Tag: Michael Scotto

Report: Thunder sign Olivier Sarr to two-way deal

The Thunder bring back Olivier Sarr, per @hoopshype

The Oklahoma City Thunder are back to a full 17-man roster.

The Thunder signed Olivier Sarr to the vacated two-way spot on the roster, per HoopsHype NBA insider Michael Scotto.

Following the trade deadline, the end of the Thunder roster has been shuffled. On Friday, Eugene Omoruyi was converted to a full-time roster spot, filling the open roster spot created by Justin Jackson’s release.

The G League’s OKC Blue signed Sarr on Jan. 11. Sarr returns to the Thunder roster after appearing in 22 games for them in the 2021-22 regular season.

In his last Thunder tenure, Sarr averaged seven points and 4.2 rebounds.

The two-way players on the roster are Sarr and Lindy Waters III.

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OKC Thunder make Isaiah Joe addition official, HoopsHype reports contract details

The Thunder signed Isaiah Joe to a three-year deal.

The Oklahoma City Thunder officially announced they signed guard Isaiah Joe to a multiyear deal on Sunday.

The full details of the contract were reported by HoopsHype NBA writer Michael Scotto.

It is a three-year, $6 million deal, which is fully guaranteed in the first year, non-guaranteed in the second year, and includes a team option for the third year.

The former Philadelphia 76ers guard participated in practice on Monday as the Thunder prepare to start their 2022-23 regular season against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In two seasons with the Sixers, Joe averaged 3.7 points and shot 34.9% from 3 on 2.5 attempts per game.

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HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto refutes reports of the Knicks targeting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

“The injury to Chet Holmgren is going to stunt their ability to win this season, but Shai’s a guy they signed to that extension for a reason. They think he’s a guy that can be a building block for that team.”

Over at our sister site HoopsHype, NBA writer Michael Scotto spoke briefly about the Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talk of him being a potential New York Knicks target after that team missed on Donovan Mitchell in the trade market.

With Mitchell gone, Gilgeous-Alexander is logically the next player to look at as a potential trade target due to his age, contract and team situation.

But Scott refuted such talk, saying the Thunder really like Gilgeous-Alexander and that the Knicks discussion is not sustainable.

“Marc Berman reported I believe that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a possible guy the Knicks could target, and I don’t see it. If you think Utah wanted draft picks for Donovan Mitchell, what do you think Sam Presti is going to want for Shai? He just signed him to a max extension. Some people around Oklahoma City really like Shai. The injury to Chet Holmgren is going to stunt their ability to win this season, but Shai’s a guy they signed to that extension for a reason. They think he’s a guy that can be a building block for that team.”

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Scotto is a well-connected reporter in the league, so him dismissing the Gilgeous-Alexander talk is a sigh of relief for fans.

Gilgeous-Alexander is entering the first year of a five-year max deal with the Thunder that will keep him on the team until 2027.

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Just like most kids his age, Oregon’s Chris Duarte looked up to LeBron James and Kobe Bryant

Former Duck guard Chris Duarte grew up idolizing LeBron and Kobe, and now he could play with the former should his spot in the NBA Draft go as projected.

Depending on age, your basketball heroes may differ. For those of us in an “older” generation, Michael Jordan was the absolute God among men. In Oregon, it was Clyde Drexler, Terry Porter, and Jerome Kersey.

But to no one’s surprise, for kids that are Chris Duarte’s age, those heroes were Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Now for Duarte, there’s a decent chance he may wind up playing on the same team as LeBron and Kobe.

In a story on LeBronwire.com, it talked about how Duarte went on the HoopsHype podcast with Michael Scotto and discussed who he liked watching while he grew up in the Dominican Republic:

Growing up, we used to watch a lot of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Back in my day where we’re from, I’ve got a couple of friends, and we used to make teams of Bryant and James and go against each other.

Most mock drafts have Duarte being selected in the mid-first round or a little lower. The Los Angeles Lakers currently have the No. 22 pick in the NBA draft, so the former Duck guard landing in LA isn’t inconceivable, as ESPN predicted this past week.

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It would potentially be the perfect spot and team for Duarte to begin his career. There’s is no other player Duarte could learn from than the future Hall of Famer and to learn more about Kobe’s legacy than in the Lakers organization.

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