Tag: Kevin O’Connor

KOC: NBA execs looking to wrangle Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from the Thunder

“A lot of execs around the league wonder whether SGA is the best player on the market, given the fact he’s signed to a five-year max and OKC isn’t winning anytime soon.”

The Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade train refuses to slow down.

A week after Gilgeous-Alexander made it known he knew what he signed up for when he signed his five-year extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor listed him as one of the seven players who could shape the 2022-23 season.

O’Connor’s reasoning is that if Gilgeous-Alexander were to become available in trade talks, he would be arguably the hottest available commodity and could create a bidding war of draft picks as the Thunder pleases.

The most interesting tidbit in Gilgoeus-Alexander’s entry is O’Connor reporting that league executives want him to ask out of Oklahoma City.

“During the 2021 draft, Oklahoma City reportedly made a strong trade offer to the Pistons for the first pick (Cade Cunningham), which Yahoo’s Jake Fischer says included SGA. And now that the rest of the trade market has settled with Mitchell in Cleveland and KD staying put, a lot of execs around the league wonder whether SGA is the best player on the market, given the fact he’s signed to a five-year max and OKC isn’t winning anytime soon. My impression is teams just want to wrangle him out of OKC since no other obvious stars will be available. Could there be an offer too good for Sam Presti to refuse?”

With recent reports of teams such as the Toronto Raptors closely monitoring Gilgeous-Alexander’s situation, it makes sense the rest of the league is hovering around Oklahoma City like vultures waiting for the 24-year-old to request a trade.

But as O’Connor mentioned, Gilgeous-Alexander’s public comments have made it known he is content with his situation in Oklahoma City and he believes in the Thunder rebuilding plan.

That could obviously change. The NBA is a fast-paced league with player transactions, but for right now, it sounds like other teams will just have to continue to wait on the off chance Gilgeous-Alexander asks out of the Thunder.

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Paolo Banchero a contender for the Thunder at No. 2 in 2022 NBA draft, per KOC

Should the Thunder draft Paolo Banchero at No. 2?

During a live session, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor revealed some intel he’s heard regarding the Oklahoma City Thunder and who they might pick at No. 2 in the 2022 NBA draft.

O’Connor said that Duke forward Paolo Banchero is definitely in play for the Thunder at No. 2 but also notes that the information might be a smokescreen by either the Thunder or Houston Rockets.

“I had a source tell me yesterday that OKC is definitely a contender to take Banchero at 2. But how much is that OKC putting it out there knowing Houston’s desire to take him?”

O’Connor also mentioned that the Rockets could try to move up to the No. 1 spot in a trade with the Orlando Magic that will likely involve the No. 3 pick.

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Who knows what is and isn’t real, but with the NBA draft just days away, reports and rumors will continue to amplify.

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KOC doesn’t buy Jabari Smith Jr. is a lock to go first overall in 2022 NBA draft to Orlando Magic

Kevin O’Connor doesn’t buy Jabari Smith Jr. is a lock to go first overall in the 2022 NBA draft to the Orlando Magic.

In his latest Spotify live green room, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor said he has heard Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. getting taken first by the Orlando Magic isn’t a done deal yet.

“A lot of reports say it is Jabari Smith Jr. I am not sure if I buy that; most NBA people that I talk to are not sold on that either,” said O’Connor.

Of course, it is that time of the year when rumors and reports are at an all-time high as agents and teams try to gain public leverage for themselves as the 2022 NBA draft quickly approaches. So I’m not totally sure just how much stock I would put into this — especially considering the near-consensus among national mock drafts for the last few weeks has been Smith Jr. is going to the Magic. But O’Connor is legit, and if he’s saying something then it should not be easily scoffed at. We’ll just have to see what happens on June 23.

Of course, this affects the Oklahoma City Thunder because they own the second overall pick, so if Smith Jr. isn’t the guy for the Magic, then Gonzaga forward Chet Holmgren likely is. That means the Thunder will get Smith Jr. with their pick instead of the widely assumed Holmgren. But considering this is a two-man draft, the Thunder win either way.

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Kevin O’Connor questions Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s long-term future with the Thunder

“He’s not necessarily a part of the long-term future. Maybe he’s a guy they flip again, but why would you not want to keep (SGA)? He’s just the guy that you’d be open to moving if the deal’s right.”

During the video version of his 2022 NBA mock draft following the NBA draft lottery, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor expressed his excitement over the Oklahoma City Thunder selecting Jabari Smith Jr. second overall.

During his analysis, O’Connor added an interest side note about how he doesn’t believe Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a guarantee to be on the team for the long run as he thinks Josh Giddey will be.

