Tag: Oklahoma City Thunder

Report: Portland Trail Blazers to ink unsigned free agent Carmelo Anthony

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, former Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony will sign a non-guaranteed deal with the Portland Trail Blazers

The Portland Trailblazers have decided to roll the dice on former Oklahoma City Thunder forward Carmelo Anthony, according to ESPN senior writer Adrian Wojnarowski.

Anthony spent 2017-18 in Oklahoma City. The Thunder brought Anthony in from the Knicks, but the veteran, who has been accustomed to being the headliner throughout his NBA career, never fully meshed with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. During his stint in OKC, Anthony averaged a career-low 16.2 points.

He last played in the league in the 2018-19 NBA season for the Houston Rockets and has struggled to find a home for the final chapter of his now- 17-year career over the summer.

At the same time, cascading injuries and lofty postseason aspirations combined to push a struggling Portland Trail Blazers franchise to warm to the idea of bringing on Melo, who has been perceived in some circles as resistant to accepting a lesser role as he ages out of a starting one.

Now, standing at 4-8 midway through November, the team has decided that injuries to Jusuf Nurkic and particularly Zach Collins, have stretched the frontcourt rotation too thin, especially at the power forward position.

Anthony, per Wojnarowski, will be brought on to help out in that regard on a non-guaranteed deal and will join the team on their coming road trip. No word on other contract details, though presumably, it will be at the veteran’s minimum given the team’s cap situation.

Terrance Ferguson binge-watching ‘Andy Griffith Show,’ what rest of Thunder are viewing

Terrance Ferguson admitted he’s currently binge-watching “The Andy Griffith Show”; other players watching “Fresh Prince”, “The Office”.

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Everyone loves a good binge-watch session, and the members of the Oklahoma City Thunder are no exception.

With all the travel during the season, there’s definitely an opportunity for a Netflix or Hulu marathon.

Like the players themselves, the shows that they’re watching are diverse and span across a wide array of topics and titles.

Some are shows that you might expect, ones that are new and current or are old, nostalgic favorites.

Chris Paul says he watches “everything”, but has now started in on HBO’s “Succession”, as well as “Billions”, which airs on Showtime.

Both Darius Bazley and Justin Patton are both watching “Martin” and “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, and both Patton and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have gotten into “The Office”.

But Terrance Ferguson, his binge-watch show of the moment is a little bit unique.

It’s “The Andy Griffith Show”.

Ferguson told the Thunder he understands the show better now that he’s an adult.

“I swear, I’m on Season 5, Episode 23 right now. I’ve been dedicated to it every day, after practice I go home and turn it on. I used to watch it when I was a kid, but I didn’t really understand it, but now that I watch it, it’s hilarious. It’s so corny but it’s hilarious. Like Barney, he’s hilarious.”

No word on whether or not he’s been able to get his teammates to watch a couple of episodes with him.

Check out all the shows the Thunder players are bingeing on The Lighter Side, a series on the team website “aimed to reveal the person in the jersey we love to support.”

Chris Paul felt ‘stabbed in the back’ by trade to Thunder

Paul admitted on the latest episode of “Cold As Balls” with Kevin Hart that being dealt by Houston was “eye-opening” and said he felt “stabbed in the back.”

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Chris Paul may have orchestrated his trade from the LA Clippers to the Houston Rockets back in 2017 but apparently he wasn’t as prepared to move on from the Rockets this summer.

Despite a rumored rift with Rockets star James Harden, during the latest episode of Kevin Hart’s show “Cold As Balls,” Paul admitted that he didn’t see a trade from Houston coming. Kevin Hart asked if Paul felt like the situation was “a little eye-opening” or whether he felt “stabbed in the back.”

“Absolutely,” said Paul. “This last situation was one of them.”

Paul added:

GM there in Houston, he don’t owe me nothing and (when it comes to trades in the NBA, teams will) do whatever they want to do.

The comments come around the 2:55-minute mark.

As Yahoo Sports points out, the trade from Houston is just another memorable event in Paul’s NBA career that includes the banana boat, the failed trade to the Lakers and the fight with Rajon Rondo.

Since landing in Oklahoma City, Paul has been the subject of continual trade rumors. It is reasonable to believe that, should he be dealt to another team, he would see this one coming.

Through 11 games, Paul is averaging 15.3 points and 5.5 assists for the Thunder.

Report: Ferguson missed Tuesday’s game against Pacers due to custody hearing

Per a report from The Oklahoman, Ferguson did not travel to Indianapolis because he was attending a custody hearing with his ex-fiancée.

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Terrance Ferguson was not on the court for the Thunder against the Pacers on Tuesday.

His absence from the lineup against Indiana was officially listed as ‘personal reasons’, and according to Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman, the personal reason was a custody hearing with his ex-fiancée.

It’s the latest development in what has been an ongoing battle between Ferguson and his former fiancée, Lawren Jenson.

Per The Oklahoman, “Jensen filed an application for an emergency order for sole custody of their daughter. On Tuesday, a judge denied the emergency order, ruling in Ferguson’s favor”.

