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Warriors

For basketball fans, the NBA trade deadline is one of the most exciting days of the year. It&rsquo;s fun to track the rumors, react to trades and root for your favorite team to make moves.
However, for the players involved in these trades, it can be very stressful and emotional.
Most players spend deadline day looking over their shoulder, and there&rsquo;s a lot of anxiety and nerves around this time of year. There aren&rsquo;t many professions where your employer can ship you across the country without any notice, but that comes with being a professional athlete.
To get a sense of what it&rsquo;s like to be traded, Basketball News spoke to several former NBA players who opened up about getting dealt and what the process entailed.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OtyqvPS02_Y&amp;t=2886s" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RAY ALLEN</a>: &ldquo;When I got to Seattle, [here&rsquo;s] the way the trade went down. I was in Milwaukee playing for the Bucks and we flew to Seattle, and we had a practice that day. It was coming up on the trade deadline, and everyone was talking about Tim Thomas being traded. So we were on the Key Arena floor in Seattle and the media came rushing in. I'm sitting on the floor stretching and I'm looking around and as I turn [toward the media], all of these lights come on. And I'm like, 'What's happening? We're about to have practice.' And then I turn around and I'm like, 'What's going on?' And they're all looking and pointing at me. I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Me?!&rsquo; [The media members] are like, 'Yeah! You!' So we're stretching on one end and the other team is stretching on the other end, and [Bucks head coach] George Karl is down there on the other end. I kind of look around and I&rsquo;m looking up [at Coach Karl], and he takes off. So, I walk over to the media and said, &lsquo;What&rsquo;s going on?&rsquo; They were like, &lsquo;There was a trade.&rsquo; I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Who got traded?&rsquo; They were like, &lsquo;You.&rsquo; I go into the locker room and check my phone and it's blowing up. I got traded for Gary Payton. It was crazy to be traded to Seattle in the middle of the season. I go back [to Milwaukee], get my stuff, take my physical and fly back in. And my first game [as a Sonic] is against the Detroit Pistons.&nbsp;
&ldquo;I remember going out to lunch with Brent Barry, who was so great the whole time. He was such a jokester on the sly; he always had his little sarcasm that he'd add to any situation. He goes, 'Ray, just so you know, people aren't coming to the game to see you. They're coming to see the Barry brothers match-up.' Because Jon [Barry] was on Detroit. That was always Brett, with his dry humor. (Laughs) So, I'm watching the [Sonics'] film and Gary was &lsquo;The Glove&rsquo; &mdash; everybody knew how ferocious he was on defense. In Milwaukee, we had schemes, and I was used to that. But watching [the Sonics&rsquo;] film, Gary would come from one side of the floor and just start guarding a guy. And I was like, &lsquo;What scheme is that?&rsquo; And they were like, &lsquo;No, that&rsquo;s Gary&rsquo;s scheme.&rsquo; I noticed how the team was built around him, because a lot of the young players, they had kinda just waited on Gary to do whatever Gary did. So when I got there, Rashard [Lewis] was young and impressionable. We had Ansu Sesay, Reggie Evans, Jerome James and all of these young guys, and they all kinda just went as Gary went. So when I got there, I was like, 'Yo, get your shots up! I need you!' I was passing them the ball; I was flirting with triple-doubles like every other game. But I was like, 'You guys gotta [do something]!' They would just sit around, and I could tell the hole that Gary left &mdash; these guys were used to playing a certain way and kinda expecting him to do everything.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Rashard emerged because he started watching me come to the gym early every day and he would always say, 'Man, I want to make the money that you make and have the success that you've had. I really gotta start focusing in and taking this seriously&hellip;&rsquo; So, Rashard started getting to the gym early. He saw the work that I put in, and he saw that it was something that he could do and something he wanted for himself. I like to think that some of that money that he got from Orlando, he could have passed some of it [to me] on the side, but that didn&rsquo;t happen. (Laughs) But he was a great partner to have because he did get significantly better &mdash; so much better &mdash; from the time I got there to when we parted ways with him going to Orlando and me going to Boston. [I never talked to Coach Karl about him running away] and since then, George has always taken shots at me through the media or in writing his books. It's just the strangest thing because I always thought that we had a strong relationship as a player-coach.&rdquo;
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-etan-thomas-wpfw-dc-roundtable-drew-gooden-tony-massenburg-dave-zirin-john-wall-russell-westbrook-trade-washington-wizards-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ETAN THOMAS</a>: &ldquo;I have a story from when I was with the Wizards. I was in [general manager] Ernie Grunfeld&rsquo;s office. We&rsquo;re talking about me going to big-man camp because they used to send a big man down to Florida to IMG Academy to work out with Robert Parish and Clifford Ray. So I&rsquo;m in there in the summer, and I&rsquo;m talking to him about big-man camp. And I&rsquo;ve heard a little bit of trade rumors, I&rsquo;ve heard whispers and stuff like that, but nothing major. So he&rsquo;s telling me, 'Yeah, you&rsquo;re coming back from your injury, we&rsquo;re looking forward to next year. We want to send you down to big-man camp and you&rsquo;re doing all this stuff, and Robert Parish is great to work with and Clifford Ray is this, and we&rsquo;re looking forward to everything with you and we&rsquo;ll see how you and Brendan [Haywood] can work together,' and all this different stuff. It was this whole long speech, right?
"Now I&rsquo;m driving from the Verizon Center home to PG County. I&rsquo;m not even off Route 50 yet, and I get a call from my agent who says, 'You just got traded.' I was like, 'Are you serious?' I was like, 'No, that has to be a mistake! I was just in Ernie Grunfeld&rsquo;s office like 10-15 minutes ago!' So, I had to do a U-turn, go back to the Verizon Center, clear out all my stuff, and then he shook my hand and said, 'Thank you for everything,' like the whole conversation 15 minutes ago never happened."
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<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/heres-the-story-on-the-time-the-nuggets-traded-me-and-didnt-tell-me" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JAMES POSEY</a>: &ldquo;I was in my fourth season with the Denver Nuggets, and things hadn&rsquo;t really gotten off to the best start, to say the least. We were 6-18 and knew we were gonna have our hands full that night. Our opponent? The Dallas Mavericks. With Mike Finley, Steve Nash, Raef LaFrentz and Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas was no joke. They began the season 21-3, so in our morning shootaround, we were definitely engaged. Afterward, I showered and changed, went back home, took my pregame nap and was on my way back to the arena. I&rsquo;m driving and going over the gameplan in my head when I get a call from my agent. He said he was calling to 'check on me.' He asked me how I was doing and where I was. I thought the questions were a little strange, but didn&rsquo;t really think much of it. 'I&rsquo;m going to the arena, we got a game,' I said. 'You&rsquo;re going where?!' And that&rsquo;s how I found out I&rsquo;d been traded. We were both shocked, and for the same reason.
"Nobody communicated with me. I was literally a couple miles from the arena. Getting traded is a part of life as a professional athlete. And fortunately for me, I was young and, outside of the team, hadn&rsquo;t really had any family roots or ties to Denver. But that didn&rsquo;t completely remove the sting. I just considered myself lucky to not be in a situation where I also had to move a wife and three kids in the middle of the school year. Not every player is that fortunate. One minute, you&rsquo;re driving on the highway. The next minute, at a moment&rsquo;s notice, you have to start packing and prepare to make a new life in a new city. It&rsquo;s the hardest part of the job, and it&rsquo;s one that we all accept. But damn. When I got the news &mdash; again, I was literally five minutes from the arena and had done shootaround that morning with my teammates and coaches &mdash; I had mixed emotions. My initial reaction was just genuine shock, and even though resentment might be too strong of a word, I definitely felt some kind of way. 'They couldn't even tell me?'
"I can&rsquo;t speak for everybody, but I can definitely understand how being traded and not being told could make a player feel really disposable. Sometimes, people forget that players are people too. As far as I know, there&rsquo;s no specific rule about when you are no longer able to communicate with the coaching staff or the front office of a team that trades you, but in most instances, there would at least be a phone call or a text message from your old coach or GM or whoever. Just a, 'Thank you for your service, we wish you the best of luck,' something like that. From Denver, I got nothing. All those thoughts and feelings raced through my mind in the 30 seconds it took me to process everything and turn my car around. Then, naturally, I asked my agent the question everyone in my situation would ask. 'Where did I get traded to?' When he told me Houston, I perked up and immediately pressed the gas... I actually moved in with Nick Van Exel after the trade. He had a crib in Houston, so I stayed with him. When I found out about the trade, I just packed up as much of my clothes as I could and went to Nick&rsquo;s house. I stayed there until the end of the season, then I got my own spot. But yeah, if my agent hadn&rsquo;t called, I would've showed up at the arena and they probably wouldn't have even let me in.&rdquo;
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-news-etan-thomas-wpfw-dc-roundtable-drew-gooden-tony-massenburg-dave-zirin-john-wall-russell-westbrook-trade-washington-wizards-houston-rockets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DREW GOODEN</a>: &ldquo;I got drafted as the No. 4 pick in Memphis. Jerry West, it was his first year being the president of basketball operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, and I was his pick at No. 4, and I would say three or four months into that season, we were stockpiled at my position. We had Stromile Swift (who was drafted as the No. 2 pick two years prior to me), Pau Gasol (who was the No. 3 pick the year before my draft) and Shane Battier (who was the No. 6 or No. 7 pick that same year) and then the following year, they picked me at No. 4. So we had a lot of young talent, but we just could not put the pieces together to make something right. I heard the trade rumors. Rumors are rumors until they actually happen. It&rsquo;s funny, this story, because when I was hearing the rumors about me being traded, me and my agent had the discussion with Jerry West.
"Jerry West said, 'Drew, this is ridiculous, we have no intentions of trading you. Don&rsquo;t read the papers, you&rsquo;re going to be here a long time. So plan on wearing a Memphis jersey for a long time.' So I was like, 'Alright, that&rsquo;s cool; Jerry West gave me a straight-up answer, man! We&rsquo;ve got nothing to worry about! Let&rsquo;s just see what happens, man, let&rsquo;s ride this season out.' A day later,&nbsp;less than 24 hours later, I get a call from Dick Versace, who was an assistant general manager at the time saying, 'Drew, we&rsquo;ve got some news.' He said, 'You&rsquo;re on your way to the Orlando Magic; we just traded you for Mike Miller, the reigning Rookie of the Year.' And I was like, 'Wowww.' I was happy, don&rsquo;t get it wrong, I was happy that I was traded, but I was like, 'Wowww, Jerry West just told me that I was not going to get traded less than 24 hours ago, and then he has somebody else call me to tell me I was traded?!'"
<a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/nba-rumors-tj-ford-james-posey-interview-qa-milwaukee-bucks-toronto-raptors-indiana-pacers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">T.J. FORD</a>: "The way I got traded, I felt it was just cold-blooded. Getting traded for the first time is just a unique experience. I got traded in the summer, I think after Hurricane Katrina and all that; it was when the Essence Festival was in Houston for the first time. Somebody bought my house and I was supposed to move out a week later, but they told me they wanted me out on Friday. Now, I've got an appearance in Milwaukee on Saturday that I'm supposed to fly to on Friday&hellip; So I get to Milwaukee and I speak at Michael Redd's camp, but he wasn't there. It was just a strange day. Who comes to somebody's campand then they ain't there? That just didn't make sense to me. [I&rsquo;m thinking], &lsquo;Gosh, something ain't right.&rsquo;
"I ended up having dinner plans with Skip [Robinson], the public relations guy. He helped me do a lot of great things in Milwaukee. We go to dinner and I didn't really have no power at my house, so at the restaurant I&rsquo;ve got my phone and my charger, but they&rsquo;re not next to me. Skip answered his phone and he's sitting directly across from me and I just hear him go, 'No! No! You've got to be kidding me.' Then, he's like, 'Here, the GM wants to talk to you.' So, I'm like, 'What's going on?' The GM's like, 'How do you feel about going to Toronto?' I'm like, 'What are you talking about? Stop playing with me. Stop fuckin' with me. Seriously, what's going on?' He's like, 'No, for real. We just traded you for Charlie Villanueva and it hasn't hit the news yet and it probably won't tonight.' I'm like, 'Yo, Skip, he just told me he f*ckin' traded me. He must be joking with me.' So, I handed him the phone. I get my phone and I've got a bunch of missed calls from my mom.
"So I called my mom and she's like, 'Your agent has been trying to call you! He's been saying something about a trade?' I was like, 'I know! The GM just told me that he traded me, so it must be a joke or something. I don't know. I'll call you right back.' I called my agent right away. But before I was able to do that, they got a TV at the bar in the restaurant. And, remember, the GM just told me that nobody knew about it. But it had just hit the news. Not ESPN, I'm talking about the local news at 10. I'm like, 'Ah man!' It was the worst day, man. Worst day. I was hurt. That was a tough one&hellip; I was fortunate to always get traded in the summertime. I probably would've been really shocked if I had to move midseason. I felt like I was pretty blessed to get traded in the summertime, when you can really process it."