“I think it’s worth noting as a quick aside here, (Josh) Giddey’s likely there for the long term, that (Shai) Gilgeous-Alexander stuff — he’s already into his second contract. They already had trade talks potentially trying to go for Cade Cunningham last year according to multiple reports. He’s not necessarily a part of the long-term future. Maybe he’s a guy they flip again, but why would you not want to keep Gilgeous-Alexander? He’s just the guy that you’d be open to moving if the deal’s right.”

Hearing this might be a little concerning for the Thunder fanbase as Gilgeous-Alexander is easily the best player on the team currently. He also fits relatively well with a potential Giddey and Smith Jr. timeline as they will all be 24 years old, 20 years old and 19 years old respectively at the start of the 2022-23 season.

From what it sounds like, it seems like this is more O’Connor spitballing with the Gilgeous-Alexander stuff than it is about him reporting anything he knows. The Gilgeous-Alexander for Cunningham stuff is pretty interesting though as some have reported that to be the case, so O’Connor chiming in and saying it happened adds more legitimacy to the rumor.

Either way, it’s too early to worry about Gilgeous-Alexander’s long-term future with the team. There’s always a possibility that he’s not here for the long run, but that shouldn’t be on the fanbase’s mind as of right now as the team prepares to select second overall for the first time since Kevin Durant in 2007.

Gilgeous-Alexander is under contract for the Thunder until 2027 as his rookie extension kicks in next season. To read what else O’Connor had to say about why the Thunder should take Smith Jr. second overall, here’s the full analysis transcribed.

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Kevin O’Connor explains why the Thunder should take Jabari Smith Jr. second overall in 2022 NBA draft

“This pick is one of my favorite matches from team to prospect in the entire draft.”

In his latest 2022 NBA mock draft, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor has the Oklahoma City Thunder selecting Auburn forward Jabari Smith Jr. second overall. The video version of his mock draft explains in further detail as to why he thinks the Smith Jr. to Thunder scenario is a dream matchup for both parties:

“I got Jabari Smith Jr. going number two right now. This fit here for Oklahoma City. It’s — again — sensational for Sam Presti and the Thunder that they land number two. They have the ammo to trade up to number one if they really need to get their guy for sure. But Jabari Smith and number two makes a hell of a lot of sense because you get a guy who’s 6’10, who shot 43.6% from three as a freshman at Auburn, and he’s not just some spot up shooter, some guy who’s taken standstill threes. He’s somebody who can come off of screens and hand off and movement. Auburn didn’t do that during his freshman year, but you can see the way he takes pull up jumpers, the way he relocates off ball, how those skills are going to apply to more organized sets that you see in the NBA. So for Oklahoma City here, think about what they have. Their best young guys — Josh Giddey, who they drafted last year, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who they of course got in the Paul George trade. Those guys are your primary ball handlers. And I think it’s worth noting as a quick aside here, Giddey’s likely there for the long term, that Gilgeous-Alexander stuff — he’s already into his second contract. They already had trade talks potentially trying to go for Cade Cunningham last year according to multiple reports. He’s not necessarily a part of the long-term future. Maybe he’s a guy they flip again, but why would you not want to keep Gilgeous-Alexander? He’s just the guy that you’d be open to moving if the deal’s right. If they’re keeping SGA and Giddey, Jabari Smith Jr. makes all the sense in the world considering the fact he brings that shotmaking that complements those guys. One of his weaknesses: getting very little of the ball, doesn’t have the tightest handle. This is where the (Michael Porter Jr.) comparison comes from. That’s something to keep in mind here. Think about what makes the best version of Michael Porter Jr. work in Denver. Well, he’s playing off of Jokic, he’s playing off of Murray and he’s feasting against some of the weaker matchups. He’s getting spot up threes, he’s attacking close outs. Jabari Smith Jr. will be in a similar environment next to SGA and Giddey and some of the other handlers for the Thunder. But the reason why this works is because Smith can develop that over the course of time. The level that he needs to reach as a ball handler — and he doesn’t need to be the 6’10 Kyrie Irving. He just needs to reach a passable level so he can be creating offense for your team. And even though he doesn’t, whatever man, because you’re getting somebody who sets the tone on defense, who’s 6’10, who’s long, who’s tough, who hustles, who brings it every single possession on the floor. So at a minimum, you get a guy with size, a shooting stroke, who’s smart, who can defend multiple positions. This is why this guy is a top pick and why he rose up the rankings during his freshman year at Auburn. For OKC here, this pick is one of my favorite matches from team to prospect in the entire draft. But with that said, Oklahoma City, you could say a lot of the same things about what Chet (Holmgren) could be with that team as a complementary piece and what (Paolo) Banchero could be as a primary guy, alongside them as a creator.”

