind taste test. The following players have both made at least five All-Star teams. One is 10 months older. The other has a one-inch height advantage. Here are their regular-season and postseason stats from last season: Player A Regular Season: 15.6 PPG, 8.2 APG,..." July 15

The Big Lead "The NBA Summer League is filled with illusions. There have been hundreds of players over the years fans got excited about who amounted to nothing after dominating in summer league. But there are still some summer league standouts who earned a roster spot and continue to play productive..." July 15

Fadeaway World "We can all agree that personal stats don’t always reflect on the true impact on your team, as you can have the best performance of your life and still lose by 20 points when playing in the NBA. However, some players have made a living out of piling up stats and logging..." July 15

Bleacher Report "The summer of 2019 has been the wildest offseason ride in NBA history. In less than a month, we were treated to the following transactions (and this is just a taste of everything that went down): There's more to a lot of those deals. For example, Butler went to..." July 15

Clutch Points "When speculations about Chris Paul not staying in Oklahoma City Thunder started making rounds on social media, one would think that the Charlotte Hornets would be interested in trading for the former All-Star. After all, they just lost an All-Star of their own in Kemba..." July 15