Rest of league panicking about OKC having the Clippers pick

[doogie_hauser]

According to Bill Simmons on his latest podcast, OKC have The Clips first round pick next season too (even as a pick swap)

Lol

[Wolveswin]

Thunder currently have the
5th pick LAC
9th pick Jazz
14th pick 6ers
27th pick Rockets.

They also have Topic the top rated pg from his draft and Thomas Sorber top rated defensive center in his draft, out with injury.

This is what scares the league. Presti can upgrade a championship team with almost anyone he needs/wants.

I think because rookie contracts will be so important for Presti to keep the big 3 intact, he should target his ideal player in the draft. Say it’s AJ at #2. League knows Presti has more than enough ammo to move up in [any] draft to get his guy.

Heartenstien/Sober
Chet/JY Williams
AJ/Dort
JE Williams/Caruso
Shai/Topic

[Dan Z]

Thunder currently have the
5th pick LAC
9th pick Jazz
14th pick 6ers
27th pick Rockets.

They also have Topic the top rated pg from his draft and Thomas Sorber top rated defensive center in his draft, out with injury.

This is what scares the league. Presti can upgrade a championship team with almost anyone he needs/wants.

I think because rookie contracts will be so important for Presti to keep the big 3 intact, he should target his ideal player in the draft. Say it’s AJ at #2. League knows Presti has more than enough ammo to move up in [any] draft to get his guy.

Heartenstien/Sober
Chet/JY Williams
AJ/Dort
JE Williams/Caruso
Shai/Topic

Presti can try to move up, but it's easier said than done.

For example, last years draft...would the Mavs trade Flagg for a bunch of picks/players from OKC? Probably not.

A team with a top pick is usually bad. They'll want to build with the new player and are less likely to push that off for future assets.

It's possible that Presti can move up a bit, but that depends on the draft (specifically the tiers in the draft).

[JN61]

Don't worry. The first pick goes to the inside club members. Not to the small market that OKC is.

[bbms]

Don't worry. The first pick goes to the inside club members. Not to the small market that OKC is.

tbh i'm rooting more for indiana to get #1 than okc. ind #1 okc #2 would be my ideal scenario.

[Wolveswin]

Thunder currently have the
5th pick LAC
9th pick Jazz
14th pick 6ers
27th pick Rockets.

They also have Topic the top rated pg from his draft and Thomas Sorber top rated defensive center in his draft, out with injury.

This is what scares the league. Presti can upgrade a championship team with almost anyone he needs/wants.

I think because rookie contracts will be so important for Presti to keep the big 3 intact, he should target his ideal player in the draft. Say it’s AJ at #2. League knows Presti has more than enough ammo to move up in [any] draft to get his guy.

Heartenstien/Sober
Chet/JY Williams
AJ/Dort
JE Williams/Caruso
Shai/Topic

Presti can try to move up, but it's easier said than done.

For example, last years draft...would the Mavs trade Flagg for a bunch of picks/players from OKC? Probably not.

A team with a top pick is usually bad. They'll want to build with the new player and are less likely to push that off for future assets.

It's possible that Presti can move up a bit, but that depends on the draft (specifically the tiers in the draft).

Of course it takes two to tango. That is water is wet take.

Presti has so many assets he can even overpay. He actually has an abundance of assets, that will be his new job, managing the abundance.

Flagg is terrible straw man argument. So is Wemby. They were never being traded to Presti. But outside of the hyped generational talent, Presti is on the hunt for his guy.

[Stan]

What kind of BS news "story" is this lol, literally no sources referenced, just a generic statement passed off as a fact.

[FarBeyondDriven]

literally nobody is panicking. Teams are worried about themselves and don't have time to worry about other teams and things they can't control. OKC doesn't have any minutes for more players so any picks they use means they'll need to trade a trusted vet or recently drafted player. No rookie will want to be drafted by OKC and languish on the bench. It's almost a guarantee that OKC will make a move(s) up using multiple picks/players to do so. After pick 5 there's a drop off and any team picking from then on I'm sure would gladly take a package to move back.