Basketball News spoke to several former NBA players who opened up about getting dealt and what the trade process entailed.

NBA veterans open up about getting traded: 'It was the worst day'

NEW YORK (AP) &mdash; Immanuel Quickley scored 22 points, Jalen Brunson had 21 and the New York Knicks rolled to their eighth straight victory, beating the depleted Golden State Warriors 132-94 on Tuesday night.
Quentin Grimes added 19 points and RJ Barrett had 18 as New York extended the longest current winning streak in the NBA.
&ldquo;No one has talked about the streak at all,&rdquo; Brunson said. &ldquo;Obviously, we tell each other to keep it rolling. But, we&rsquo;re just trying to be the best team we can be and just focus on one day at a time.&rdquo;
Julius Randle finished with 15 points and 12 rebounds, Mitchell Robinson had nine points and 11 rebounds and Miles McBride added 10 points.
&ldquo;We have a lot of players on this team who are capable of having monster games,&rdquo; Brunson said. &ldquo;It&rsquo;s not surprising when someone like &lsquo;Quick&rsquo; plays that way or &lsquo;Q&rsquo; having that type of game or even Deuce (McBride) getting double figures. When they do it, it&rsquo;s definitely a plus.&rdquo;
Jordan Poole scored 26 points for the Warriors, who are without Stephen Curry, Andrew Wiggins and other key players. Jonathan Kuminga had 13, while Draymond Green, Klay Thompson and Ty Jerome each had 11.
The Knicks scored the first eight points of the game and never trailed. They led 33-25 at the end of the first quarter.
The Warriors pulled within 35-33, but a 3-pointer by Grimes with 4:17 left in the second quarter gave the Knicks a 60-45 lead. New York led 69-56 at halftime.
&ldquo;Winning naturally gains confidence,&rdquo; Randle said. &ldquo;But, I&rsquo;m not going to put much into a winning streak or whatever. It&rsquo;s still December.&rdquo;
Robinson&rsquo;s free throws put the Knicks up 88-67 with 5:37 remaining in the third quarter. They again went up by 21 on Quickley&rsquo;s free throws with five seconds left in the quarter.
Quickley shot 6 for 10 after going 3 for 20 in the previous two games.
The Knicks led 100-81 heading into the fourth, and the Warriors never got any closer.
Svi Mykailiuk&rsquo;s free throws with 58 seconds remaining gave New York its biggest lead of the night and were the final points of the contest.
&ldquo;The Knicks are in a good groove right now. They totally outplayed us,&rdquo; said Warriors coach Steve Kerr. &ldquo;We sank tonight. We&rsquo;re trying to hang in there and we will. Another game tomorrow.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Warriors: Golden State is now 3-15 in away games this season, 1-8 against the Eastern Conference. &hellip; Donte DiVincenzo (illness, unrelated to COVID-19) and JaMychal Green (health and safety protocols) did not play. &hellip; Curry became the NBA&rsquo;s career leader in 3-pointers made the last time he played at Madison Square Garden (Dec. 14, 2021). He missed his third straight game (left shoulder injury). &hellip; Andre Iguodala has yet to play this season (left hip injury).
Knicks: New York had lost eight straight home games to the Warriors. The Knicks&rsquo; last victory over Golden State was on Feb. 27, 2013, a 109-105 victory in which Curry&rsquo;s 54 points were his career high. &hellip; Obi Toppin has not played since Oct. 10 (fractured right fibula). Coach Tom Thibodeau said he is doing better but was only working in the pool and still not doing anything on the court.
LONE WARRIOR
Kevon Looney is the only Warrior to start all 32 games this season. Poole is the other Golden State player to see the floor in all 32 games, but he has only started 13.
&nbsp;

Immanuel Quickley scored 22 points and the Knicks rolled to their eighth straight victory, beating the Warriors 132-94.

