anything that’s gonna add to our cap space this year or next. why? the slight possibility we could make a run at signing….chris paul. seriously though, let’s see what we have in the tournament before we even consider breaking up our core. im also strongly considering starting a loud city jeff green fan club, unless somebody else wants to do it. hint hint

and also KD is donating 100k to Haiti, another great selfless act by the future MVP..if he is willing to donate to a great cause like that then why not shave some of that huge salary we will offer to keep the core together?? just a thought and i feel like he is the kind of guy to do it..

let’s also not forget that the luxury tax doesnt start until 70 million so dont run a benefit for Bennett yet. My point is more that we dont need to spend 20 mil on bosh, especially if we feel that KD is a superstar and Russ is on the way to becoming one. This team either needs Green and Harden to take the next step or add a very good 3rd option type player because we have the role players we need in guys like Maynor, Ibaka, Thabo. Adding a Scola adds an offensive dimension we dont have and that is a player w legit post moves and a more consistent rebounding presence. Adding a Haywood would add a consistent shot blocking presence and rebounding.

In many ways i agree with the premise of this original post because i dont think Jeff is truly a 4 man but better in the role of a 3, probably even in the form of playing the 6th man role. Where i disagree with this post is with the idea of starting Serge at the 5 and when i say that i mean this year. The reason i say that is because i think in a starting role against the best front court players in the league he would end up in quick foul trouble where he doesnt when he comes in and gains experience and confidence with the 2nd unit. I think he could start maybe the beginning of next season either at the 4 or the 5.

To the idea of going after a legit power forward i agree, but i dont think David Lee is necessarily that guy. I live in NY and see the Knicks a lot and I feel David has improved tremendously over prior years, especially with his jumper and his defensive effort. That said he does much of his damage by using his quickness against centers that i am not sure translates against power forwards as we saw he struggled against the quickness and athleticism of our guys in the frontcourt.

I have an idea that is a little off the wall and hadnt even thought about it before just now. What about Antawn Jamison? He is a legit 4 man who can score inside or out, creates matchup problems for the opponents, and while he is paid a lot it is only for 2 more years so it doesnt hurt us long term once all our young guys get paid. Now for the part that wont be liked around here i presume.

Antawn Jamison, Haywood and Was. #1 for Green, Collison, Etan’s contract, White our lower #1. I love Jeff Green and what he brings as much as anyone here, but this deal would make take this team from playoff hopefuls to potential contenders even this year. Starting Russ, Thabo, KD, Antawn and Brendan is a legit lineup and makes our bench ridiculous with Maynor, Harden, Ibaka and Nenad. This would also allow the team to see if Haywood who is an impending FA fits and should be resigned. This move would also allow Jeff to get more opportunities to let his own game flourish and send him back home to DC where if they dump Arenas they could be big players in the free agent market this summer while being competitive around Foye, Butler and Jeff this year and letting players like McGee, White develop. The only worry which i have with an trade idea with this team is what trading Jeff away does for the chemistry of this team. Trading away Green and Collison also offsets most of Jamison’s contract next year, with White i think it costs 1 mil more.

If legit 4 is not what you think we need then it is a legit 5 man and we all know that few of those exist anymore, especially that teams would trade. Kaman is the best offensive one that might be available but he misses a fair amount of games every year. Biedrins is an excellent rebounder and shot blocker, but also misses a lot of time. I would love to add Marc Gasol or Noah but i dont see either being traded.

Something like this?
http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=yzvuw3b

I agree with a lot of this option. I like the idea of getting a real center, especially from a team that is willing to give one away. No disrespect to Nenad, but he is really a 2nd or 3rd string center (behind Serge).

You are 100% right though in your assertion that the management must be extremely careful with this team’s chemistry. The 2004 US Olympic team is a shining example of a team jam packed with talent and no team concept. That said, I also don’t think that Durant and Green are the Bobbsey Twins and have to remain connected forever. I think the glue that really holds this team together is their character. Presti has been extremely careful in picking guys that will be good locker room guys, good citizens, and will buy into the program going on in OKC. Jamison is clearly a stand-up guy in the community and he’s got a big game so I like that move. Another positive for this trade would be that Collison’s having a pretty decent year and we’d probably get a good value for him based on his performance as of late. Really though, this would boil down to whether or not the Wizards are ready to rebuild. If not, they’ll say no because this would really hurt the rest of their season.

Although the Haywood/ Krstic slot would probably still be our biggest weakness. Hopefully the draft can also help us shore up some of the gaps.

I’ve been waiting for someone to bring up the possibility of the Thunder acquiring David Lee. Lee has improved every year he’s been in this league, and at 26, he’s made himself a potential all-star. He’s of power forward height but can play center, he’s a true blue grinder and one of the best rebounders in the league, and he’s developed his 15 foot jump shot nicely.

I would say “nothing against Jeff Green, but,” but really, I do have something against Jeff Green. He’s an undersized power forward who misses too many shots and doesn’t get enough rebounds. Easily the most overhyped player on the Thunder. I’m tired of reading articles that say “The Thunder’s three young stars, Durant, Westbrook, and Green…”. Since when has Jeff Green (let alone Westbrook, but I see way more upside here) been a star? Certainly he’d be a solid energy sixth man, but Jeff Green has no place in the starting line-up of a championship team, which is what the Thunder could be if they insert David Lee at power forward. They have the money to do it, and David Lee is definitely looking around, as the Knicks will probably be unable to keep him in the off season.

As for Ibaka, I agree, with reservations. The kid’s only 20 years old, very athletic, and there’s enormous upside there. But let’s wait and see. Like you said, at 6’ 10", he’s an undersized center, and the presence of a proper 7 footer banging it out with the Bynums, Howards, and Odens (yes, I said it, dude had a 23+ PER this year until he went down… if he can stay healthy… scary…) of this league is a huge boon to any team.

Also, enough of this business about contending. The Thunder are a young team who few thought would have a winning record this year, much less make the playoffs. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves by forgetting Presti’s encouraging long term development strategy, throwing it away on a Jamison and getting knocked out in the second round. This team can be the real deal if they continue to develop in the way they have (David Lee is an important piece in this puzzle.).

In any case, I’d prefer seeing Jamison over in Cleveland. With his help I think they could make a real run this year.