It seems like Smith Jr. fits all the needs that the Thunder need in terms of building with Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey as he provides excellent outside shooting, an ability to move off the ball and a defensive pedigree that can raise the team’s floor on that side of the court. Considering that is in increasingly becoming more of a two-man draft between Smith Jr. and Holmgren, it’s hart to see the Thunder not be extremely happy and excited with whichever of the two they select.

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OKC Thunder news: The Ringer has the Thunder taking Shaedon Sharpe in latest mock

. @ringer ‘s latest mock draft features the Oklahoma City Thunder drafting Shaedon Sharpe sixth overall.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor released his latest 2022 NBA mock draft on Tuesday. The mock only includes the first round, which means that the Oklahoma City Thunder made three selections at sixth overall, 15th overall and 30th overall.

The 24-56 Thunder currently have the fourth-best lottery odds and with just two games left in the regular season, that is where they will most likely stay at bearing some unforeseen circumstances.

The mock incorporates what teams’ needs are and how front offices have historically drafted. Let’s take a look at which three new players will Thunder GM Sam Presti add to his roster.

OKC Thunder news: The Ringer’s KOC shows Poku some love in latest article

Some quality Poku content from a national media perspective.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor’s “Seven NBA Observations” article that was released on Monday featured some Aleksej Pokusevski praise. Since February 1, the 20-year-old has turned his season around and has played like a legit NBA player. In 16 games, Pokusevski has averaged 11.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and has shot 47.1 percent from the field and 35 percent from three.

“Poku offered multiple lowlights for every highlight last season. Now he’s just flowing, playing within the rhythm of the offense, and making an effort on defense. He’s not forcing things. Poku seems to be taking fewer risks as a playmaker, perhaps a sign that he’s picking his spots better and focusing on making the right play rather than the sexy one.

For all his shortcomings, Poku has tremendous value. A 7-footer who can run pick-and-roll as the ball handler, screen and roll or pop for 3s, and fill gaps as a cutter and a passer without having plays called for him is a rare combination.

Maybe this is just a hot streak for Poku. He’s making 34.5 percent of his 3s, way up from his career average of 28 percent. He could cool off. It still looks like it hurts when he shoots. And he still struggles to finish around the rim because of his beanpole frame. But the Thunder are rightfully prioritizing player development over winning.”

O’Connor also mentioned how Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault recently called Pokusevski a slot machine in terms of his boom or bust potential but mentions how he has improved every day with his progress.

Regardless, it’s nice to see Pokusevski receive some love for his recent play in the last six weeks from a national writer like O’Connor. After playing like one of the worst players in the league, Pokusevski has turned his sophomore campaign around with a strong second half so far.

OKC Thunder news: The Ringer’s KOC praises Tre Mann in Monday’s column

KOC continues to show the Thunder love as his latest NBA observations column features some Tre Mann hype.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor’s latest NBA observations column featured some Oklahoma City Thunder love as he praised the other rookie guard on the roster that has steadily improved this season in Tre Mann:

“Mann is a bucket-getter who has struggled to score efficiently during his first pro season. In February, though, he’s shown more consistency and some impressive flashes, starting with 29 points on 14 shots against the Mavs on February 2. Over his last four games, he’s averaging 21.8 points. I thought his 22-point performance against the Pacers was the best overall game of his young career.”

“Mann probably won’t a team’s centerpiece, but anytime a player can create off the dribble like he can they belong in the discussion. At 21, Mann is still growing into his body. He grew 2 inches and gained 15 pounds after his freshman season at Florida. The additional size helped him blossom as a sophomore, but excelling against NBA physicality is the next step. His progress has been encouraging, with more consistent production recently.”

Like O’Connor mentioned, Mann is one of the best scorers and shooters on the team already as a 21 year old. Mann has been given a lot of starting nods recently due to injuries to Gilgeous-Alexander and now Giddey and continues to produce impressive numbers when given the chance to have a bigger scoring load. It’s still too early to tell, but if the Thunder got a borderline starter and good scorer with the 18th pick in the draft, then that’s a massive win for the rebuild.

O’Connor also expressed in his piece that he really loves with the Thunder are building with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey being centerpieces along with other intriguing young talent that could pan out surrounding them such as Aleksej Pokusevski. With the amount of young talent, great culture and crazy amount of draft picks, O’Connor believes that the Thunder could be building something special in Oklahoma City.

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