Knicks rout Warriors 132-94, extend win streak to 8 games

Cementing himself within an NBA rotation for the first time in his career, Charlotte Hornets big man Nick Richards is the only active Jamaican player in the league.&nbsp;
He joins only seven others from the country to have accomplished that, including the legendary Patrick Ewing (and his son Pat), Jerome Jordan, Samardo Samuels, Omari Johnson, Rumeal Robinson and Wayne Sappleton.
He looked up to Ewing for certain, but having competed in every sport when he was growing up, Richards idolized one of his countrymen in particular.
&ldquo;Usain Bolt,&rdquo; Richards told Basketball News at last Friday morning&rsquo;s shootaround in Cleveland. &ldquo;When I was younger, I played track and field.&rdquo;
A 7-foot, 245-pound behemoth of a man, Richards is taking his opportunity to show the NBA what he&rsquo;s made of and running with it &mdash; just like his hero.
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Entering last weekend, Charlotte&rsquo;s backup big came in as the league leader in Offensive Rating (137.4) on a strikingly efficient 68.2% True Shooting percentage over a career-high 19.0 minutes per contest.
Veteran center and Hornets teammate Mason Plumlee jokingly answered for him before Richards could respond to hearing those numbers: I want some more minutes!
&ldquo;Best vet in the world (laughs). I don't know how I feel about that honestly. Maybe Mase is right?&rdquo; a grinning Richards said, leaning back in his chair courtside.
&ldquo;It feels good to get some minutes, get some reps in. The past couple of games, [I&rsquo;ve] been getting into a good flow. Just feeling good. I'm contributing to my team in a positive way. But honestly, we should be able to get more wins under our belts. We should just learn from every single game and just try to get better from every single loss that we have so far. Just locking in on details, just getting better at playing for 48 minutes. As [Hornets head coach Steve Clifford] said, we don't want to play good for [just] 30 minutes and not 48.&rdquo;
(Note: Richards now ranks third in Offensive Rating [134.8] with a slight dip to 66.2% TS. He's increased his minutes average to 19.5 per game.)
An instant-impact player with the Hornets&rsquo; second unit, Richards has been making the most of his newfound opportunity. Over the last two seasons, his playing time was sporadic, honing his skills with the Greensboro Swarm in the G League as a rookie, then, observing the guys who&rsquo;ve been in front of him in the rotation with the big club.
&ldquo;Honestly I feel like the first two years were really good, were really more important years for me,&rdquo; Richards said. &ldquo;I sat back and learned from my vets that are in front of me. Just watched them and how they play on the floor, and just try to duplicate that.&rdquo;
Richards wasted no time doing it. To start the season, he put together two double-doubles in three games, collecting a combined 39 points and 21 rebounds as Charlotte started its campaign with a 2-1 record. Over his last two contests, he's produced 24 points and 24 rebounds in total, notching back-to-back double-doubles.
To this point, Richards is putting up 18.1 points and 12.0 rebounds per 36 minutes.
&ldquo;I think [it&rsquo;s] just his approach. Being consistent in this league is hard to achieve. For him, he's really been consistent for us. And I think as a teammate, you appreciate that, the staff appreciates that,&rdquo; Plumlee told Basketball News. "Obviously he had the games earlier in the year where he had incredible numbers, and I think he'll have more games like that, but just knowing what you're gonna get every night is a sign of maturity.&rdquo;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-theme="dark">
Nick Richards said NO 🚫 (via <a href="https://twitter.com/HornetsOnBally?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HornetsOnBally</a>)<a href="https://t.co/7vRsIlwk16">pic.twitter.com/7vRsIlwk16</a>
&mdash; Dime (@DimeUPROXX) <a href="https://twitter.com/DimeUPROXX/status/1593778914496860163?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 19, 2022</a></blockquote>

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One aspect of Richards&rsquo; breakout that Plumlee enjoys is watching him take the mantle while taking a breather.
&ldquo;It makes me feel great, and for our team, it really gives us a chance,&rdquo; Plumlee explained. &ldquo;What's been fun is like... our rotation is consistent, but other teams do it differently. So to see him match up with the starting bigs too and do his thing has also been exciting.&rdquo;
Explosiveness plays a key part in Richards&rsquo; success. He is all over the glass to keep possessions alive, trailing only Steven Adams with his 16.6% Offensive Rebound percentage, <a href="https://www.basketball-reference.com/leagues/NBA_2023_advanced.html#advanced_stats::orb_pct" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per Basketball-Reference</a>. In addition, the Kentucky alum is scoring 1.42 points per possession on putbacks, <a href="https://basketball.instatscout.com/players/476499/playtypes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to InStat</a>.
&ldquo;I can get up, but I have to load a little more," Plumlee said of Richards' athleticism. "He's quicker. He's a quicker jumper. Some of his dunks are really impressive."
&ldquo;Honestly something Coach [Clifford] has been telling me is to try to gather myself more instead of just trying to get it up there quicker. But I'll probably focus on that,&rdquo; Richards explained. &ldquo;Instead of just going straight up, you just try to gather and try to dunk the ball.&rdquo;
Asked to elaborate why Charlotte is asking Richards to use that gather more, Clifford said it had to do with him getting his shot blocked too often.
"If he gets a little bit lower, he gets his eyes up, he can read the defense better to me and still make a quick move," Clifford said. "Or, you know what they say, 'Look up and look out.' If everybody's here [in the paint], just touch the ball out sometimes too. So I think that's part of his development also."
Richards&rsquo; screening and handoff abilities are helping his teammates too. Among <a href="https://go.nba.com/gj2gb" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two-man combinations that the Hornets employ</a> (min. 100 minutes), he and Terry Rozier lead the pack with a plus-20.4 Net Rating. Next is teaming up with a rejuvenated Dennis Smith Jr. (15.2), and then, the Richards-Kelly Oubre Jr. duo (7.2). There&rsquo;s also a great rapport with LaMelo Ball, though they&rsquo;ve only played three games together so far this year.
&ldquo;We have really, really good guys that play really well off the pick-and-roll. That's really what our offense is based around,&rdquo; Richards said of freeing his teammates up for good looks. &ldquo;So it's just more about knowing your role on the team and just also playing your game within that role."
"I think right now he's the 35th-best screener in the league, which is important to me," Clifford said on Friday. "I think for our team, when we get everybody back, we have three guys who have the potential to be really good pick-and-roll players, and you need a good screener. And he's a good screener and he's getting better. He's improving that way. His screening on the ball and off the ball."
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As a roller, Richards is seeing some progress as well. He is getting smarter when it comes to diving hard toward the bucket, and has begun timing his cuts at the right moments.
"I think he locks into the things that make him play well. He doesn't worry about the other things," Clifford added. "He runs, he rebounds, he brings physicality, he screens, and he's gonna develop into a good roller. And if he does those things, I think he understands that those are important skills to have in this league. It makes him unique."
As we approach the quarter mark of the NBA season, Nick Richards seems to be finding his niche, and Plumlee and Clifford both recognize that growth and potential in real time.
&ldquo;I think he's having a great year,&rdquo; Plumlee said. &ldquo;I think he's impacted the game every time he's in it, and he's impacted both ends. He's getting us second-chance points, he's defending the rim, he's running the floor hard and he's been a big boost for our bench.&rdquo;
"You look at Jarrett Allen, what's he do? He runs, he sprints to the rim, he protects the rim; he's a terrific player," Clifford said. "And I think Nick understands that he can become as good as he wants to be by getting good at those things. Those are skills that a lot of guys don't appreciate."

Spencer Davies sits down with Nick Richards to talk about his fast start with the Hornets, his incredible efficiency and more.

