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After the Olympics he can go straight to putting on weight the way Payne currently is, because the change in physicality is going to be huge for him. Seems like this graduates Robes to the SF position almost assuredly, and probably spells bad news for the most polarizing figure among our fan base (although this board seems fairly anti-Dion).

If we indeed intend to give Abrines minutes this year, I think this is the nail in the Waiters coffin unless he takes the QO, which isn't too much of a long shot at this point. Any chance we've told Dion's agent we aren't going to match an offer for him, but we'll allow him to stay a RFA since that might result in him getting a better offer than if he was an UFA?

6mln/year? WTF!! No wonder he chose to come to NBA. He had agreement with Barça till 2019.

It should be the end of Dion. Oladipo and Roberson should start at the wings with Abrines, Morrow and Singler fighting to be the first wing off the bench. Unless they manage to trade for Gay or another expiring contract veteran wing.

YESSSSSSSSS

Ridiculously excited for a guy I expect to be a total non factor next year

He could snatch some 20 mpg.

10 as back up sg 5 at third rotation Pg 5 at third rotation Sf.

I hope he gets 18 minutes per game! He's arguably Spain's best 3PT shooter atm. He has some Klay in him in that he's a bit streaky but not for long periods of time ala Shabazz Muhammad.

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OKC media slowly starting to realize Dion likely won't return, but they all still think he's worth sinking big long term money into for some reason. The fact he hasn't gotten an offer sheet he likes and the only teams rumored to be interested are bottom 5 types doesn't seem to set off any alarms.

No Dion .

If Russ leaves next year were going to be pretty well set up to move to a ball movement system. Sabonis, Steven, and Cam have all shown ability to pass, abrines, Roberson and kanter move well without the ball. Oladipo it's the only one that wouldn't perfectly fit.

spearsy23 wrote:If Russ leaves next year were going to be pretty well set up to move to a ball movement system. Sabonis, Steven, and Cam have all shown ability to pass, abrines, Roberson and kanter move well without the ball. Oladipo it's the only one that wouldn't perfectly fit.

Somewhere on the trade board (don't remember the thread) one of the guys who watched him in college is saying that the idea that he has to have the ball in his hands is really weird to him, because in college he was WAAAAAAAY better off the ball.

I think Dipo's need to be on ball is overstated.

I am still hopeful for a Dion S&T to Kings for bringing Rudy Gay to OKC. Even if we may have to part with a pick. Although still that sentence from Thunder buddies podcast worried me "all of his teams got better after they traded him".

Kind of weird, SG may be a strength this year.

Somebody in DT comments section has proposed the nickname "Spanish Fly" possibly after seeing his Rising Star dunk videos

oken wrote:I am still hopeful for a Dion S&T to Kings for bringing Rudy Gay to OKC. Even if we may have to part with a pick. Although still that sentence from Thunder buddies podcast worried me "all of his teams got better after they traded him".

That statement applies to Dion as much as Gay, if not more so.

I'm cooling on the prospect of trading for Gay. Presti won't do anything with that position until he figures out the plan with Russ for the year, and committing long term salary seems like a no go given the amount of our core players hitting FA next summer. 3 options right now with the SF position seem to be:

1) Russ signs an extension that uses up a good chunk of the rest of our space and we roll with most of the current roster during the year and have room to chase somebody next offseason.

2) Russ doesn't sign an extension, but Presti feels good enough to hang onto him during the year. In this case I could see us attaching a 2nd rounder + something to get an expiring SF with the available space.

3) Russ gets traded and none of this really matters unless a piece we got back was a young SF. Otherwise, fire up the tank and start Singler.

Gay will opt out after this season so he isn't long-term salary. I think Presti has the team now that he is going to go into the season with. He'll leave the cap room open to try to do something a the deadline. Maybe Atlanta crashes after losing Teague and Horford and he can manage to get Millsap and Korver. There will probably be other expiring contracts on the move at the deadline when teams are out of it, which could include Gay, Taj Gibson, Zach Randolph, Tyreke, Jrue Holiday, etc.

The only FA still out there I could see Presti deciding to sign would be J.R. Smith. I just have a hard time believing that he and Cleveland don't get things worked out.

Looking at RW/VO/AR/EK/SA with CP/Abrines/Illysova/Sobinas/and Even McGary is a pretty exciting young group moving forward

thedoppelganger wrote:I'm cooling on the prospect of trading for Gay. Presti won't do anything with that position until he figures out the plan with Russ for the year, and committing long term salary seems like a no go given the amount of our core players hitting FA next summer. 3 options right now with the SF position seem to be:

1) Russ signs an extension that uses up a good chunk of the rest of our space and we roll with most of the current roster during the year and have room to chase somebody next offseason.

2) Russ doesn't sign an extension, but Presti feels good enough to hang onto him during the year. In this case I could see us attaching a 2nd rounder + something to get an expiring SF with the available space.

3) Russ gets traded and none of this really matters unless a piece we got back was a young SF. Otherwise, fire up the tank and start Singler.

If 3 happens (the whole thing including Singler) I'll see everyone next year. I can take a lot, but 82 games of that.....no thanks.