Durant out: C's trade with Thunder

[Smitty77]

How about trading Jeff Green back to OKC for Perkins and Mitch McGary???  Helps them maintain a good shot at the #1 seed in the West (which they REALLY need to get to the Finals this year!!).

Thoughts??

Works on realgm.com

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11688088/kevin-durant-oklahoma-city-thunder-fractured-foot

Smitty77

[Endless Paradise]

Hahahaha, the idea that Jeff Green will help the Thunder retain the first seed in place of Durant.

[Smitty77]

Hahahaha, the idea that Jeff Green will help the Thunder retain the first seed in place of Durant.

Thanks for the thoughtful response!!!!  So, are you saying that Jeff was not very successful at OKC??  Are you saying that he does not know that system and that he didn't flourish in that system??  Sure, he is NOT Kevin Durant.  There is ONLY ONE of those in the entire league.  He is a unique talent.  Who else do they have that can start at SF and do well for possibly 8 weeks or MORE??  Please do NOT say Perry Jones as he is, to say the very least, UNPROVEN!!!

PJ is the ONLY SF outside of Kevin on their roster!!!!!  Depth is something that gets sacrificed when you are paying 4 players OVER $56 million this year!!!

Also, Perk is an expiring and Green is not.

Now, how about a thoughtful response??

Smitty77

[celticslove]

russell will have his unlimited field goal attempts, and he will be happy.

[gar]

Never understand why people are so quick to dismiss Jeff Green. His only problem is that he is not Durant or Melo or LBJ. Would doubt that OKC could do any better and he would be a huge upgrade over anyone else currently on their roster. That said, we are not getting Serge Ibaka or Steven Adams in return and I have no interest in bringing Perk back.

[Eddie20]

Basketball and money wise this works out for both parties:

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=pnfswfw

Boston
Westbrook
Perkins (expiring)

OKC
Rondo
Green
Anthony (expiring)

For us...Westbrook is locked up until the summer of 2017 with what looks like a very reasonable contract with the new TV deal in mind. He fills a scoring need and can gives us a pretty dynamic/explosive 3 man guard rotation alongside Smart and Bradley. Turner replaces Green in the starting lineup, with Wallace backing him up, which can only increase Turner's (trade?) value. Perkins is an upgrade over Anthony and does provide some toughness inside. Gives us an available roster spot.

For OKC...Green instantly replaces Durant in the starting lineup, but even once Durant returns he's much more willing to be a complementary scorer than Westbrook. Rondo would be the playmaker and set teammates up. One player that would likely get a nice scoring spike playing alongside Rondo is Ibaka, with his ability to hit the mid-range jumper and finish on lobs. A deal would have to be contingent on Rondo re-signing, but Durant being there, influencing his decision, makes it more likely, such as James in Cleveland convinced Love to commit there.

[Endless Paradise]

Hahahaha, the idea that Jeff Green will help the Thunder retain the first seed in place of Durant.

Thanks for the thoughtful response!!!!  So, are you saying that Jeff was not very successful at OKC??  Are you saying that he does not know that system and that he didn't flourish in that system??

He most certainly was not very successful nor did he flourish there; he had an average career with the Thunder.  He wasn't a good fit alongside KD and Westbrook since he doesn't rebound enough as a power forward. 

Regardless, I'm just laughing at the notion that Green is somehow good enough to replace KD and help OKC retain the first overall seed.  They didn't even get first seed last year when Westbrook was out; if their best player and reigning MVP misses a chunk of the season, I think first seed is just out of the question this season - no matter what they do - unless Westbrook elevates himself to an MVP-caliber player.  It's like people are forgetting OKC is literally The KD and Westbrook Show, with cameo appearances from Ibaka.

And looool, "KD's out, so they should trade Westbrook"

[Jiri Welsch]

Basketball and money wise this works out for both parties:

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=pnfswfw

Boston
Westbrook
Perkins (expiring)

OKC
Rondo
Green
Anthony (expiring)

For us...Westbrook is locked up until the summer of 2017 with what looks like a very reasonable contract with the new TV deal in mind. He fills a scoring need and can gives us a pretty dynamic/explosive 3 man guard rotation alongside Smart and Bradley. Turner replaces Green in the starting lineup, with Wallace backing him up, which can only increase Turner's (trade?) value. Perkins is an upgrade over Anthony and does provide some toughness inside. Gives us an available roster spot.

For OKC...Green instantly replaces Durant in the starting lineup, but even once Durant returns he's much more willing to be a complementary scorer than Westbrook. Rondo would be the playmaker and set teammates up. One player that would likely get a nice scoring spike playing alongside Rondo is Ibaka, with his ability to hit the mid-range jumper and finish on lobs. A deal would have to be contingent on Rondo re-signing, but Durant being there, influencing his decision, makes it more likely, such as James in Cleveland convinced Love to commit there.

So when their best player gets injured, the solution is to go into full panic mode and trade 1a for two presently injured players?

I like OPs idea on the surface, but I can't see it happening. 8 weeks is short enough where OKC can weather the storm and still be a high seed in the West.

[Eddie20]

Hahahaha, the idea that Jeff Green will help the Thunder retain the first seed in place of Durant.

Hahahaha, the idea that the Thunder would do nothing to replace Durant and try to retain the first seed.