Nick Richards boasting solid screen skills while boosting Hornets bench

This is not a declaration that James Wiseman is a bust, or some irredeemable player. He is not the only issue with the Golden State Warriors, or even the Warriors' bench unit.
Conversely, this won't be a Warriors slander piece. If you were looking for either of those conclusions, you can close the tab (and thank you for the click).
Now that we have that out of the way: Wiseman being with the Warriors doesn't appear to benefit either party right now. A center with enough face-up and shooting flashes to raise your brow probably shouldn't be relegated to only screen-and-roll duties.
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And a win-now team spearheaded by one of the greatest players of all-time in Stephen Curry, who's still playing at an all-time level, shouldn't be tasked with being superhuman because the team bleeds points every time he sits.
It's important to note that point isn't solely on Wiseman; we're all waiting on Jordan Poole to regain his form (53.5% True Shooting, 59.8% TS last season) and confidence, for example. Head coach Steve Kerr has recently alluded to leaning on more experienced role players like [check notes] Anthony Lamb and Ty Jerome instead of the trio of Wiseman, Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
"The thought process is when you're struggling, you don't have a rhythm, you don't have consistency, veteran players are going to be able to provide that more than young players are." -Steve Kerr on playing Anthony Lamb &amp; Ty Jerome more than Warriors youngsters. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DubNation?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DubNation</a>
&mdash; Kylen Mills (@KylenMills) <a href="https://twitter.com/KylenMills/status/1590455066267615232?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 9, 2022</a></blockquote>

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But think about who the Warriors are at their best. Quick, versatile, shape-shifting. It's a buzzsaw of cuts, relocations, ball-movement and switchability, We've seen how Moody fits into that. We've seen how Kuminga can fit into that, especially when he's able to log minutes at the 4 (or 5).
Have we really seen that from Wiseman? Part of the appeal was that he&nbsp;didn't&nbsp;fit snugly into that; his vertical presence and overall athleticism was a stark difference to what the Warriors had in their frontcourt room. In theory, being able to mix in his dynamic would make the Warriors even more difficult to deal with.
We've seen flashes of that: the Warriors generated 1.03 points per possession (PPP) on trips featuring a Curry-Wiseman ball screen during Wiseman's rookie season, per Second Spectrum. It's easy to see how Wiseman's downhill juice could vibe with the flamethrowing of Curry.
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But in order for him to carve out a more consistent role, there had to be growth in the more "Warrior-like" elements. That growth hasn't happened at an ideal rate, mostly because Wiseman hasn't been able to stay healthy.
They rarely use Wiseman as the hub for their patented post-split action, mostly because he has limitations as a passer. That would be okay if he had more juice as an off-ball screener, but he's still trying to master the details of timing and angles. His results are spotty right now.
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Defensively, Wiseman is even more of a mixed bag. Because of his size and length, he can act as a true deterrent at the rim. He has legtimately good reps in drop on film. But because of his footwork, drop seems to be the only coverage he's truly comfortable in.
Add in the process of figuring out the gap in drop &mdash; how far he should play back, when to step up to ball-handlers, and not giving away easy reads in the process &mdash; and you get more messiness than positivity. Pull-up shooters can find pockets to attack; drivers often have space to chew up.
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He'll often find himself slightly out of position, which alters the strength of his contests. For a guy with his gifts, it's kinda wild how often you'll see ball-handlers driving through his chest &mdash; or drawing fouls.
The numbers aren't great. Opponents are generating over 1.2 PPP on trips featuring a ball screen defended by Wiseman. Among players defending at least three shots at the rim per game, Wiseman's efficiency allowed (70.3% FG) is one of the worst marks in the league. On top of that, he's averaging 6.8 fouls per 36 minutes &mdash; a mark higher than his rookie campaign (5.2).
The Warriors would operate better with a veteran 5; it's part of why they brought JaMychal Green into the fray over the offseason. And frankly, I'd like to see Wiseman with a team that can really prioritize his development without championship pressure.
I'd make a call if I were the Oklahoma City Thunder, just by virtue of having 1.5 true centers on the roster. With Chet Holmgren done for the year, you can afford to give Wiseman a bit of a runway. And for the Warriors, there are vets (hello, Mike Muscala and Kenrich Williams) worth inquiring about. Heck, there are also younger players (hello, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins) who may be better equipped for what they want to do than Wiseman is right now.
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There could be similar appeal in San Antonio, who may be willing to take another young flier in the frontcourt in light of the Zach Collins injury news. They've already spun the tires on Charles Bassey; I'd at least see what the interest level would be. There are vets to inquire about (Josh Richardson, Doug McDermott, Gorgui Dieng), though it's worth noting that the Warriors might have to add something minor to the pot to pry Richardson or McDermott out of there.
(This is likely a no-go because of how the draft went, but Wiseman under the tutelage of Steve Clifford in Charlotte would also intrigue me.)
Again: none of Wiseman's issues are impossible to overcome. With continued health, I'd honestly bank on him overcoming most of them. There's a good player in there; even the archetype he's been kinda pigeonholed into thus far &mdash; a rim-running dunkaholic who can man the fort in drop &mdash; has value on good teams.&nbsp;
Considering the Warriors are getting blitzed in his minutes &mdash; a <a href="https://www.pbpstats.com/wowy-combos/nba?TeamId=1610612744&amp;Season=2022-23&amp;SeasonType=Regular%2BSeason&amp;PlayerIds=1630164" target="_blank" rel="noopener">minus-22.4 net rating</a> with opponents converting nearly 59% of their twos &mdash; I'm just not sure if the Warriors can give him the time to work through those growing pains while also trying to compete. It would behoove both parties to look for an alternative.

Should the Golden State Warriors and James Wiseman go their separate ways? It may benefit both parties, writes Nekias Duncan.

A James Wiseman-Warriors split would be best for both parties

Former LA Clippers&rsquo; lottery pick Jerome Robinson is signing a one-year deal to go to camp with the Golden State Warriors, according to <a href="https://twitter.com/adamschefter/status/1565073320323780611" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESPN's Adam Schefter</a>. Robinson played last season for the Santa Cruz Warriors and now will be competing for one of their remaining open roster spots.
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NBA news: Former LA Clippers&rsquo; lottery pick Jerome Robinson is signing a one-year deal to go to camp with the Golden State Warriors, per sources. Robinson played last season for the Santa Cruz Warriors and now will be competing for one of their remaining open roster spots.
&mdash; Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/1565073320323780611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 31, 2022</a></blockquote>

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The 25-year-old played with the Washington Wizards during the 2020-21 last season and was released before the end of the season. Last season, he played with the Warriors' G League affiliate -- the Santa Cruz Warriors -- where he averaged 20.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.0 assists while appearing in 22 games.

Former lottery pick Jerome Robinson has signed a training camp deal with the Golden State Warriors.

Warriors sign Jerome Robinson to training camp deal

Is the NBA ready to add an expansion team? Evan Sidery explores what kind of team you could build in a present-day expansion draft.

NBA Expansion Mock Draft: What would a new expansion team look like?

There are no expectations for the Oklahoma City Thunder entering the 2021-22 season, and that&rsquo;s just how they like it.
The Thunder are in the midst of one of the most extensive rebuilds in NBA history, possessing multiple future first-round picks each year through 2027. They have one entrenched building block who recently signed a rookie-scale max extension, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but everyone else within their rotation are high-upside swings of the bat courtesy of OKC general manager Sam Presti.
Once Thunder legend Russell Westbrook and his All-NBA sidekick Paul George officially asked out three years ago, it jump-started what&rsquo;s currently taking place within Oklahoma City. It&rsquo;s allowing Presti to build a team in his own image, from literally the ground up. Building each piece of the foundation methodically, the Thunder have now put together such an intriguing collection of talents within their current vision.
Alongside star combo guard Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC has all of the following players under 25 years old within its extensive test trial run of figuring out who fits the long-term puzzle: Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Theo Maledon, Aleksej Pokusevski, Tre Mann, Isaiah Roby, Ty Jerome, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Aaron Wiggins. Only one of these players was drafted in the lottery &mdash; Giddey, the 2021 No. 6 overall pick who has already flashed some <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/josh-giddey-ascension-to-top-nba-draft-prospect-happened-in-blink-of-an-eye" target="_blank" rel="noopener">exciting potential as a jumbo-sized playmaker</a>, forming a fun backcourt duo with SGA.
The Thunder figure to be once again near the bottom of the barrel in the Western Conference standings this season. However, don&rsquo;t be surprised if Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s star equity wills this extremely raw core to unexpected heights early on. Last season, the team carried a 15-21 record into the All-Star break thanks in large part to his brilliance, as he averaged 23.2 points, 6.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds on a fantastic 62.7% True Shooting percentage. Gilgeous-Alexander&rsquo;s beautiful brand of basketball vaulted him into an elite category for lead guards who carried a high-usage rate.
SGA joined the following guards during OKC&rsquo;s surprising early run who had both above 62% TS and 27% usage percentage (min. 20 games played pre-ASB): Stephen Curry, James Harden, Zach LaVine. This shows the leap Gilgeous-Alexander showcased as the lone star-in-the-marking for the Thunder&rsquo;s rebuild, doing so even when teams blitzed him every game defensively.
Although the Thunder ranked last in offensive rating over that span, they were No. 10 overall in defensive rating, allowing only 109.8 points per 100 possessions. Once they officially pulled the plug on trying to win games, which included resting Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC fell off a cliff and finished with a 7-29 record post-All-Star break.
If everything clicks with the Thunder&rsquo;s young core, they are going to be a feisty team that competes on most nights. Gilgeous-Alexander is the straw that stirs the drink, but early preseason flashes from Giddey and Bazley could be foreshadowing their own regular-season performances. OKC is nowhere close to being a legitimate competitor, especially within a tough slate in the West, but this group could certainly qualify as an NBA League Pass team.
So much young talent is developing within the Thunder&rsquo;s player-friendly system put into place by head coach Mark Daigneault. Who&rsquo;s to say they won&rsquo;t at least surprise some people early, especially if teams treat OKC on their schedule like a layup win? And if Gilgeous-Alexander continues to blossom into one of the most exciting young prospects in the Association, OKC will compete each night thanks to his ascent to All-Star levels.
How does OKC&rsquo;s projected rotation look heading into the 2021-22 campaign? Let&rsquo;s examine it below.
Starters: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Luguentz Dort, Darius Bazley, Derrick Favors
Second Unit: Tre Mann, Theo Maledon, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Isaiah Roby
As you can see, so much unproven talent is still on tap for the Thunder&rsquo;s lineup combinations. Gilgeous-Alexander is the stalwart for the backcourt, but everyone else alongside or behind him still has much more seasoning ahead in their development curves (Giddey, Mann, Maledon). Dort and Bazley are actually an intriguing wing combination, and Pokusevski is a true wildcard who saw a lot of playing time last season to accentuate his own raw aspects. Favors fills the veteran-big-man void left behind by Al Horford, who was shipped back to the Boston Celtics this offseason in the Kemba Walker trade.
Walker and the Thunder were never going to be a fit, especially with the longtime point guard&rsquo;s <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/finally-home-kemba-walker-hopes-to-turn-back-clock-with-knicks" target="_blank" rel="noopener">desire to play for his hometown Knicks</a> in Madison Square Garden. Luckily for the Thunder, he now is in New York, so no possessions will be zapped away from Gilgeous-Alexander in OKC.
Back to Favors: How long will he actually be on the roster, let alone within their rotation? It&rsquo;s doubtful Favors finishes the season in Oklahoma City; whether he's dealt at some point or if he enters the buyout market after February&rsquo;s trade deadline, we will see. However, in the short-term, Favors will provide a stable pick-and-roll partner for SGA and Giddey to showcase their talents. And if Favors performs well (he should gobble up nightly double-doubles), Presti could be in line to snatch up another future draft pick for his services.
Oklahoma City is still in the infancy of its historic rebuild attempt, but the flashes shown last season indicate that this can be a scrappy, competitive roster already. Add in another year of development for Gilgeous-Alexander, who seems poised for another leap, and Oklahoma City could soon escape the abyss into respectability ahead of its projected timeline.
The next step for the Thunder is finding their co-star alongside SGA, and that should soon come with Giddey or another top pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Don&rsquo;t discount the Thunder in 2021-22, because they actually have the pieces in place to be an entertaining watch.

