2025-26 Team Developments: Trades / Free Agents / News / Rumors / Ideas

presti's needed two separate long tank spells to get one ring. and he's needed a zillion draft picks to produce those hits. once again, i just don't there's a such thing as "elite gm talent". and honestly, if i had to pick one, it probably would be tim connelly (built denver around jokic then minny around edwards--he knows how to fill out a roster and has done so on a budget) and not presti. i'd probably take stevens from boston over presti, too. has been successful in a more demanding environment. just can't stress enough that coaching/managing okc isn't like coaching/managing the lakers.

yeah, i'm still grumbling about that one. we'll see how we end up using those picks and whether williams can hold up for a whole season (hasn't happened yet). we'll also have to see how williams plays once he's got his contract, as i think the concerns there were long term (still slightly annoying bc we maybe sneak a ring last year if you just add a center to our roster, right?).

this helps, and i agree that ayton doesn't come here if he's got mark williams as competition for minutes.

but williams is having a better year than ayton right now. long season, though.

 

No chance IMO. We'd still have no one who could guard the ball, a slightly diminished version of Luka and about 8 weeks of experience playing together. Maybe we manage to get past Minny as they struggle in the playoffs against any team with real rim protection. But I don't see any way we beat OKC. Just too much to ask for a rookie coach to incorporate Luka Doncic and a new young center on the fly.

With the major, major caveat of Williams' long-term health, I'd prefer to have him over Ayton even at their respective prices (trading those picks for Williams vs. signing Ayton outright). He's just a more intimidating presence on both ends of the court IMO.

 

I think the hesitation was giving up the #1. They were right on Knecht not working. The first will be needed for the deadline this year or this summer.

 

I don't think it will be Presti but I do think we will overhaul the front office. I think Presti is a lifer with OKC honestly.

I do expect a lot of changes with how our front office is structured and how it is staffed. I think we will beef up the operation across the board. How long Rob stays in place remains to be seen.

I'm not upset at the thought of anyone in the front office being replaced, I just think they will do it piece by piece.

 

i think the easiest thing would be to keep rob as president and hire a gm like the mavs did when they brought in dennis lindsey to help nico (lindsey left before nico traded luka). i don't think you can bring somebody in with equal footing or above rob without firing him. the person i'd like to bring in would have worked around the league, perhaps as an assistant gm under successful guys. we need the relationship-building.

i'd like this person in place before the rest of the beefing occurs, as they might have valuable input/connections/trust.

 

I think that can work. I think Rob can remain as long as he shows he's in line with the new direction. I think an assistant GM is definitely ideal.

 

I think Rob would match nicely with Walter. Rob seems like a pretty smart guy and he understands what owners want. He has likely heard enough about how front offices work from his time as an agent. Seems like he has worked well under the tight money restrictions that he Buss family needed him to be in line with. Don't see why he can't work equally well with the new ownership.

People rip on Rob but IMHO, he has done some really good things under really tight restrictions. Not sure anyone could have done as well.

 

How much of a joke of a franchise do you have to be for the GM to tell the boss we're going to suck for the next 5 years. Maybe 3, but probably 5. And the boss says, OK cool.

They've basically been "rebuilding" since Horry's shot 23 years ago, minus the one-off light the beam year.

 

Well...I remain of the opinion, that going out early in the playoffs, is going to lead to both Rob and JJ, getting a pink slip. A catastrophic injury situation could alter that, but we are in win or get fired mode NOW, with the coaching staff and FO. IMHO.

Denver recently fired a Championship winning HC and GM, and still haven't fallen out of contention in the West. So..thanks for the memories Rob, and for the effort JJ, but win NOW or else!!

 

They let go of Haliburton and Fox, whoever made those calls, should have already been shown the door.

 

can't know right now; lots of things happen, as you indicated.

i think they fired them both because they were in-fighting, which i understand. booth also smelled a bit of nico harrison in that he seemed to think he knew things others didn't when...he didn't. and malone's an a******. that's why he keeps getting fired despite results, imo.

i'm attached to neither, but if okc applied your philosophy, wunderkind presti should have been canned a long time ago.

 

Fischer on Pelicans

 

What a f***ing idiot. This guy is a f***ing idiot.

 

Yeah but Booth didn’t trade Jokic for Anthony Davis.

 

He’s a what?

… that’s what I thought you said.

 

Pelicans are in for a rude awakening IMO- second apron has made the value of rookie scale contract massively increase. Throw in OKC's dominance and I think the days of the Knicks throwing all firsts away for OG and Bridges are long gone.

 

Kendrick Perkins says the Thunder are definitely breaking Warriors 73-9 record

“They might go 80-2. I mean this with every big bone in my body. That 73-9 record that GS got. OKC beating that this year. Hands down”

 

I hope they try to beat the Warriors record. And they’ll be running on fumes in the second round

 

they have more depth than either the bulls or the warriors had, so it wouldn't surprise me at all. i also think they know there's a good chance their team looks pretty different next year, so they might be after both that record and the ring.