Just curious as to what options you would explore if you were Sam Presti. Please provide names don't simply say "sign a free agent".

[Endless Paradise]

Hahahaha, the idea that Jeff Green will help the Thunder retain the first seed in place of Durant.

Hahahaha, the idea that the Thunder would do nothing to replace Durant and try to retain the first seed.

Just curious as to what options you would explore if you were Sam Presti. Please provide names don't simply say "sign a free agent".

The first seed's out of the question.  He's their best player.  They play in the Western conference.  If he misses enough time, then they're not getting the first seed.  You might as well just stay the course and wait for him to return.  That's a far better and logical idea than, "hey, KD's out for a few weeks SO LET'S TRADE OUR SECOND-BEST PLAYER TO SALVAGE THIS SEASON.  I mean, it's not like Westbrook is locked up until 2017 and KD's free agency is coming up in two seasons or anything."

OKC made it to the Finals without the top seed before, there's nothing stopping them from doing it again.

(p.s. Jeff Green also has a player option, so he's a pseudo-expiring.  Just pointing that out.)

[Eddie20]

Basketball and money wise this works out for both parties:

http://espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=pnfswfw

Boston
Westbrook
Perkins (expiring)

OKC
Rondo
Green
Anthony (expiring)

For us...Westbrook is locked up until the summer of 2017 with what looks like a very reasonable contract with the new TV deal in mind. He fills a scoring need and can gives us a pretty dynamic/explosive 3 man guard rotation alongside Smart and Bradley. Turner replaces Green in the starting lineup, with Wallace backing him up, which can only increase Turner's (trade?) value. Perkins is an upgrade over Anthony and does provide some toughness inside. Gives us an available roster spot.

For OKC...Green instantly replaces Durant in the starting lineup, but even once Durant returns he's much more willing to be a complementary scorer than Westbrook. Rondo would be the playmaker and set teammates up. One player that would likely get a nice scoring spike playing alongside Rondo is Ibaka, with his ability to hit the mid-range jumper and finish on lobs. A deal would have to be contingent on Rondo re-signing, but Durant being there, influencing his decision, makes it more likely, such as James in Cleveland convinced Love to commit there.

So when their best player gets injured, the solution is to go into full panic mode and trade 1a for two presently injured players?

Not sure I would call this a "panic move". On the surface the trade does make plenty of sense basketball wise and has been the source of constant debate here. Plus, Green should be back any day now and Rondo is progressing well.

[Endless Paradise]

It's a classic example of a panic move and it's just based on the same "omg, Westbrook can't play with KD and they'd be better off separating the two" logic as if the 2013 playoffs didn't happen.

[Jiri Welsch]

I think if Presti were interested in such a move it would have happened during the offseason when Rondo was healthy.

[Eddie20]

Hahahaha, the idea that Jeff Green will help the Thunder retain the first seed in place of Durant.

Hahahaha, the idea that the Thunder would do nothing to replace Durant and try to retain the first seed.

Just curious as to what options you would explore if you were Sam Presti. Please provide names don't simply say "sign a free agent".

The first seed's out of the question.  He's their best player.  They play in the Western conference.  If he misses enough time, then they're not getting the first seed.  You might as well just stay the course and wait for him to return.  That's a far better and logical idea than, "hey, KD's out for a few weeks SO LET'S TRADE OUR SECOND-BEST PLAYER TO SALVAGE THIS SEASON.  I mean, it's not like Westbrook is locked up until 2017 and KD's free agency is coming up in two seasons or anything."

OKC made it to the Finals without the top seed before, there's nothing stopping them from doing it again.

(p.s. Jeff Green also has a player option, so he's a pseudo-expiring.  Just pointing that out.)

It doesn't necessarily have to be the 1 seed, but finishing with a 2 seed gives them homecourt through the first two rounds.

[Endless Paradise]

Hahahaha, the idea that Jeff Green will help the Thunder retain the first seed in place of Durant.

Hahahaha, the idea that the Thunder would do nothing to replace Durant and try to retain the first seed.

Just curious as to what options you would explore if you were Sam Presti. Please provide names don't simply say "sign a free agent".

The first seed's out of the question.  He's their best player.  They play in the Western conference.  If he misses enough time, then they're not getting the first seed.  You might as well just stay the course and wait for him to return.  That's a far better and logical idea than, "hey, KD's out for a few weeks SO LET'S TRADE OUR SECOND-BEST PLAYER TO SALVAGE THIS SEASON.  I mean, it's not like Westbrook is locked up until 2017 and KD's free agency is coming up in two seasons or anything."

OKC made it to the Finals without the top seed before, there's nothing stopping them from doing it again.

(p.s. Jeff Green also has a player option, so he's a pseudo-expiring.  Just pointing that out.)

It doesn't necessarily have to be the 1 seed, but finishing with a 2 seed gives them homecourt through the first two rounds.

They have a far better chance of getting a high seed by not trading their second-best player and completely shifting the makeup of the team.  They have a system, it's led them to a lot of success.  Durant's injury is a temporary storm they can easily weather.

I think if Presti were interested in such a move it would have happened during the offseason when Rondo was healthy.

But KD wasn't out then, so OKC didn't need to make a panic move at that point!