Oklahoma Thunderballs

Thunder Visits Moore Neighborhoods

Three options as I see it for the Thunder with the 12th pick that they earned last night: 1) Trade up: The Thunder have three picks in this draft (two first, one second), plus a couple future ones (their own, the protected Dallas pick). They also have intriguing young talent in Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones III and Reggie Jackson. The pieces are there to cobble together an intriguing trade package and with a lot of executives not sold on the top tier talent in this draft, if the Thunder wanted to move up, it seems the opportunity could be there. There’s growing buzz that the Thunder are going to explore trading up. My guess as to what they’re after would be a player like Ben McLemore, a Bradley Beal-ish smooth shooting guard. The Thunder of course were enthralled with Beal last season, reportedly twice trying to get him. A lot of mocks have Beal going as high as No. 1 overall and as low as No. 4 overall , with most settling at No. 2 to Orlando. That’s quite a leap, especially since the Magic are likely going to be excited about McLemore, a player that fills a need in a lot of ways. The only other player I see OKC having enough interest in to move up would be Victor Oladipo. Thabo Sefolosha’s deal expires after next season and Oladipo is kind of the perfect Thunder prospect. Intelligent, tough, hard working and has lots of room to improve. He’s a heady, gritty defender that has a knack for making plays. His offensive game needs some work, but he’s the kind of player that seems poised to blossom. Maybe they like seven-footer Alex Len, who has risen into the top eight in a lot of projections. Really, those are the only three I can see, unless they feel like Nerlens Noel could slip past No. 1. But again, if the Thunder are moving in to the top six, they’re going to likely have to part ways with Lamb. And probably Jones. Hypothetical scenario, and I realize the Magic probably say no to this deal: OKC deals Lamb (and Jones, maybe), the No. 12 pick and the No. 29 pick to move up for McLemore. They sign Kevin Martin (or J.J. Redick) to a one-year deal for however much money, basically replaying last season but swapping McLemore for Lamb, sending him to Tulsa and developing him on the end of the bench. Sound good? One issue I have with that, though: I kind of think Jeremy Lamb could be really good and dealing him feels a little scary to me. 2) Trade out: It really doesn’t make much sense for the Thunder to trade down, so I’m ruling that option out. But they could trade out completely of the first round. Whether it’s for a potentially lottery pick next season or a quality veteran, the Thunder could move their pick. Maybe in a sign-and-trade situation. I don’t get the sense this scenario is very likely, though. 3) Use it. Of course you have to canvas the league and see what possibilities are out there and if there’s something that makes sense, you go for it. But to move up, you have to give things up. And while the Thunder really don’t need that 29th overall pick or that 32nd overall pick, again, in order to jump a few spots they’d probably have to include a young asset like Lamb, Jones or Jackson. Not worth it to me. But that’s mainly because I think Lamb has a whole bunch of offensive upside and I’d almost place Jackson on the untouchable list. (I think he’s that good.) I kind of look at it this way: If the Thunder are thinking big, and there’s a player in the 12-16 range they like — like possibly Gorgui Dieng or Rudy Gobert — then there’s not a lot of reason to trade up. There’s one apparent big elite talent in Nerlens Noel. After that, there’s not really a top tier big man in this draft that couldn’t potentially fall to 12 anyway. So like I said, it’s either going for a home run Harden replacement in McLemore or Oladipo (or Shabazz Muhammad, if you’re feeling crazy), or you stand pat a