Although the Thunder are still in the beginning stages of their historic rebuild attempt, there's some exciting potential brewing together.

Thunder far away from competing, but pieces are coming together

Michael Porter Jr. didn&rsquo;t have the NBA Draft experience that he&rsquo;d always imagined.&nbsp;
After being ranked the top high school player in the country, he ended up slipping to No. 14 in the 2018 NBA Draft due to a back injury that required spinal surgeries in 2017 and 2018. Worst of all, he was in a ton of pain as he waited for NBA commissioner Adam Silver to call his name.
&ldquo;On draft night, I hadn&rsquo;t had the [second] surgery yet and I was in so much pain,&rdquo; Porter recalled on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGIHBt9piQc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">J.J. Redick&rsquo;s podcast (</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGIHBt9piQc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Old Man and the Three)</a>. &ldquo;Even if you get picked at 14, you&rsquo;re there for like two hours before you get picked. So, I&rsquo;m sitting there and just trying to deal with this pain.&rdquo;
Porter had herniated-disc material &ldquo;pressing against a nerve.&rdquo; He also opened up about slipping in the draft and what he was dealing with from a health perspective.&nbsp;
"I've never really talked about this too in-detail on anything like this,&rdquo; Porter told Redick. &ldquo;I had rehabbed from my first surgery that happened at Mizzou and I'm getting ready [for the pre-draft process]. I'm not working out for any teams. I just have one pro day; all of the teams came to me in Chicago. I worked out pretty well; I was in some pain, but I just thought that was part of the rehab process. I worked out really well. Sacramento brings me in [for an interview] and is like, &lsquo;Yo, if you feel good, we&rsquo;re going to take you with the No. 2 pick.&rsquo; I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Bet, that&rsquo;s dope!&rsquo; But my agent wanted to have a second pro day just for the top-10 teams because he was like, &lsquo;Man, these guys are raving about you. If you do really well, there&rsquo;s a chance you can still go No. 1 even after the surgery.&rsquo; So I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;Bet.&rsquo; The pro days were only one week [apart].&nbsp;
&ldquo;So, I&rsquo;m getting ready and then two days before, all of the pain is down my leg and it&rsquo;s crazy again [like] after I had the first surgery. I called my agent and I&rsquo;m like, &lsquo;I can&rsquo;t get out of bed, bro.&rsquo; He tells me, &lsquo;The teams are already on their way, just let them evaluate you.&rsquo; So for that second pro day, I&rsquo;m laying on a table and all of the top-10 teams have their doctors there and they&rsquo;re just evaluating me. The guy from the Clippers was the head doctor and he&rsquo;s the one who wrote the report like, &lsquo;Yeah, he&rsquo;ll probably never play again.&rsquo;&rdquo;
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This isn&rsquo;t the first time that Porter has <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29796435/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-blames-clippers-doctor-fall-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called out</a> this unnamed Clippers doctor. Los Angeles had two lottery picks (No. 12 and 13), but the team passed on Porter twice due to his medical red flags. Instead, they picked Miles Bridges (whose draft rights were traded to Charlotte) and Jerome Robinson. Former Clippers head coach Doc Rivers later <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/29796435/nuggets-michael-porter-jr-blames-clippers-doctor-fall-draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">described</a> missing on Porter as &ldquo;brutal."
Porter&rsquo;s agent, Mark Bartelstein, set up a meeting with the Denver Nuggets a day before the draft just in case he was still on the board by the end of the lottery.
&ldquo;The day before, Mark was like, &lsquo;Michael, I want you to talk to the Nuggets just so you have a floor that you won&rsquo;t fall past,&rsquo;&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;So the Nuggets ended up saying, &lsquo;We don&rsquo;t think he&rsquo;ll be there, but if he&rsquo;s there, we&rsquo;ll take him.&rsquo; The first time I talked to [Nuggets executive] Tim Connelly was, like, the day of the draft and I didn&rsquo;t really even think of the Nuggets as a possibility. And then, I got drafted [by Denver].&rdquo;
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The Nuggets selected him in the lottery almost entirely based on the glimpses of brilliance he showed in high school. After all, Porter only appeared in three collegiate games during his lone season at Missouri, averaging 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 threes and a steal (while shooting 33.3% from the field and 30.0% from three).&nbsp;
It was a risk, but it has certainly paid off. Porter seems poised for stardom after averaging 19.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 2.8 threes, 0.9 blocks and 0.7 steals (on 54.2/44.5/79.1 shooting splits) as a 22-year-old last season.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;I said this on draft night, but just because of them believing in me, I want to be their best draft pick ever, and I [said] I was going to work as hard as I could to become that,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;And I still feel like every year, there&rsquo;s little-by-little growth. I went through a lot, but it&rsquo;s all God&rsquo;s timing and I&rsquo;m blessed to be in the situation I&rsquo;m in. I&rsquo;m blessed to even be playing in the NBA.&rdquo;
Porter doesn&rsquo;t hold any ill will against the teams who passed on him. In fact, he completely understands their choice because even he was scared that he might never be the same player.
"I understood it, and I don't have any bitterness toward any team because I was low-key scared myself,&rdquo; Porter admitted. &ldquo;Like, I didn't know if I was going to bounce back the way I wanted to either. It's been a slow process, and I still feel like I'm getting there.&rdquo;
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Porter is glad that he landed in Denver, since there are fewer distractions than Los Angeles. It also helps that the Nuggets could afford to be patient with him and bring him along slowly.
&ldquo;With the Clippers, to be honest with you, it might have a God thing because who knows [what would&rsquo;ve happened in Los Angeles]? You know how crazy L.A. is,&rdquo; Porter said. &ldquo;Living in L.A. as a rookie who&rsquo;s strictly doing rehab without even playing? I might&rsquo;ve got into some stuff. So, I&rsquo;m where I&rsquo;m supposed to be.&rdquo;
Over the final two months of the 2020-21 season, Porter had an incredible 25-game stretch in which he averaged 24.0 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 threes and a block while shooting an insanely efficient 56.9% from the field, 47.2% from three (on 7.2 attempts per game) and 82.5% from the free throw line.&nbsp;
Porter&rsquo;s strong finish has some people <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/roundtable-what-is-your-bold-prediction-for-the-202122-nba-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">predicting</a> that he&rsquo;ll take another leap during the 2021-22 campaign. While he used to set specific goals and compare himself to his peers, he said dealing with so many health issues that were out of his control changed his perspective.
"I used to be like, 'Man, I want to be better than him and better than him, and I want to be the best.' Now, for me, because of the uncontrollable things that have happened to me, it changed my perspective to, 'Nah, I'm just gonna get up every day and try to be better than I was the day before and then leave the potential up to God,&rsquo;&rdquo; Porter explained. 
&ldquo;If I&rsquo;m giving my best every day and making sure my mental game is strong and playing with confidence... I don&rsquo;t want to put a ceiling on myself like, &lsquo;Oh, if i&rsquo;m better than him, then I&rsquo;ll feel like I had success.&rsquo; No. If I&rsquo;m working as hard as I can every day and God continues to keep me healthy, then I&rsquo;m good.&rdquo;

Michael Porter Jr. opened up about being told he'd probably never play basketball again, slipping in the 2018 NBA Draft and more.

