What OKC ( Sonic ) Player Will Ask To Be Traded After Next

[DEEP3CL]

Watching the NBA for a long time doesn't qualify you on this issue.

Remember that last year everyone said Durant would hate being stuck in the Pacific Northwest and not playing for the Celtics or Knicks.

I've been watching long enough to know that star players are reluctant to sign with low level market teams. Case and point the Jazz and their fans just thought they would be relevant in a few short seasons after Malone and Stockton left. Well it didn't happen and no elite player wanted to go the there. I remember they thought they had a deal for Ron Harper and he refused to go. Get the point now ?

Yeah it's easy to say, " They make good money to play there", but like Jerry West said after signing Shaq in the summer of 96, " Signing guys now is going to be about more then just money, it's also location and marketing and off court interest". And I'd say that over 30 years of watching pro ball qualifies me to KNOW so because I've seen this story over and over. Trust me Durrant will bolt OKC the first chance he gets. And actually Durrant being in Seattle wasn't bad at all, his reps did a great job of getting him the right opportunity's in his off court business. I just think being in OKC is a far step below even Seattle and you'll see.

[DEEP3CL]

Durant isn't going anywhere. This is a business and the players will live with the move and play on. If the crowds were half as loud as they were for the Hornets then I'm sure everyone will be fine.

What in the hell does that have to do with it ? They don't give a damn about a crowd.

[Copperhead]

Durant isn't going anywhere. This is a business and the players will live with the move and play on. If the crowds were half as loud as they were for the Hornets then I'm sure everyone will be fine.

What in the hell does that have to do with it ? They don't give a damn about a crowd.

I think most players like good crowds but I agree that players don't go to teams because of the crowds. Otherwise everyone would be asking to go to Detroit who've been leading the league in attendance. There are waaaaayyyy more other factors that go into where a player would like to play other than the crowds. Also, OKC had pretty good crowds for the Hornets but remember, they were auditioning for a team. Right now they have to prove people wrong that says OKC can't support a team full time so expect the crowds to be really good for a while. They might have good attendance for the next two years but what happens when the novelty wears off? Will the novelty wear off? We don't know. We'll just have to wait and see.

Also, don't forget. College football is #1 there. A poll on ESPN.com was asked and they voted 82% Sooner football over the NBA.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/fp/flash ... llId=57027

[Troubadour]

^^^^
Would you want to play in Oklahoma City?

As opposed to Minnesota, Memphis, San Antonio, Sacramento, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Utah, New Orleans?

Minnesota, Memphis, Milwaukee, and Sacramento, I agree.

San Antonio is a perennial contender. FAs will take less to go there (i.e. Corey maggette).
Cleveland has LeBron. Players will play with LeBron.
Indiana is a classic basketball state.
Charlotte and Utah as well.
New Orleans is a great city! Not only that, they have a great team.

[breaker91]

So where did you get your time machine?

Obviously you think NBA basketball is all about being on the court and being happy with what city you play in huh ?

You need to understand that here in AMERICA the marketing dollar is almost as potent as your own contract. You tell me smart guy what star player would flourish in a mid west city like Oklahoma City ?

And I've been watching the pro game long enough to know that city will never get a high caliber player, trust me I know what I'm talking about.

Umm, you do realize that the guy who is widely considered the most marketable player, plays in a rust belt city that ranks at or near the bottom for every desirable city category out there? Personality trumps location when it comes to marketing money.

[RJM]

Durant doesn't seem too fond of Bennett, and hates what he's doing.

I see him as the most likely to leave.

I bet someone said that about Michael Jordan in the mid-1980s. Look what happened.