Draft Express has OKC taking Kelly Olynyk: “The Thunder’s season ended in disappointing fashion, in no small part because of an injury to All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook, which put too much pressure on Kevin Durant to carry the load offensively. Fortunately for the Thunder, the James Harden trade returned a pick in the late lottery, which can be used to add an immediate contributor on a cheap salary. With Westbrook back at full strength, what do you give the team that has everything? More offensive firepower is one option, particularly from the frontcourt, which struggled to establish itself as enough of a threat to keep Memphis’ big men honest defensively. With the status of free agent Kevin Martin very much up in the air, the Thunder could look to add more talent at the wing.” Chad Ford of ESPN.com has OKC taking Steven Adams: “Adams might have been the big winner of the draft combine. Physically, he looked the part of a future NBA center and displayed a better than expected touch on his jump shot. He looked in terrific shape, hustled on both ends of the floor and reminded everyone why scouts saw him as a potential top-five pick going into his senior year of high school. He’s raw and won’t find any real minutes on the Thunder. But that’s what the D-League is for.” Jeff Goodman of CBSSports.com has OKC with Olynyk: “The Thunder could use another scoring option — and the big Canadian can put up points in the paint and also from the perimeter.” Chris Mannix of SI.com has OKC taking Dario Saric: “There is increasing chatter among NBA executives that the Thunder — with two first-round picks and young talent in Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones on the roster — will look to make a major move on draft night. If they keep this pick, Saric, a smooth, mobile big man one executive describes as “the best passing big in the draft” is a nice find. Saric isn’t the bruising back-to-the-basket scorer that Oklahoma City craves, but he is exactly the kind of high potential talent GM Sam Presti loves to develop.” Sean Deveney of Sporting News: “Who knows what the Thunder do with this pick? Gobert is a high-ceiling gamble with a massive wingspan (7-9), who can be stashed in Europe for a year before coming to the NBA.” Jonathan Tjarks of SB Nation: “Dieng is a 23-year-old center who can play defense and knock down a mid-range jumper. Just going to throw this out there, but I suspect he is already a better basketball player than either Kendrick Perkins or Hasheem Thabeet.” Vice President Joe Biden to KD: “You’re not only a great athlete, you’re a great humanitarian. On behalf of all of us, thank you for your generosity.” KD spoke to reporters yesterday about his donation while in Minnesota watching friend Monica Wright play: “As the day went on and I saw the footage and the casualties and the houses being blown away, it was tough to see. I call Oklahoma City my home. I go through Moore all the time. It’s unfortunate. We’re going to come together as a city like we always do and we’re going to bounce back.” Presti talking about the tornado. Why Oklahoma is awesome. No. 31 and 32 forever. Tibor Pleiss isn’t coming over soon: “I am in contact with Thunder GM Sam Presti and I often speak on phone with Jonny Rogers, who lives in Barcelona and he is a scout for the Thunder in Europe,” Pleiss wrote on his blog. “They look at me each game and they are very satisfied for my performances. But I don’t want to be misunderstood: I think to the NBA in the medium term and I don’t want to talk too much about it. After this season I have three more years on my contract with Baskonia and I will stay at least next season. I feel the confidence of coach Zan Tabak. I know I can become a better player in Vitoria, which is crucial for me.” Russell Westbrook and a few other Thu

Amid Tragedy, the Thunder Helps Oklahomans Recover

The 2013 NBA Draft Lottery was held tonight and to the surprise of many, the Cleveland Cavaliers won the draft lottery and will select the #1 pick for the 2nd time in 3 years. The Thunder, who owned the Toronto Raptors' protected pick which was acquired via the Harden trade, was only top-3 protected. Since the Raptors did not win one of the top 3 drafting positions, the pick goes to OKC, and Sam Presti now has the 12th pick in the 2013 draft. Now the speculation begins. Who do the Thunder take? Do they pursue a big man? The best player on the board? Do they try to package a deal together to trade for another player? Let's see the guesswork below! Via SB Nation, here is the order of the 2 rounds of the 2013 draft, scheduled for June 27th: First Round: 1. Cleveland Cavaliers2. Orlando Magic3. Washington Wizards4. Charlotte Bobcats5. Phoenix Suns6. New Orleans Pelicans7. Sacramento Kings8. Detroit Pistons9. Minnesota Timberwolves10. Portland Trail Blazers11. Philadelphia 76ers12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Toronto)13. Dallas Mavericks14. Utah Jazz15. Milwaukee Bucks16. Boston Celtics17. Atlanta Hawks18. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston via Brooklyn)19. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Los Angeles)20. Chicago Bulls21. Utah Jazz (from Golden State via Brooklyn)22. Brooklyn Nets23. Indiana Pacers24. New York Knicks25. Los Angeles Clippers26. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Memphis via Houston)27. Denver Nuggets28. San Antonio Spurs29. Oklahoma City Thunder30. Phoenix Suns (from Miami via L.A. and Cleveland) Second Round: 31. Cleveland Cavaliers (from Orlando)32. Oklahoma City Thunder (from Charlotte)33. Cleveland Cavaliers34. Houston Rockets (from Phoenix)35. Philadelphia 76ers (from New Orleans)36. Sacramento Kings37. Detroit Pistons38. Washington Wizards39. Portland Trail Blazers (from Minnesota via Boston & Cleveland)40. Portland Trail Blazers41. Memphis Grizzlies (from Toronto)42. Philadelphia 76ers43. Milwaukee Bucks44. Dallas Mavericks (pick may be conveyed to Lakers)45. Portland Trail Blazers (from Boston)46. Utah Jazz47. Atlanta Hawks48. Los Angeles Lakers (pick may be conveyed to Dallas)49. Chicago Bulls50. Atlanta Hawks (from Houston)51. Orlando Magic (from Golden State via Denver & New York)52. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Brooklyn)53. Indiana Pacers54. Washington Wizards (from New York)55. Memphis Grizzlies56. Detroit Pistons (from Clippers)57. Phoenix Suns (from Denver via. Lakers)58. San Antonio Spurs59. Minnesota Timberwolves (from Oklahoma City)60. Memphis Grizzlies (from Miami) Poll Are you happy with the Thunder getting the 12th pick in this 2013 draft? Yes No 17 votes | Results