Michael Porter Jr. relives 2018 NBA Draft: 'I was in so much pain'

The Oklahoma City Thunder are rebuilding, to say the least. Maybe you thought the Philadelphia 76ers &ldquo;Process&rdquo; under former GM Sam Hinkie was a full-on commitment, but those years have nothing on Sam Presti.
Once Paul George and Russell Westbrook were traded in a 24-hour span in the 2019 offseason, the switch flipped in Oklahoma City; extreme asset accumulation.
Before this past season, Oklahoma City made the playoffs 10 of the last 11 years. A fruitful era spearheaded by Kevin Durant, James Harden and Westbrook is now long gone. George was traded to Oklahoma City in 2017 to become Westbrook&rsquo;s new running-mate after Durant&rsquo;s departure to the Golden State Warriors, but it was a short-term partnership that yielded nothing significant and concluded after only two seasons.
Amazingly, the Thunder hold 35 draft picks over the next five years, and that doesn&rsquo;t include their massive haul in the 2021 NBA Draft &nbsp;(Josh Giddey - No. 6, Tre Mann - No. 16, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl - No. 32, Aaron Wiggins - No. 55). Oklahoma City has so many plate appearances, they're bound to eventually hit at least one home run.
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An average of seven picks per draft over a five-year span is absolutely absurd, and it&rsquo;s a huge credit to Presti going all-in with his strategy. As it stands, 12 teams in the Western Conference have real playoff aspirations next season, and Oklahoma City isn't likely to qualify. Presti can sit back and trust his scouts to find prospects and his coaching staff to develop their players.&nbsp;
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who the Thunder acquired in the blockbuster trade that sent George to the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019, has become the new face of the franchise. Recently signing a five-year max extension, the 23-year-old is the primary building block for the next great Thunder roster. Last season &mdash; his third &mdash; he took a massive leap forward, averaging 23.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists while converting 41.9% of his three-point opportunities (at a high volume of 4.9 per game).
Quickly, Gilgeous-Alexander has become one of the most promising young prospects in the Association. Aside from him, though, the cupboard is relatively bare, but that all fits in with the master plan.
As mentioned, having so many chances to draft high-upside prospects allows Oklahoma City to take chances, such as the one the franchise took in drafting 19-year-old Aleksej Pokusevski. Although he was nowhere close to being NBA-ready, a lose-now roster allowed Pokusevski to see much-needed development time in live action situations. The results have been up-and-down for the Serbian big man: 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 0.9 blocks on a horrendous true shooting percentage of 43.0.
Pokusevski is a case study and shows how the Thunder plan on swinging the bat. Other players who fit the "high-ceiling, low-floor" category are Darius Bazley and Theo Maledon. Bazley skipped college altogether, while Maledon is another international prospect with boom-or-bust potential.
Giddey is a project, but the No. 6 overall pick is a strong long-term fit alongside Gilgeous-Alexander in the Thunder&rsquo;s backcourt. Standing at 6-foot-9, Giddey is a passing savant with a developing jump shot. The Australian point guard will be bringing flare to Oklahoma City&rsquo;s offense, even as an 18-year old. Thanks to the Thunder&rsquo;s extremely young and raw rotation, Giddey could immediately break through the rotation to run extensive test trials next to Gilgeous-Alexander.
Toss in bulky wing Luguentz Dort, who has turned into an undrafted gem since his arrival in 2019-20, and Oklahoma City&rsquo;s young core is littered with intrigue. Led by Gilgeous-Alexander, here&rsquo;s how the under-25 core looks for the Thunder:
Ball Handlers = Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey, Maledon, Mann, Ty Jerome
Wings = Dort, Bazley, Wiggins
Bigs = Pokusevski, Robinson-Earl, Isaiah Roby
Right there are 11 players in Oklahoma City&rsquo;s projected 2021-22 rotation who are still developing. The remodeling is nowhere close to finished; the foundation is still being put into place on ground level.
Because Oklahoma City may never be a free-agency destination, Presti seems to be going all-in to build an entire roster around drafted talent.&nbsp;The most impressive part of what&rsquo;s occurring in Oklahoma City, though, is how Presti is seemingly thinking two or three steps ahead.
For example, take Al Horford&rsquo;s one-year stint with the team. Philadelphia sent Horford (and his bloated contract) to the Thunder, but in exchange, Oklahoma City received a 2025 first-round pick. At season&rsquo;s end, Presti then flipped Horford to the Boston Celtics for Kemba Walker, who was also on a big-money contract. Boston sent Oklahoma City the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft, plus a 2025 second-round pick for taking on Walker's obligation. On draft night, the Thunder traded the 16th pick (Turkish big man Alperen Sengun) to the Houston Rockets in exchange for two future first-round picks, likely to convey in 2023 (via Washington) and 2025 (via Detroit).
What began as a salary-dump for Philadelphia netted Oklahoma City three future first-round picks (2023, 2025, 2025) and a 2025 second-round selection. It&rsquo;s genius maneuvering.
<img src="https://cdn.basketballnews.com/images/story/body/usatsi_15710821_lg.jpg" alt="" width="707" height="463" />
When looking back at all of their major moves since trading Westbrook, Oklahoma City is presenting a new model for rebuilding. Here is an accounting of what the team sent out and received in trades dating back to 2019:&nbsp;
Sent: Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Al Horford / Kemba Walker
Received: 2022 1st, 2022 1st, 2023 1st, 2023 1st, 2023 1st, 2023 2nd, 2024 1st, 2024 1st, 2024 2nd, 2024 2nd, 2025 1st, 2025 1st, 2025 2nd, 2025 2nd, 2026 1st, 2026 1st, 2026 2nd, 2027 2nd, 2023 + 2025 pick swaps; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Ty Jerome, Aleksej Pokusevski, Theo Maledon, Tre Mann, Aaron Wiggins
All of the this wheeling-and-dealing &mdash; which also factored in other pieces sent to Oklahoma City re-routed for more future assets (ex: Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre Jr. in the Paul trade with the Phoenix Suns) &mdash; resulted in 11 first-round picks, seven second-round picks, multiple pick swap opportunities and seven young prospects.
It&rsquo;s jaw-dropping.
The Thunder are currently stuck on ground level, and probably will be for awhile. If this plan works out, though, its execution will be revered among NBA executives for decades to come, especially among small market teams.
Welcome to Rebuilding 101, hosted by Sam Presti and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are nowhere close to competing for a playoff spot, but that's all seems to be a part of their long-term plan.