In a statement to The Oklahoman, the Thunder said:

“Terrance has kept us aware of this personal matter. But because it is a legal situation, we defer to his representation for comment.”

Ferguson had posted to his Instagram story on Nov. 2 with the cryptic caption “The devil is working his (expletive) off in my life. Y’all please pray for me and my daughter.”

As stated by The Oklahoman, “the custody battle began in June (2019) when Ferguson sought sold custody of their daughter”. The report also says that in the initial petition, Ferguson sought sole custody of their caught, stating that “it’s in the best interest of the child.”

Ferguson has started all ten games that he’s played for the Thunder this season. He’s averaging 4.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 22.3 minutes per game.

Justin Patton recalled from OKC Blue

Patton averaged 6 points, 6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in two games with the OKC Blue. The Thunder assigned to him their G League affiliate on Nov. 6.

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The Thunder have recalled Justin Patton from the OKC Blue of the NBA G League.

The team announced the move on Wednesday.

Patton started two games for the OKC Blue, averaging 6.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 4.5 blocks, and 1.5 steals in 23.4 minutes per game.

In a 113-109 loss to the Agua Caliente, the G League affiliate of the Los Angeles Clippers, Patton played 24 minutes, scoring 10 points while pulling down four rebounds and dishing out four assists.

He was assigned to the OKC Blue on November 6.

Patton has seen limited court time for the Thunder this season, logging six minutes in Oklahoma City’s 120-92 blow out win over the Warriors. In that game, he missed both of his shot attempts, but did grab two rebounds to go along with a turnover and three personal fouls.

The center played sparingly for the Thunder during the preseason, averaging 3.0 points per game, shooting 37.5% from the field, hitting on 6-of-16 attempts.

Oklahoma City signed Patton in August of 2019.

Chris Paul tops The Athletic’s latest NBA Style Power Rankings

Chris Paul grabbed the top spot in The Athletic’s Week 3 NBA Style Power Rankings thanks to a Nipsey Hussle Marathon Clothing Company collaboration.

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Dennis Schröder might have the best style on the Thunder, at least according to teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, but Chris Paul has been bringing his A-game as well, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed.

CP3 tops the latest edition of The Athletic’s NBA Style Power Rankings, released Wednesday.

Wosney Lambre credits Paul’s ranking to “his donning of Jerry Lorenzo’s much-anticipated Fear Of God collaboration with the late great Nipsey Hussle’s Marathon Clothing Company”.

“But Paul didn’t stop at his Nipsey tribute, the future HOFer waltzed through Chesapeake Energy Arena dripped and draped in a posh Pyer Moss pinstriped jacket with a funky Ambush hoodie that evoked streetwear classic Miskeen, all while staying true to his early season dedication to remaining as cozy as possible in blue windbreaker pants.”

Paul may be heading toward the end of his playing career, but his style game is still going strong.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who credited Schröder for wearing a “fur coat” during shootaround prior to the Thunder’s game against Indiana Tuesday, also came in on the list, landing at No. 8.

Dubbed ‘Pants Pants Revolution’ by Lambre, SGA’s “dedication to having the NBA’s grooviest trouser collection since Jack Ramsay stalked the sidelines is awe-inspiring.”

Maybe point guard play isn’t the only mentoring that Paul is providing to Gilgeous-Alexander in Oklahoma City.

Chris Paul says NBA teams will do ‘whatever they wanna do’ with trades

Thunder guard Chris Paul spoke on how he felt about being traded from Houston.

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Oklahoma City Thunder guard Chris Paul is playing his 15th NBA season, so he’s keen on how teams operate and handle their business.

A nine-time All-Star, Paul recently shed some light on the business of NBA trades with Kevin Hart on the comedian’s YouTube show “Cold as Balls.” Paul also spoke on the trade that sent him from the Houston Rockets to the Thunder during the offseason. 

When Hart asked Paul about how trades go down, Paul stated:

“Every situation is different, but the team is gonna do whatever they wanna do. They’ll tell you one thing and do a smooth other thing.”

Hart then asked Paul about his feelings on being traded from the Rockets. Paul was traded in exchange for Russell Westbrook, two first-round draft picks and the rights to two first-round pick swaps in 2021 and 2025.

“The (general manager) in Houston, he don’t owe me nothin’,” Paul said. “You know what I mean? He may tell me one thing, but do another thing. But you just understand that that’s what it is.”

After the Rockets were eliminated from the playoffs in May, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that general manager Daryl Morey had an “aggressive desire” to improve the team.

According to the report, the only player who was relatively untouchable was James Harden, as the likelihood of moving him was “extremely limited.”

Shortly after the ESPN report, Morey said that Houston would keep its “key people” for the 2019-20 season, per RealGM. 

With Paul elaborating on the trade, it shows how the league is a business. Teams, particularly playoff and title contenders, will do anything to improve. That’s why player empowerment is becoming increasingly more important, as players can feel encouraged to choose their own paths.