[Raps in 4]

Don't worry. The first pick goes to the inside club members. Not to the small market that OKC is.

If any team gifts the Lakers a star player, that pick is theirs.

[Rafael122]

I posted this on the Wizards board, but with the 3 lottery picks they have, they actually have a bigger chance at landing a top 4 pick (62%) vs. the Pels/Wizards etc. So to put that into perspective, they are in a better position, and more likely to draft 1 of AJ/Boozer/Peterson. That's insane and probably extends their window another 5-6 years.

[MMyhre]

literally nobody is panicking. Teams are worried about themselves and don't have time to worry about other teams and things they can't control. OKC doesn't have any minutes for more players so any picks they use means they'll need to trade a trusted vet or recently drafted player. No rookie will want to be drafted by OKC and languish on the bench. It's almost a guarantee that OKC will make a move(s) up using multiple picks/players to do so. After pick 5 there's a drop off and any team picking from then on I'm sure would gladly take a package to move back.

Lol, yeah a rookie would never want to play on the best team in the league with the MVP and contend for championships. Terrible situation!

[Dadouv47]

I posted this on the Wizards board, but with the 3 lottery picks they have, they actually have a bigger chance at landing a top 4 pick (62%) vs. the Pels/Wizards etc. So to put that into perspective, they are in a better position, and more likely to draft 1 of AJ/Boozer/Peterson. That's insane and probably extends their window another 5-6 years.

nah. The Utah pick is top 8 protected and the Philly pick is top 4 protected.

[bbms]

I posted this on the Wizards board, but with the 3 lottery picks they have, they actually have a bigger chance at landing a top 4 pick (62%) vs. the Pels/Wizards etc. So to put that into perspective, they are in a better position, and more likely to draft 1 of AJ/Boozer/Peterson. That's insane and probably extends their window another 5-6 years.

76ers' is a top4 protected pick (iirc) and jazz pick is top 8 protected for sure. i'd say the jazz pick is a coinflip to convey.

[TheGeneral99]

literally nobody is panicking. Teams are worried about themselves and don't have time to worry about other teams and things they can't control. OKC doesn't have any minutes for more players so any picks they use means they'll need to trade a trusted vet or recently drafted player. No rookie will want to be drafted by OKC and languish on the bench. It's almost a guarantee that OKC will make a move(s) up using multiple picks/players to do so. After pick 5 there's a drop off and any team picking from then on I'm sure would gladly take a package to move back.

OKC isn't worried because they just paid huge money to Shai, Chet and J-Will.

That will make it difficult to retain guys like Hartenstein, Dort, and Wallace in the future as other teams will give them big money to poach them.

But unlike other championship contenders who lost key role players to other teams, OKC will be able to replenish their bench depth with lottery talent. They are in the best position since the Spurs of the 2000s to create a real dynasty over the next decade.

[Slimjimzv]

Maybe a better title would be "Rest of league strongly dislikes OKC having the Clippers pick"

[Nate505]

They are building a great team the correct, honorable way, and not signing an MVP level guy in FA.

Do you also complain about Shaq signing in LA in free agency? Or Moses signing with Philly?

I'm sure you complain about Lebron and Durant, but there have been other examples over the past 40-some years about which no one was wailing or trying to paint as dishonorable. Free agency is exactly that, the player's freedom to do what they want. The PU fought for that right; bitching that people exercise it is somewhat non-sensical. It's like complaining about unions fighting for workers' rights in a conventional context.

Moses? No, he was an RFA. The Rockets could have re-signed him but he didn't.

Shaq? Not really. They became a championship team because of Shaq. They weren't a championship level team before him.

LeBron? Not really as well. The Heat thing was lame, but like Shaq they won championships because of him.