Now we can really start talking about the draft. The Toronto Raptors failed to finish in the top three of the lottery, meaning the Thunder gain the rights to the 12th pick in the draft. The pick, acquired in the James Harden trade, was top three protected, meaning the Raptors could keep it if they finished between one and three. But with their name being drawn at No. 12, the pick goes to the Thunder. There was a 93.5 percent chance of the Raptors being drawn 12th in the lottery because they finished tied for the 11th-worst record in the league, and then lost a coin toss with Philadelphia. The last 10 No. 12 overall picks: Jeremy Lamb, Alec Burks, Xavier Henry, Gerald Henderson, Jason Thompson, Thaddeus Young, Hilton Armstrong, Yaroslav Korolev, Robert Swift and Nick Freaking Collison. The draft is June 27 in Brooklyn.

OK, so a little refresher on what’s on the line tonight: The Thunder own the Raptors first round pick, acquired from Houston in the James Harden trade. (The Rockets got it by trading Kyle Lowry to Toronto.) The pick is top-three protected, meaning if the ping-pong balls bounce in the top three for the Raptors, they get to keep the pick. Anything 4-14, the Thunder use it. If the pick lands in the top three, it then rolls over to next season where it is top-two protected. The 12th worst record has seven combinations in the lottery, or 0.7 percent chance to win. That’s not seven percent. That’s zero point seven percent. There’s a 0.8 percent chance for the No. 2 and a 0.10 percent chance at No. 3. Between pick four and 11, there’s zero chance. There’s also a zero percent chance at No. 14. So, if they get to use it, the Thunder are guaranteed to be picking between 12 and 13, with a 93.5 percent chance of No. 12 and a 3.9 percent chance at No. 13. The Raptors were 7-2 in April after going 4-11 in March and dropping to the seventh worst record. But they finished strong and the Blazers lost their last 13. In draft lottery history, the 12th worst record has never won the lottery. So after tonight, we’ll know if all this talk about Gorgui Dieng and Cody Zeller and C.J. McCollum and whoever else is actually worth our time.

@ChristineFox25 … says it all. Full image after the jump: @ChristineFox25 Picture via @ChristineFox25 and a hat tip to Trey Kerby

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Thunder Cares Foundation today announced a joint donation of $1 million to benefit the local chapters of the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army.

Follow this story stream to get our full coverage of the 2013 NBA draft to be held on June 27th. To help those affected by the May 20th tornado, you can donate to the Red Cross via redcross.com or by texting REDCROSS to 90999. It's unusual for a team to hope for failure. Sure, fans of bad teams love to see tanking at the end of the season. We all want a chance at a true superstar, and whether a team finishes with 30 wins or 35 wins doesn't matter to most people. But in something like the NBA Draft Lottery, most teams want their pick to finish as high as possible, no matter what. Yet, tonight, the Thunder will find themselves hoping that their pick fails to get into the top three. You see, as part of the James Harden trade, they received the Raptors' protected first round pick. But if that pick, by some stroke of luck, lands in the top three, the Thunder will have to wait until next year, or longer, to make their selection. The conditions of the pick are a convoluted mess, but I'll make clear that the Thunder are in a win-win situation. Either way, they're going to find themselves with a lottery pick within the next few years. It would take a multi-year streak of Raptor success or extreme failure to make the pick fall out of the lottery. The table below shows where the pick has to land in order for the Thunder to get it. Currently, the pick sits at #12. 2013: Pick #4-14 2014: Pick #3-14 2015: Pick #3-14 2016: Pick #2-14 2017: Pick #2-14 2018: Unprotected. Still, I'm betting that most fans want to make the pick right now. You might have heard that the draft class this year is weaker, and while that is true near the top, it's also true that the solid talent is deeper, extending into the late lottery. That means the Thunder could draft a player who makes an impact immediately. That wasn't so important two or three years ago, but now the Thunder are going to have to start mixing up their rotation. Kevin Martin and Derek Fisher may not return next year, and the bench is going to need some serious scoring help. If Jeremy Lamb or Perry Jones aren't up to the challenge, it could be a Dennis Schroeder, Kelly Olynyk, or Michael Carter-Williams that gives the Thunder a boost next season. So, what's the likelihood of Toronto moving up to the top three and taking the pick back? Well, they have a 0.7% chance of getting the first pick. Then, a 0.8% chance of getting the second pick. Finally, they'll have a 1% chance of getting the third pick. All in all, the chance is there, but it's like cheering for the Bobcats to beat the Heat and Spurs on a back-to-back. How the ping-pong balls will bounce is anybody's guess, but we'll be finding out tonight at 7:30 Central Time on ESPN. In addition to the Raptors pick, the Thunder also unconditionally own the #29 pick and the #32 pick. The NBA Draft is on June 27th at 6 PM.