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Rapid reax: Three takeaway’s from OKC’s 111-85 loss to the Pacers

The Thunder struggled offensively against Indiana, had some personnel issues that allowed Devon Hall to see his first NBA action, and shot well from the free-throw line.

There aren’t a ton of positives to come out of the Thunder’s first lopsided loss of the 2019-20 season, a 111-85 drubbing at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

But here are three rapid reactions.

Oklahoma City’s shooting wasn’t just cold, it was downright frigid.

When Steven Adams missed a six-footer to start the game, it should’ve been a sign that the Thunder were in for a long night. OKC missed their first five shots from the floor and never recovered.

Their only lead came at 12-10 with 6:30 to play in the first quarter.

As noted by The Oklahoman‘s Joe Mussatto, OKC’s three-guard lineup of Chris Paul, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schröder that has been so effective at times this year, combined to shoot only 8-of-28 from the floor. The trio accounted for 27 of the team’s 85 points.

Even Danilo Gallinari, who led the team with 14, had a quiet night and missed all of his three-point attempts.

Devon Hall made his NBA debut.

Hall saw limited time in Tuesday night’s loss, but it’s still good experience for the guard out of Virginia that the Thunder signed to a two-way contract.

He played for seven minutes and took only one shot, which he made, a layup with 5:55 left to play in the game.

Hey, the free throw shooting was good.

Usually, the free throwing shooting is something that stands out as a glaring negative on the post-game stat sheet.

Tuesday, it was one of the best things about the box score.

Oklahoma City shot 87.5% from the charity stripe, making 21-of-24. Gallinari was a perfect 8-for-8, Gilgeous-Alexander a perfect 4-for-4 and Abdel Nader and Dennis Schröder hit both of their attempts.

The biggest issue with the free throw shooting was that both Chris Paul and Hamidou Diallo, guards that need to be taking to the basket and getting fouled, didn’t take any free throw attempts.

Sluggish start dooms Thunder against Indiana as OKC falls 111-85

Oklahoma City missed their first five shots from the field and hit on only 6-of-25 three-point attempts Tuesday night.

It was a cold night in Indianapolis, both outside and inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Oklahoma City dropped their second consecutive game Tuesday, a 111-85 loss to the Pacers.

The Thunder struggled from the get-go, missing their first five shot attempts from the field. It didn’t get much better from there.

OKC shot just 35.8% from the floor and struggled mightily from the three-point line. At the half, the Thunder were just 1-for-10 from the beyond the arc. They finished the night just 6-of-25.

Indiana had a lopsided advantage in points in the paint, where the Pacers outscored the Thunder 54-36.

At one point, the Pacers were up by as many as 31. Conversely, the Thunder’s largest lead was 2.

Oklahoma City was short-handed Tuesday. Terrance Ferguson did not make the trip to Indianapolis for personal reasons, per a tweet from The Oklahoman’s Maddie Lee.

Four Thunder players were in double-digits, led by Danilo Gallinari with 14.

Deonte Burton scored 13 off the bench. He shot 5-of-12 from the field and 50% from three in 18 minutes.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Steven Adams scored 11 and 10, respectively.

Adams returned to the starting lineup Tuesday, making five of his eight attempts and pulling down five boards.

Former Oklahoma City big man, Domantas Sabonis had a solid night against his old team, putting up a double-double. In 29 minutes he scored 18 points and grabbed 16 rebounds to go along with two assists and a block.

The Thunder fall to 4-7 on the season. Oklahoma City returns to action Friday when they host the 76ers.

Gilgeous-Alexander: Dennis Shröder has ‘best style’ on Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said that Shröder wore a ‘fur coat’ to shootaround Tuesday, adding he’s ‘never seen that before’.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander certainly has style on the court.

Off the court, however, Gilgeous-Alexander says its teammate Dennis Schröder that has the flair for fashion.

During a quick interview prior to playing the Pacers, SGA told reporters Shröder was wearing a “fur coat” during the Thunder’s shootaround Tuesday ahead of the game in Indianapolis.

The Oklahoman’s Maddie Lee confirmed that Schröder, indeed, was wearing a ‘brown teddy jacket’ under his practice jersey.

It really shouldn’t come as a surprise though. Just take a quick look at Schröder’s Instagram. There’s literally a saved stories highlight thread labeled ‘Drip’.

Here are some of the looks that made the profile:

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👨🏾‍🏫👨🏾‍🏫👨🏾‍🏫

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This one looks perfect for a November game in Indiana.

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🦍 🦍 🦍

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A cousin to Tuesday’s brown fur coat perhaps?

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💎💎💎

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And another one.

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Step into the playoffs like …🚶🏾‍♂️

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We really want to know – is this one a romper (romphim?) or a shirt and shorts combo? Either way, it’s giving us serious vibez.

Schröder hasn’t just been bringing it with the looks, he’s been bringing it in the games. He led the team with 25 points in Sunday’s 121-119 loss to the Bucks.

 

Do you agree that Dennis Schröder has the most style on the Thunder? Which one of the Oklahoma City guard’s outfits is your favorite?