Thunder Back Up - A 2017 OKC Dynasty

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Note: This is a 30-team control dynasty, starting in the 2017 offseason. I controlled the Orlando Magic up until this point, making a dominant team, before taking over Oklahoma City at the beginning of this offseason.

Breaking: Former Orlando GM Accepts Lucrative Offer to Accept Same Position in Oklahoma City

In 2013, the Orlando Magic, desperate for any kind of progress, hired a relative unknown to be their General Manager. That paid off three years later as the roster he built brought the city its first NBA Championship. Orlando is set up to have a dynasty in the coming years, with a roster full of talent and youth. After the Magic won their title, the GM took an early retirement, citing "health and family issues." It was announced today that the Oklahoma City Thunder have brought him out of retirement, making him the highest-paid GM in the history of the league.

It was only a few years ago that Oklahoma City was atop the basketball world. They won the 2013 NBA title, led by Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Since then, Durant has bolted to Los Angeles and Westbrook has become a locker room cancer after losing his MVP teammate. The new GM will look into addressing these problems immediately. He says if Westbrook insists on being traded, he will look to find a deal, but will only pull the trigger on that deal if it brings enough value in return. The Thunder have the #5 chance in the lottery, and their new GM has made it known that he will look to acquire another pick, preferably in the lottery. "We're going to stress defense and ball control first. Anyone who can't get on board with that will have to find somewhere else to play. I've already begun to evaluate the roster, and you can expect some big news soon," he said at the press conference earlier today. Will the big news be a Westbrook deal? We'll wait and see as he tries to return Oklahoma City to its recently lost glory.

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NBA Draft Lottery: Mavericks Take Top Spot; Thunder Will Choose 5th

After the balls bounced and the names were called, Oklahoma City ended right where it started, at the fifth pick. There are plenty of top prospects in this draft, and it will be interesting to see what the new GM does with this pick.

2017 NBA Draft Order

1. Dallas Mavericks
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
6. Boston Celtics
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Sacramento Kings
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Golden State Warriors
11. Indiana Pacers
12. Detroit Pistons
13. Philadelphia 76ers
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn)
15. Memphis Grizzlies
16. New Orleans Hornets
17. Utah Jazz
18. Denver Nuggets
19. Atlanta Hawks
20. Los Angeles Lakers
21. New York Knicks
22. Charlotte Bobcats
23. San Antonio Spurs
24. Cleveland Cavaliers
25. Portland Trailblazers
26. Washington Wizards
27. Miami Heat
28. Chicago Bulls
29. Orlando Magic
30. Houston Rockets

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Oklahoma City Extends Contracts of Brooks and Cheeks

While the Thunder's new GM is looking into shaking up the roster, he's confident that the franchise has the right men in place to lead that roster. Head Coach Scott Brooks and Assistant Maurice Cheeks both received three-year deals today.

The new GM also announced the hiring of NBA Scout Courtney Flowers, Prospects Scouts Dennis Adrien, Barry Fowlkes and Shaun Larson, and Trainer Dillon Oakley. When asked about these moves, he said that it was important to get the right guys at the right price, and that he had to keep them healthy once he got them here.

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Breaking: Suns Acquire Westbrook from Thunder for #2 Pick

In a huge move that demonstrates the new direction Oklahoma City wants to go, they have traded star point guard Russell Westbrook to the Phoenix Suns for the rights to the #2 pick in tonight's NBA Draft. Oklahoma City will also receive point guard Kendall Marshall, more of a distributor than Westbrook, and shooting guard Lewis Brady, a defensive specialist, in the deal. Full trade details follow.

OKC Trades:

PG Russell Westbrook (93)
SG Marko Saric (65)

OKC Receives:

PG Kendall Marshall (74)
SG Lewis Brady (76)
Rights to #2 Overall Pick (PHX)
Rights to #33 Overall Pick (PHX)

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PHX Trades:

PG Kendall Marshall (74)
SG Lewis Brady (76)
Rights to #2 Overall Pick (PHX)
Rights to #33 Overall Pick (PHX)

PHX Receives:

PG Russell Westbrook (93)
SG Marko Saric (65)

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NBA Draft: Thunder Pick Up Top Two Defensive Players in the Draft

Scouting Report: Ryan Stafford (#2 Pick)

Spoiler

Height: 6'8"
Weight: 220
Sig Skills: Chasedown Artist, Lockdown Defender, Defensive Anchor, Eraser
NBA Comparison: Shawn Marion

I want to get this out the way first... Stafford is an average offensive player. Now, coming out of high school, this kid played defense like he would die if the opposition scored a point. He was as good as expected at Duke. In my opinion, the game that really highlighted how good he is was holding potential first round draft pick Jerry Townsend (an offensive specialist) to 2 points on 1-4 shooting. Stafford can guard positions one through four with relative ease and could probably guard an undersized center as well. He locks down guards on the perimeter and protects the paint. He just adapts and plays however his team needs him to play. I believe that he will be a top three defensive player the SECOND he puts on an NBA jersey. If he was just an above average offensive player he would be Dre Redd, Chris Bishop status. As of now, he is a top three pick. Still not bad if you ask me.