Rebuilding 101: How the Thunder acquired a treasure trove of assets

The 2021 NBA Draft class was the story of NBA Summer League Day 3.
The headlining matchup of top-pick Cade Cunningham vs. second-overall-selection Jalen Green certainly garnered enough conversation. But even from the first game, rookies painted tantalizing pictures of their NBA potential. Four of tonight's five "studs" were awarded to first-year prospects.
Does this mean the 2021 NBA Draft will be <a href="https://www.basketballnews.com/stories/jalen-suggs-thinks-2021-class-definitely-has-a-chance-to-rival-2003" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the best draft class ever</a>? Of course not. As always, it's important to remember not to draw definitive conclusions from games in a unique setting that will never be replicated in the actual NBA season. But for fans, it's okay to get hyped when the future looks bright.&nbsp;
Here were some of my Day 3 observations:
STUDS
Chris Duarte, guard, Indiana Pacers
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Chris Duarte is a sniper <a href="https://t.co/YtPSllgdti">pic.twitter.com/YtPSllgdti</a>
&mdash; NBA Summer League (@NBASummerLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBASummerLeague/status/1425220298455064580?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 21 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals, 8-for-19 FG, 5-for-10 3PT
It was pure joy to watch the Pacers creatively use their lottery pick on offense. On one early play, Duarte bolted on a nice Iverson cut to get a quality look at the rim, though he missed the finish. Later in the first quarter, Indiana drew up a baseline out-of-bounds play that saw Duarte skirt through screens for a catch-and-shoot three.&nbsp;
The 24-year-old was communicative and aware on the defensive end. Though he had a couple of "heat-check" possessions, Duarte made five three-pointers, including two sensational buzzer-beaters. His assist numbers would have also been much higher if teammates finished off more of his nice passes.
Sharife Cooper, guard, Atlanta Hawks
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SHARIFE COOPER HITS A GAME-WINNER 😱 <a href="https://twitter.com/brhoops?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@brhoops</a> <a href="https://t.co/BSH3SkZc2U">pic.twitter.com/BSH3SkZc2U</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1425242755756822529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 10, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 21 points, 9 assists, 1 steal, 8-for-14 FG, 5-for-8 3PT
Man oh man... I had to remind myself multiple times not to overreact to one summer league game. Cooper was scary&nbsp;on offense. He threw ridiculous, NBA-lead-guard-caliber dimes all over the court. Cooper also tallied six turnovers, but the mistakes are forgivable when he's creating these unique chances for his teammates.
More importantly: the perimeter shooting. Cooper made 13 threes in college; he canned five on Tuesday, including step-backs and quick shots off the catch. Defenders were content to let Cooper fire away given his track record. He made them pay right up to the buzzer-beating end of Atlanta's 84-83 win. Seeing this type of performance from Cooper should make opposing teams sweat.
Aaron Nesmith, guard/forward, Boston Celtics
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Aaron Nesmith tonight 🔥 33 PTS in 21 MINS 13/18 FG 7/9 3PT 7 REB<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BleedGreen?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BleedGreen</a> <a href="https://t.co/rgVd2LgQRI">pic.twitter.com/rgVd2LgQRI</a>
&mdash; Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ballislife/status/1425276061630279684?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 33 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 13-for-18 FG, 7-for-9 3PT
Nesmith went on an absolute heater in Boston's lopsided 107-82 win over the Nuggets. He was lethal off screens, maintaining balance and consistency to splash triple after triple. But he also attacked off the dribble, driving to the rim or pulling up in the mid-range with equal success.
This performance is the missing piece for the Celtics' bench. Obviously, Nesmith won't be this hot, and is probably somewhere in between Tuesday's dominance and Sunday's frigid effort. But games like these tease the type of weapon the second-year wing can be without commanding a ton of usage. He still has to work on keeping players in front of him when defending.
Jalen Green, guard, Houston Rockets
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Jalen Green showed out tonight 👀 - 23 PTS - 5 REB - 9/18 FG - 4/9 3PT <a href="https://t.co/a7rtLFERCE">pic.twitter.com/a7rtLFERCE</a>
&mdash; Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) <a href="https://twitter.com/BleacherReport/status/1424540461335605250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 25 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 6-for-11 FG, 3-for-5 3PT
Tuesday's matchup against Cade Cunningham was an amazing example of growth from Green. He flailed in the early going as the Pistons blitzed, and threw some wild turnovers. But after the first quarter, Green started to settle in and pick his spots in effective fashion. He made shots off the catch, cut well and only turned the ball over once in the latter three quarters. It wasn't a pretty night, and yet Green still finished with quality numbers.
Cade Cunningham, guard, Detroit Pistons
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Cade Cunningham catches Jalen Green reaching, hits him with the behind the back dribble and makes the 3!! <a href="https://t.co/xkEBiQDZQS">pic.twitter.com/xkEBiQDZQS</a>
&mdash; Aram Cannuscio (@AC__Hoops) <a href="https://twitter.com/AC__Hoops/status/1425272704874188802?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 11, 2021</a></blockquote>

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Box Score Stats: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, 8-for-18 FG, 4-for-9 3PT
On the other end, Cunningham exuded the poise and cerebal vision that helped make him the first overall pick. The two assists woefully underrepresent how electric Cunningham was as a passer in transition, in the half-court and while attacking the basket. His four three-pointers came from all over the court, including one moment when he caught Jalen Green slipping. Defensively, Cunningham picked off a bunch of long passes and led the early-system pressure that caught Green off guard.
Other notable performers: Bol Bol (Nuggets), Alperen Sengun (Rockets), Payton Pritchard (Celtics), Patrick Williams (Bulls)
DUDS
Zeke Nnaji, forward, Denver Nuggets
Box Score Stats: 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 block, 0-for-9 FG, 0-for-6 3PT
Nnaji was pretty invisible for most of the afternoon. When he did show up, it was with some brutal misses on three-pointers. That's a notable area of development for the 2020 first-round pick; he made 40% of his threes as a rookie after hitting just 29% of them in college. The 6-foot-9 forward was also somewhat concerning when he put the ball on the floor. Nnaji just doesn't have tight handle at this stage, and blew one fast break by flying into traffic out of control.&nbsp;
Jerome Robinson, guard, Chicago Bulls
Box Score Stats: 2 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1-for-4 FG, 0-for-1 3PT
Robinson enters his fourth season since the Clippers selected him with the No. 13 pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Summer league is becoming a potential make-or-break opportunity for Robinson's NBA future, and the young guard just isn't showing enough. He had some nice moments as a pick-and-roll operator, but needs to be the perimeter threat he was at Boston College. That hasn't happened yet.&nbsp;
Yam Madar, guard, Boston Celtics
Box Score Stats: 0 points, 1 assist, 0-for-3 FG, 0-for-1 3PT
I am a massive fan of Madar's game and buy his NBA future. But this was a sobering reminder that the 20-year-old still has a ways to go in his development. With Payton Pritchard running the offense, Madar was much less effective off the ball, and when he had it, he made some questionable decisions.
On one occasion, Madar had a sensible 12-foot floater chance, but pulled up for a jumper only to get blocked from behind. He also dished out a nice underhand pass... that should have been a lob on a two-on-one fast break. He has to know when to incorporate other moves besides the fadeaway in the mid-range, and make some smarter passing decisions.
Kenneth Faried, forward, Portland Trail Blazers
Box Score Stats: 3 points, 12 rebounds, 1 block, 1-for-4 FG&nbsp;
We've known for a decade that Faried can rebound the ball at a high level. But the veteran forward has to show something else as he fights to get back into the league, and he didn't do that on Tuesday. Faried was clumsy as a screener and poor as a finisher. His range still does not extend past the elbows, and he went just 1-for-4 on free throws. Fellow vets Emmanuel Mudiay and Michael Beasley both had nice games, making Faried's lackluster outing more incriminating.
Jay Scrubb, guard/forward, Los Angeles Clippers
Box Score Stats: 15 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 4-for-19 FG, 2-for-8 3PT
Scrubb opened up his summer-league stint with a stellar game on Monday. Tuesday night, however, the score-first forward just didn't have the touch. Scrubb missed a bunch of attempts at the rim and struggled to finish through contact despite his frame. His struggled with the three-ball as well and got caught ball-watching on defense. The 2020 second-round pick did make good decisions as a passer, though, and should inspire plenty of optimism on offense.

Several rookies logged standout performances on the third day of NBA Summer League.

5 Studs and duds from the third day of NBA Summer League

Wizards are waiving guard Jerome Robinson.
Source: <a style="color: #ffffff;" href="https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1380000325382311936" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter)</a>
ANALYSIS: Wojnarowski added that Washington is expected to bring back forward Jordan Bell on a 10-day contract soon. Bell, who was with the Wizards earlier in the season, will now get another opportunity with the team after being waived four months ago.
24-year-old guard, Jerome Robinson, will be free to sign with anyone once he hits the open market and clears waivers. Robinson averaged 4.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in the 17 games he appeared in for Washington this year.

The Wizards are waiving guard Jerome Robinson and are expected to sign Jordan Bell to a 10-day contract soon after.