Durant? For sure. Cupcake Extraordinaire went to a team that won a championship and just made the league uncompetitive.

[clippertown]

LOL - This is so much worse than anybody is saying.

The Clippers are going to implode. As soon as Kawhi gets injured again (99% probability), Harden will demand out and the Clips will get another over the hill veteran to replace him, who will be undoubtably worse. Kawhi will completely check out and the Clippers will be fielding a G-League team with Zubac as the only player who can start for an average team.

This season the Clippers will be dead last. OKC will get the #1-3 pick to add to their invincible squad (what the Clips should have been).

Next season, the Clippers will also be dead last (by a wide margin). OKC will likely get another #1-3 pick.

At that time, loyal Clipper fans will completely abandon the franchise, and I see the team moving out of Los Angeles. The team has zero chance at being successful until at least 2032. No elite free agent will come to the disaster zone, even with the lure of max cap space and LA weather.

I believe that this will create a void in LA that the Thunder will likely fill - can we say LA Thunder? Oklahoma is too small a market for this team.

For all of you laughing at the Clippers right now, for the bulk of you, your team will have the exact same chance of winning a ring as the Clippers have - basically 0%. OKC can possibly finish this season 80-2 and then they will get successive #1-3 picks. The league is screwed for a decade or more.

Donald Stirling harmed the team and the league more than any other owner, but it seems that Ballmer will destroy the league completely. The curse is real and now it will infect everybody. I hope you all enjoy the regular season, because the playoffs are now a one-team operation.

[Slimjimzv]

LOL - This is so much worse than anybody is saying.

The Clippers are going to implode. As soon as Kawhi gets injured again (99% probability), Harden will demand out and the Clips will get another over the hill veteran to replace him, who will be undoubtably worse. Kawhi will completely check out and the Clippers will be fielding a G-League team with Zubac as the only player who can start for an average team.

This season the Clippers will be dead last. OKC will get the #1-3 pick to add to their invincible squad (what the Clips should have been).

Next season, the Clippers will also be dead last (by a wide margin). OKC will likely get another #1-3 pick.

At that time, loyal Clipper fans will completely abandon the franchise, and I see the team moving out of Los Angeles. The team has zero chance at being successful until at least 2032. No elite free agent will come to the disaster zone, even with the lure of max cap space and LA weather.

I believe that this will create a void in LA that the Thunder will likely fill - can we say LA Thunder? Oklahoma is too small a market for this team.

For all of you laughing at the Clippers right now, for the bulk of you, your team will have the exact same chance of winning a ring as the Clippers have - basically 0%. OKC can possibly finish this season 80-2 and then they will get successive #1-3 picks. The league is screwed for a decade or more.

Donald Stirling harmed the team and the league more than any other owner, but it seems that Ballmer will destroy the league completely. The curse is real and now it will infect everybody. I hope you all enjoy the regular season, because the playoffs are now a one-team operation.

OKC is paying for a new stadium for the Thunder that comes with (I believe) a 30 year lease agreement. So the Thunder won't be going anywhere. I feel awful for the Clippers fan base. They've been incredibly loyal, and the reward for that has been to constantly have to defend their team. At least Dallas fans had a specific scape goat they could jettison. And Cooper Flagg. Clippers fans deserve a W.

[ConSarnit]

literally nobody is panicking. Teams are worried about themselves and don't have time to worry about other teams and things they can't control. OKC doesn't have any minutes for more players so any picks they use means they'll need to trade a trusted vet or recently drafted player. No rookie will want to be drafted by OKC and languish on the bench. It's almost a guarantee that OKC will make a move(s) up using multiple picks/players to do so. After pick 5 there's a drop off and any team picking from then on I'm sure would gladly take a package to move back.

OKC isn't worried because they just paid huge money to Shai, Chet and J-Will.

That will make it difficult to retain guys like Hartenstein, Dort, and Wallace in the future as other teams will give them big money to poach them.