Scouting Report: Jeremiah Turner (Pick #7)

Spoiler

Height: 6'11"
Weight: 239
Sig Skills: Anti-Freeze, Spot Up Shooter
NBA Comparison: Andrea Bargnani

Every college basketball fan knows who Jeremiah Turner is. He may not speak much but I'll be damned if his play doesn't speak volumes for him. Turner has been an offensive specialist since he broke out his sophomore year. The knock on Jeremiah Turner has been that he can score with ease but he goes to Oral Roberts where he faces little to no talent. The Turner supporters simply respond "And Stephon Curry went to Davidson". Hmmm, who will be right?

Scouting Report: Rufus Hamilton (Pick #14)

Spoiler

Height: 7'3"
Weight: 275
Sig Skills: Eraser, Bruiser, Brick Wall
NBA Comparison: Tyson Chandler

So Rufus Hamilton is a 7'3 guy that blocks shots left and right. I know you're probably saying, "so what, who wouldn't be able to block shots at that height". But see, what this guy does is an art. The height just makes it that much easier. And even when he isn't blocking shots, he simply clogs the lane and makes penetration very difficult. Some feel like he won't get much better than he
already is because he hasn't shown much improvement since his sophomore year. But people have definitely been wrong before.

Scouting Report: Charles Valentine (Pick #33)

Spoiler

Height: 6'2"
Weight: 210
Sig Skills: Interceptor, Pick Pocket
NBA Comparison: Avery Bradley

The story of Charles Valentine is a freaky one. Charles Valentine, the older brother of NBA forward Juan Valentine, was set to go to the University of Miami. After discovering that he had accepted money from a booster he was gone before he even stepped foot on the campus. After signing a very lengthy contract in China (and being unable to get out of it), Valentine was stuck playing ball in China. While he dominated, and appears to be a very very good player he is 27 years old. Because of that, I don't think he will go until the second although he has first round talent.

Shoutout to CWSapp757 and Dreece for the DC and scouting reports.

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Breaking: Oklahoma Re-Signs Ibaka and Copeland

The Thunder made a splash today as they were able to hold onto defensive beast Serge Ibaka, signing him to a five-year deal worth $68.41M. Ibaka will bring some stability to a young Thunder team that is going through changes.

Also announced was the re-signing of SG Maurice Copeland. Copeland is a good defender and adequate scorer, known for his ability to finish at the rim. He will form a solid one-two punch at the shooting guard position with newly acquired Lewis Brady. Copeland's deal is worth $14.26M over three years.

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Free Agency: Thunder Sign Knight, Continue Defensive Trend

In the draft, Oklahoma City picked up Jeremiah Turner, an offensive specialist that they intend to play at PF. Today, they signed his defensive counterpart. Knight was drafted by the Wizards in 2014, but never had a chance to blossom there. He's very smart defensively. His deal is worth $9.75M over three years.

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Oklahoma City Thunder 2017 Offseason

NBA Retirements

Spoiler

- Tony Allen, SG, MIA
- Caron Butler, SF, NYK
- Pau Gasol, PF, IND
- Nick Collison, PF, OKC
- Joe Johnson, SG, MIN
- David West, PF, POR
- Scott Skiles, HC, MIL

NBA Draft Lottery

Lottery Chances

Spoiler

1. Dallas Mavericks (25.0%)
2. Milwaukee Bucks (19.9%)
3. Phoenix Suns (15.6%)
4. Los Angeles Clippers (11.9%)
5. Oklahoma City Thunder (8.8%)
6. Boston Celtics (6.3%)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (4.3%)
8. Sacramento Kings (2.8%)
9. Toronto Raptors (1.7%)
10. Golden State Warriors (1.1%)
11. Indiana Pacers (0.8%)
12. Detroit Pistons (0.7%)
13. Philadelphia 76ers (0.6%)
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (0.5%)

Draft Order

Spoiler

1. Dallas Mavericks
2. Phoenix Suns
3. Milwaukee Bucks
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Oklahoma City Thunder
6. Boston Celtics
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Sacramento Kings
9. Toronto Raptors
10. Golden State Warriors
11. Indiana Pacers
12. Detroit Pistons
13. Philadelphia 76ers
14. Minnesota Timberwolves (via Brooklyn)
15. Memphis Grizzlies
16. New Orleans Hornets
17. Utah Jazz
18. Denver Nuggets
19. Atlanta Hawks
20. Los Angeles Lakers
21. New York Knicks
22. Charlotte Bobcats
23. San Antonio Spurs
24. Cleveland Cavaliers
25. Portland Trailblazers
26. Washington Wizards
27. Miami Heat
28. Chicago Bulls
29. Orlando Magic
30. Houston Rockets

Team/Player Options

Spoiler

- C Tyronn Hamilton ($993K/2 Yr Team) - Declined
- PG Dontae Berry ($548K/Team) - Declined

