RealGM

Assuming:

1) the FO and Brooks are as high on Liggins as they appear
2) the FO and Brooks see Orton as a potential long term project / extra body if the FO are considering trading / amnestying Perk for Harden's extension kicking in next year
3) Utah want rid of Raja (not invited him to camp, failed in buyout attempts)

Would a trade of Cook and Hayward for Raja (+ 2nd rnd pick?) make sense for both teams?

Utah get out of the Raja situation, extra bench shooting in Cook for a year and a look a Hayward.

OKC clear a roster spot, get some veteran shooting off the bench for a year and potentially a future 2nd.

Cook + Hayward + cash(Hayward buyout) for Raja Bell seems more likely, if at all.

Possible, but I doubt it. I'd be careful about getting rid of Cook so easily.

Although Cook is just a specialist with a questionable long term future with the team, the season is so long, Cook is good insurance to have if PJ3 hits a wall or the team needs to address spacing issues during the season. Cook stayed in OKC all summer to continue to work on his game and should play pretty well in what is a contract year. I say take advantage of the luxury of keeping Cook while you can.

The easy solution is to waive Lazar Hayward. If you want Liggins, then what's the point of carrying Hayward too? The team would have to pay the last year on his contract and this isn't probably the best time to convince ownership since you're also trying to sign Harden to a large contract. An advantage for Liggins is he is still eligible for dleague assignment, so you could get him some additional playing time, if you thought he was deserving of more than a one year contract.

Orton is more difficult to figure out. By that does the team really want to keep him. Orton would be the FOURTH center on the roster and the third project center. That seems like at least one too many. Orton only played in one of seven preseason games. Is this a sign of where he stands as a prospect or was the team trying to hide him? Considering his history, hiding him seems like a longshot.

Raja bell would provide a similar threat from 3 with better defence. He's more experienced too so that might help in terms of dressing room though might need to convince him regarding rotations.

Same thoughts on Lazar but to eat the guaranteed contract, Presti must be convinced that Liggins/Orton can crack the rotation either this season or next season.. Cause if we are only signing Liggins, it'll do cause we have an open slot. I don't think Hollis Thompson would be kept.

I don't think paying lazar would matter with regards to Harden, it's only 1m ish and it don't have any luxury tax implications.

I disagree regarding what Raja Bell has left.

I also don't agree that Liggins or Orton have to pencil into rotation minutes. Presti bought out Nate Robinson at around $5M last year. The justification of, "what's right for the team" seems to have some sway to ownership.

Resigning Harden comes with tax implications, they're just waiting for the bills to come in.

Well we just have differing opinion on Raja Bell then i suppose.

Eventually Liggins and Orton has to be more than just bodies in practise if the team is going to eat up a guaranteed contract to sign both. if the team thinks the player will benefit, i don't think the 1m ish will be a factor. we signed Fisher for higher than what everyone expect last season. It's a matter of what the extra salary can achieve.

Nate Robinson was a different situation, Presti didn't use that roster spot right away and kept it open the whole season, except when he shuttled Ryan Reid and Lazar Hayward back and forth from Tulsa. I believe the team saved $$$ on the buyout since Nate signed a contract with Golden State, they could set off a portion of the $5M salary relative to what he signed for with GSW.

Waiving Lazar and eating his salary to accommodate an end-of-bench player seems like something Presti wouldn't do.

Nate Robinson signed a veterans minimum deal with Golden St. that was approximately $1M. So Presti still asked ownership to pay around $4M just for Robinson to leave.

Lazar would only cost $1.1M to waive him, plus roughly $480,000 for Liggins. Seems like a relative bargain.

Monday we'll see then i suppose.
Pretty sure we'll choose Liggins over Orton so that's around 800k thereabt for Orton though i do believe it's not the money that's ownership concern but rather what can he bring to the team.

I think Presti wanted to ensure that nate wasn't a negative influence on the young team.

Sign Orton Now and Justin Harper

I guess this thread just became a little less relevant...

Ibaka and collison will play some backup 5, thabeet can provide 10 minutes (and 6 fouls).

Do the thunder sign Orton as the third string 5, or look for a little more experience?

like2booze wrote:I guess this thread just became a little less relevant...

Ibaka and collison will play some backup 5, thabeet can provide 10 minutes (and 6 fouls).

Do the thunder sign Orton as the third string 5, or look for a little more experience?

get Orton, as a Magic fan(I have seen Orton and Liggins), get Orton

Bo Outlaw wrote:

like2booze wrote:I guess this thread just became a little less relevant...

Ibaka and collison will play some backup 5, thabeet can provide 10 minutes (and 6 fouls).

Do the thunder sign Orton as the third string 5, or look for a little more experience?

get Orton, as a Magic fan(I have seen Orton and Liggins), get Orton

what's your opinion on them then?

Devilanche wrote:

Bo Outlaw wrote:get Orton, as a Magic fan(I have seen Orton and Liggins), get Orton

what's your opinion on them then?

Another Magic fan here. Just was cruising wondering if you guys were going to bring Orton back into the fold.

I will give you a breakdown on Liggins:

Very good defender, get his hands on the basketball a lot in terms of stripping layups, deflections etc. Doesn't nessesarily get a ton of credited steals, but he does gets a decent amount. Challenges shots very well, has very high individual (1on1) defensive upside. Team defensive rotations i feel i havent seen him in that setting enough to form a rock solid opinion on as of right now. I do say his man defense is/was definately ahead of team d.

Offensively, while he is not a scorer, He does seem to handle the ball a lot as a quasi-PG of sorts. He actually makes a decent number of plays for others to get perimeter shots. He isn't really a drive a dish (to an inside player) at the rim type, but he is pretty proficent in the drive an kick (to an outside guy), Handles the pick and roll well as the ball handler.

His ball handling doesnt LOOK very fluent, it looks kind of sloppy/loose, but he doesnt seem to get it stolen or lose it a whole lot. Offensively he is more of a point forward type. If he plays i could see him taking some of the HALFCOURT ball handling role that Harden supplied. I dont think he is a bring the ball upcourt type, but in the halfcourt setting he seems to do a lot of the pick and roll PG duties. Even dating back to Kentucky you see Liggins is the one making all the passes and playmaking for that team w/Brandon Knight playing a lot of off ball.

Decent at getting to the rim on drives and okay at drawing fouls, but he still isnt more then 65% ish freethrow shooter. His shot is inconsistent. Its Make or Brick. Just an average athlete but a super gritty and tough kid. Competes. Seems to somehow come up with offensive rebounds for a SG.

I think you could replace Sefolosha with him and not miss a beat.


Orton - Is/was REALLY raw, but seems to have good defensive instincts and anticipation. Needs to focus a little better, seems like he has a decent shot of being a solid prospect.