But unlike other championship contenders who lost key role players to other teams, OKC will be able to replenish their bench depth with lottery talent. They are in the best position since the Spurs of the 2000s to create a real dynasty over the next decade.

It makes you wonder if this was Presti’s plan to deal with tax implications and being in a small market. Many people had been harping on OKC to make an all-in move (myself included) for a star given their massive draft capital. The issue with that is it would only be sustainable for maybe 2 years given the tax implications. By keeping the majority of these draft picks (or kicking the can down the road) OKC should be able to replenish the roster with cheap talent, even if they inevitably miss on some of their picks. OKC might be able to maintain its core if they can have 2-3 rotation players on rookie deals at all times.

If OKC can keep cycling through the Wallace and Mitchell types it should allow them to keep their core in tact longer than most expected. They might be forced to trade away a Wallace or Mitchell when they are due paydays but even then they’d likely add more to their draft coffers, which allow them to get more bites at the apple and keep the machine rolling.

[TheGeneral99]

literally nobody is panicking. Teams are worried about themselves and don't have time to worry about other teams and things they can't control. OKC doesn't have any minutes for more players so any picks they use means they'll need to trade a trusted vet or recently drafted player. No rookie will want to be drafted by OKC and languish on the bench. It's almost a guarantee that OKC will make a move(s) up using multiple picks/players to do so. After pick 5 there's a drop off and any team picking from then on I'm sure would gladly take a package to move back.

OKC isn't worried because they just paid huge money to Shai, Chet and J-Will.

That will make it difficult to retain guys like Hartenstein, Dort, and Wallace in the future as other teams will give them big money to poach them.

But unlike other championship contenders who lost key role players to other teams, OKC will be able to replenish their bench depth with lottery talent. They are in the best position since the Spurs of the 2000s to create a real dynasty over the next decade.

It makes you wonder if this was Presti’s plan to deal with tax implications and being in a small market. Many people had been harping on OKC to make an all-in move (myself included) for a star given their massive draft capital. The issue with that is it would only be sustainable for maybe 2 years given the tax implications. By keeping the majority of these draft picks (or kicking the can down the road) OKC should be able to replenish the roster with cheap talent, even if they inevitably miss on some of their picks. OKC might be able to maintain its core if they can have 2-3 rotation players on rookie deals at all times.

If OKC can keep cycling through the Wallace and Mitchell types it should allow them to keep their core in tact longer than most expected. They might be forced to trade away a Wallace or Mitchell when they are due paydays but even then they’d likely add more to their draft coffers, which allow them to get more bites at the apple and keep the machine rolling.

Yeah I mean I think that Presti obviously had a combination of luck and really smart moves.

People thought Shai would be a star, but very few predicted that he would become an MVP level player putting up prime Michael Jordan stats. Jalen Williams was also a steal at #12 in the draft and was one of the best two way stars in the league last year. Of course, Chet, when healthy, is one of the best two way bigs in the league. So that's excellent drafting by Presti.

If OKC didn't win a title last year and they weren't a true frontrunner contender, it's probably more than likely, that Presti would use his draft capital and young talent to trade for a disgruntled superstar like Giannis, for example. I am not sure if Presti foresaw that his young core would be this incredible this quick, or even that they could be a true championship team, it's very similar to the Warriors of 2015.

In my opinion, therefore, because Presti already witnessed this core winning nearly 70 games last year and winning a title, he knows that this core can get it done, so he doesn't need to make a big splash trade. Moreover, with the new cap changes last year, it's more difficult for teams to sign three all-stars and pay for depth role players.

As a result, Presti is now in the perfect position unlike championship teams we have seen in thepast. He has his star trio all locked up for 5 years, and if he loses some rotational players in free agency, he likely will be able to keep his bench strong with lottery talent (as he long as he drafts well). Even more crazy, with the Clippers being this bad and OKC having their future 1st round picks, Presti has a legit opportunity to add more potential all-star talent to this already incredible team.