Qualifying Offers

Spoiler

- SF Sherron Mason ($2.51M) - Not Offered
- C Ronald Carpenter ($984K) - Offer Extended

Oklahoma City Free Agents

Spoiler

Offered:
PF Serge Ibaka (5 years/$87.31M)
SG Maurice Copeland (3 years/$14.26M)
C Ronald Carpenter (Qualifying Offer)

Not Offered/Test FA:
- C Spencer Hawes
- SF Anderson Weaver
- C Tyronn Hamilton
- SG Thabo Sefolosha
- SF Sherron Mason
- PG Dontae Berry

2017 NBA Draft

Round 1

Spoiler

1. Dallas Mavericks: Tony Bender, C, Georgetown
2. Phoenix Suns: Ryan Stafford, SF, Duke (rights traded to OKC)
3. Milwaukee Bucks: Jermaine Harrison, SG, Oklahoma
4. Los Angeles Clippers: Antoine Thomas, SG, Oklahoma State
5. Oklahoma City Thunder: Alan Miller, PF, Notre Dame (rights traded to Minnesota)
6. Boston Celtics: James Scott, SF, Louisville
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: Jeremiah Turner, C, Oral Roberts (rights traded to Oklahoma City)
8. Sacramento Kings: Jamaal Saunders, PF, Wisconsin
9. Toronto Raptors: Jeremy Carter, C, Wisconsin
10. Golden State Warriors: Terrance Young, PG, Wake Forest
11. Indiana Pacers: Jamar Porter, SG, UCLA
12. Detroit Pistons: Willie Burke, SF, Florida
13. Philadelphia 76ers: Preston Jennings, SF, LSU
14. Minnesota Timberwolves: Rufus Hamilton, C, Pittsburgh (rights traded to Oklahoma City)
15. Memphis Grizzlies: Joshua Kent, PF, Arizona
16. New Orleans Hornets: Aaron Williams, PG, Louisville
17. Utah Jazz: Shawn Wright, SF, Washington State
18. Denver Nuggets: Stevie McKinney, C, Michigan State
19. Atlanta Hawks: Travis Ross, SF, Central Michigan
20. Los Angeles Lakers: Terence Gibson, PF, Arkansas
21. New York Knicks: Tyson Elliott, SG, Illinois
22. Charlotte Bobcats: Brandon Tinsley, PG, Ohio State
23. San Antonio Spurs: Monic Lujan, PF, New Mexico
24. Cleveland Cavaliers: Roy Robinson, PF, Oakland
25. Portland Trailblazers: Jerry Townsend, SG, Georgia Tech
26. Washington Wizards: Keith Williams, SG, Miami
27. Miami Heat: Julio Carpenter, PG, Texas
28. Chicago Bulls: Raymond Moore, C, LSU
29. Orlando Magic: Roderick Walker, PF, Michigan
30. Houston Rockets: J.P. McDonald, SF, Purdue

Oklahoma City Thunder 2nd Round Selections

Spoiler

Round 2, Pick 3: Charles Valentine, PG, China

Draft Day Trades

Spoiler

- Phoenix Suns trade rights to SF Ryan Stafford (Pick 2), PG Kendall Marshall, SG Lewis Brady, rights to PG Charles Valentine (Pick 33) to Oklahoma City Thunder for PG Russell Westbrook, SG Marko Saric.
- Oklahoma City Thunder trade rights to PF Alan Miller (Pick 5) to Minnesota Timberwolves for rights to C Jeremiah Turner (Pick 7) and rights to C Rufus Hamilton (Pick 14).

Oklahoma City Free Agency

Spoiler

- PF Serge Ibaka (5 years/$68.41M)
- SG Maurice Copeland (3 years/$14.26M)
- PF Ernest Knight (3 year/$9.75M)
- C Ronald Carpenter (1 year/$984K)

Notable League Signings

Spoiler

- PF John Henson - POR
- SF Michael Beasley - GS
- C Anderson Varejeao - WAS
- SF Andre Iguodala - CHA
- C Spencer Hawes - LAC
- SF Harrison Barnes - UTA
- PF Josh Smith - SAC
- C Jonas Valanciunas - LAL
- SF Michael Kidd-Gilchrist - NYK
- SG Lance Stephenson - LAL
- PG Brandon Jennings - IND

Training Camps

Spoiler

- C Serge Ibaka - Weight
- SF Ryan Stafford - Perimeter Shooting

2017-2018 Oklahoma City Thunder Rotation

Spoiler

(Position, Name, OVR, Minutes)

PG Kendall Marshall 74 (26)
SG Lewis Brady 76 (30)
SF Ryan Stafford* 76 (32)
PF Ernest Knight 74 (28)
C Serge Ibaka 89 (38)
6 Perry Jones 78 (30)
7 Maurice Copeland 74 (18)
8 Jeremiah Turner* 74 (18)
9 Rufus Hamilton* 67 (12)
10 Charles Valentine* 66 (10)
11 Marvin Williams 67 (0)
12 Ronald Carpenter 64 (0)