What will define Sam Presti, NBA general manager? For some time, the Oklahoma City Thunder chief would have been defined by drafting Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden — three future MVPs — in successive years. There isn’t a better three-year lottery run in the modern era. This vision of Presti topped out in the 2012 NBA Finals.
Days after Paul George’s shocking separation from the Thunder, Russell Westbrook followed suit in a shocking blockbuster deal that sent the former MVP to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul and multiple first-round picks.
The Golden State Warriors are ready to head into a new era of their franchise after a dominant five-year run. The Warriors have already lost Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets, Andre Iguodala to the Memphis Grizzlies and a few other pieces. Now, they’re waving goodbye to another mainstay.
he Western Conference's makeover continued in dramatic fashion Thursday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly traded star point guard Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets for Chris Paul and a haul of first-round draft picks, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka has received a lot of criticism, but the fact of the matter is that he could be on the verge of building a championship-caliber team after trading for Anthony Davis.
With the Golden State Warriors losing Kevin Durant, the NBA has never been this wide open. One other key player that they lost is Andre Iguodala, who was traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in order for them to have enough money to acquire D’Angelo Russell in a sign-and-trade with the Brooklyn Nets.
Shams Charania reports the NBA Board of Governors has voted to allow coaches to challenge plays next season. Details from Zach Lowe on the new rule from last month set out the parameters: coaches can challenge an on-court decision once per game, provided they have a timeout remaining. The plays that can be challenged: called fouls, goaltending, basket interference, and disputed out of bounds calls.
his talk about Russell Westbrook being the worst contract in the league is wild. He’s due $170 million over the next four seasons. Do you mean to tell me that if Westbrook had been a free agent this summer some team wouldn’t have paid him $170 million over four years, if they could have? I don’t buy it.
Well, this is fascinating. Everyone assumed that when the Clippers landed Kawhi Leonard and Paul George last week, that meant that Leonard would sign a 4-year deal. It turns out he’s signing a 3-year deal with a player option, meaning he’s really signing a 2-year deal. He can opt out in 2021, the same year that PG-13 can become a free agent. (And so can several other big name players, including Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James.)
With the additions of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, the Brooklyn Nets have turned themselves into one of most intriguing teams in the NBA. But this was no overnight transformation. It’s been a long, tedious journey back to relevancy for the Nets after a series of blockbuster moves for aging stars blew up in their face.
