Player Contracts

[Clangus]

Ok Guys,

Lets have it out amongst ourselves. There is some on the GB saying that Westbrooks contrat is too high and that Perk is also overpaid. Now we watch all the games and know the impact these guys have and thier potential etc etc.

What do you think of the contracts of Perkins and Westbrook?

I for one think that they are both good value and smart signing by a man who clearly intends to lock in a core group for a long time.

[wiff]

Personally I think their contracts are perfectly fine.

Obviously Durant is going to get the max. Westbrook would have had many suitors as a free agent. Other teams would have shelled out just as much coin as the Thunder will if not more for Westbrook.

Again Westbrook is not a pure point but the guy is a baller. He's going to get better, he is still a young kid. It's amazing how much abuse the guy gets on these boards but he is still so young and he is still learning a position he is relatively new at, yet the guy still puts up huge numbers. It's almost like people are pissed because he can't walk on water or something. No he isn't perfect but he is still a fantastic play worth his contract.

Perkins is a very solid defensive big and those guys aren't sexy, but damn are they important if you want to go anywhere in the playoffs. To me he proved that he is worth his contract simply by coming into camp in the kind of shape he's in. I'm use to bigs getting fatter after a lock out not skinnier. Perkins is a good enough defender that the Thunder don't need to send a double team. That is worth a lot.

The big question mark is how much ownership is willing to pay for their "Big League" roster? Next year it's time to put up or shut up about OKC being a "Big League City". Ownership can prove they are a "Big League City" by spending the coin to keep both Ibaka and Harden. Otherwise all this talk about being committed to building a championship team is BS.

Because look at how much the Lakers, Celtic, Mavs, and even the Spurs were spending when they were winning rings. If you are a legit title contender typically your pay role is towards the top of the league. OKC ownership has been getting off easy. Deep playoff runs small pay role. That typically doesn't happen.

[slick_watts]

I think right now it depends.

For Kendrick Perkins, it matters what he'll do in the playoffs. He's been underwhelming so far on the boards, and he's been even worse offensively than he's ever been (TOV% 30+, more turnovers than FG's). But he's been just about as advertised defensively if you don't count the rebounding. I said when he was extended that he'll need to be 2009-10 Kendrick Perkins at the very least to earn that contract. He's definitely not to that point; but I think some slack can be given for now when you consider his body transformation, etc.

Russell Westbrook is overpaid in a vacuum. He's not worth 5/80 relative to some of the other guys in this league making less. But for the Thunder, he's a star. And you need to pay your stars or someone else will. Considering the alternative to giving Westbrook this contract is letting him hit RFA and risking losing him for nothing, I'd say it's fair.

[Devilanche]

1) Ownership willing to go into LUX. Just a matter of how much yet we don't know. You don't just give your second best player the max in a small market team to give up other pieces and remain just a playoff team and not a contender (If we don't pay tax). If you're this good, you got to pay the tax, maybe not LAL level of tax but what SAS did previously.

2) Harden will be signed before he attempt free agency. I think Presti believes he's the 3rd wheel we need.

3) It's not a choice of Harden/Ibaka. It's a choice of Ibaka/Perkins. If we're flirting with too high a luxury tax, we're probably trading 1 of Ibaka/Perkins down the line, they seem like similar role player status at the current moment.

4) Can we sign up Presti long term? And hope that Brooks somehow improves, at the rate we're going i doubt he's ever going to be removed.

5) I'm not sure what's the amount, but isn't it true that in a year we can only use up to 7m cash in trade or something? If Presti will round out the roster with cheap rookie contract, we can probably start seeing him acquiring picks in a year or 2 for cash. If not then we're probably going to round the team out with Vets chasing a ring.

[wiff]

I also vote to let Eric Maynor walk. I really like the kid but he blew out his acl, which means next year he will be back but won't be 100%. He is looking for a new a deal. I'd let someone else pay him.

Considering how good of a play maker Harden is and since Westbrook could play 35 to 38minutes a night without blinking an eye. I'd pick up a pg who can really shoot the 3ball and who can defend a little. Heck I might even just put Harden at pg and play Cook next to him.

But Maynor is easily the first on the cutting block considering his circumstances. I know it's tough but it's a business and that's just how it goes. Ownership needs to keep both Serge and Harden unless Durant is willing to play PF full time next year.

But trust me they need a good PF. I watched too many games where Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis shot the lights out from downtown but the Sonics would lose because they couldn't get a stop inside when it really mattered.