Wizards waive Jerome Robinson, expected to sign Jordan Bell

WASHINGTON (AP) &mdash; Russell Westbrook had 35 points, a season-high 21 assists and 14 rebounds for his NBA-leading 16th triple-double, helping the Washington Wizards to a 132-124 win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night. It was the first 35-point, 20-assist triple-double in NBA history.
Westbrook also claimed the franchise career triple-double record in just his 38th game with the Wizards, this one coming while teammate and NBA leading scorer Bradley Beal sat out with a bruised hip. Darrell Walker had 15 triple-doubles in 283 games for Washington between 1987-1991.
&ldquo;He does things that I&rsquo;ve never seen,&rdquo; Wizards coach Scott Brooks said of Westbrook, whom he also previously coached in Oklahoma City. &ldquo;He&rsquo;s a winner, man. He fights. He&rsquo;s not perfect, and a lot of times the geniuses want to look at the things that he doesn&rsquo;t do well. But sometimes they forget about the other things that he does well.&rdquo;
Rui Hachimura scored 26 points and Chandler Hutchison had 18 in his debut with the Wizards, who won their second straight after losing eight of nine.
&ldquo;Russ had quite a (few) assists to me, so I've definitely got to get him some dinner or something,&rdquo; Hutchison said of Westbrook.
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Domantas Sabonis had 35 points and 11 rebounds for the Pacers, who lost for the second time in six games.
Indiana entered in ninth place in the Eastern Conference, two games ahead of Chicago for the 10th and final play-in spot. The Pacers are now four games ahead of the Wizards, who began the day in 13th.
Malcolm Brogdon added 26 points for Indiana, which was outrebounded 55-37.
&ldquo;Not good enough,&rdquo; Brogdon said of the team performance. &ldquo;They played harder. They made more shots and got more stops.&rdquo;
Neither team led by more than six points until late in the final quarter.
Down six in the fourth, Westbrook and the Wizards outscored the Pacers 22-8 over the last 5:47, a stretch that began with a 13-0 run.
Westbrook's feed inside to Hachimura gave Washington the lead for good with 4:37 to play. He followed that with two spot-up 3s over Myles Turner, the latter from the right wing giving Washington its largest advantage to that point, 128-120, with 44.8 seconds to play.
&ldquo;He shot it well from the arc today, and obviously everywhere, and passed it well,&rdquo; Pacers coach Nate Bjorkgren said of Westbrook. &ldquo;It was one of those games tonight that didn&rsquo;t go our way in a number of ways.&rdquo;
TIP-INS
Pacers: Finished with a 5-5 record in 10 March road games. ... F Doug McDermott (right ankle) was ruled out pregame. ... F Justin Holiday picked up a flagrant foul with 8:39 to play in the third quarter on Jerome Robinson's 3-point attempt.
Wizards: Brooks said it's possible Beal could return for Tuesday's game. &ldquo;We'll give him another day of rest and then know more tomorrow,&rdquo; Brooks said of Beal. ... Robinson made his fourth start, in Beal's place.
SETTING THE RECORD
Westbrook hit the Wizards franchise mark on another notable stretch when he grabbed Brogdon&rsquo;s missed 3-pointer for his 10th rebound inside the final five seconds of the third quarter. Then he pushed up the floor and found Raul Neto for a buzzer-beating 3 that gave the Wizards a 95-92 lead and Westbrook his 18th assist.
&ldquo;I don't deserve the credit, honestly,&rdquo; Westbrook said of the feat. &ldquo;I always give credit to the man above for blessing me with the ability to play, and along those lines, I have so many great coaches and teammates that make my job easy and help me out. Assists don't happen. I can't make the shots.&rdquo;
HAZARDS OF A TRADE
Washington C Daniel Gafford, who was acquired with Hutchison from Chicago in a trade last Thursday, departed Monday's game early in the fourth quarter after he appeared to injure his right leg.
He required assistance from medical personnel to leave the court after scoring 11 points and grabbing six rebounds in 15 minutes.
&ldquo;I mean it didn&rsquo;t look good,&rdquo; Brooks said of the 22-year-old Gafford, who also had a promising team debut on Saturday. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m really hoping for the best. What he brings, we haven&rsquo;t had it in five years, the lob threat.&rdquo;

Russell Westbrook had 35 points, 21 assists, and 14 rebounds in Washington's 132-124 win over the Pacers on Monday night.

Westbrook records first 35-point, 20-assist triple-double in NBA history

They have the NBA&rsquo;s leading scorer, Bradley Beal, a guy who has dropped 30 or more points in 20 of 29 games. They Russell Westbrook, who has posted a league-leading 10 triple-doubles in just 24 games.
Not only that, but being a quarantined league laughingstock not so long ago, the Washington Wizards have won six of their last seven games, including two victories over the Nuggets, one against the Lakers and another over the Celtics prior to a 16-point victory vs. the Timberwolves last night. They play Boston again on Sunday, followed by the Grizzlies and Clippers on the final night of a five-game, nine-night road trip. Sweep those three, and they go into the break 16-18.
In that case, we would be talking about a team that is just two games under .500 with only three teams sporting winning records in the East.
That&rsquo;s right, three: The Nets, Sixers and Bucks. Everyone else, more or less, is not at that level.
The Raptors and Knicks are tied for fourth at .500, the Heat and Celtics are a game under .500 and the Bulls, Heat and Pacers are two games under .500 as play begins Sunday. This is not imbalance; this is the conference normal right now -- three good teams.
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So &nbsp;there is room for a fourth, which means we have to start looking at unlikely candidates. We shall today, toward one team with two very good players.
The Wizards got hit hard by COVID and had six consecutive games postponed, which means their schedule is going to be extra tough from a wear-and-tear standard the rest of the way. They have eight remaining back-to-backs, but they will play six games in nine nights coming out off the All-Star break, including two with the Sixers, one with the Bucks and one with the Jazz. After that, they get a matchup with the Nets, then play three games in four nights four times over the remainder of the season.&nbsp;
This makes the strength and conditioning team 10-times more important than anyone in D.C. not named Biden. The franchise will not have Thomas Bryant this season, nor is the organization getting what it expected from five-year, $80 million man Davis Bertans. Still, Sheppard has gone blue in the face telling anyone who will listen that Bradley Beal is not being traded anywhere. &nbsp;
What Sheppard and Brooks need to try to do is find a third key player on the trade market before the March 25 deadline. They have a few decent role players in Rui Hachimura, Robin Lopez, Raul Neto and Deni Avdija, but this roster would be hard-pressed to win a single playoff series, much less two, as presently constructed. But if you assume that recently-starting center Moritz Wagner, Jerome Robinson and Isaac Bonga are expendable and their expiring salaries can be packaged, their salaries add up to roughly $7.5 million. If Troy Brown Jr. were to get added to the mix, that is roughly $11 million, which can get you something. And they have Detroit&rsquo;s second-rounder (likely No. 31 or 32) as a trade sweetener.
A big man would have to be prioritized, because you will need one to defend Joel Embiid if you face the Sixers, and to be used offensively in the low post if you play the Nets or Celtics. If you face the Bucks, you wish &ldquo;good luck&rdquo; to Hachimura and have Alex Len use all six of his fouls if Giannis gets anywhere near the rim.
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So what can $7.5 or $11 million get you? (And remember, the salaries will have to match because Washington has a $132 million salary, the league&rsquo;s ninth-highest, and is only $813,000 below the luxury tax.) Only a bad team would give up on a big, and among those who could be presumably acquired and fit into these two salary spaces include JaVale McGee of Cleveland, Mason Plumlee of Detroit, Jabari Parker, Hassan Whiteside or Richaun Holmes of Sacramento and Dwight Powell or Willie Cauley-Stein of Dallas (not on a bad team, but superfluous). DeMarcus Cousins is also a free agent.&nbsp;
Washington ranks 29th in defense in terms of points allowed per game (119.3), so a rim defender such as Whiteside could help, in the abstract. He was having a career season with Portland last year before Jusuf Nurkic returned in Florida and was All-Bubble material.
It has been three years since the Wizards won a playoff series, and Beal is the only holdover from then. Andrew Nicholson was on the team at that time, and he is putting up numbers in China (24.4 ppg on 66.9 percent shooting for Fujian, whose season ends April 13. Maybe a reunion could be in order afterward?
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Scott Brooks did not acquire Russell Westbrook in order for the Wizards to be a middle-of-the-road team, and the season-ending torn ACL injury to Bryant was devastating.&nbsp;
But the East is three deep right now, and therefore somebody has the opportunity to rise up and be a conference semifinal team. There are more likely candidates, but it has to be somebody. &nbsp;
Of the Wizards&rsquo; 41 remaining games, 11 are against the Pistons, Cavs, Hornets and Kings. They've got three more until the All-Star break; if they come out on top in those, the noise will start to get louder.
Why not Washington? They could be one deal away from being that team.

Chris Sheridan believes that the Wizards could end up being the surprise team of the East, especially if they make one more move.