SHAMS: OKC signs JWill to 3 years, $24M

[Slimjimzv]

Presti is always smart with these and ends them with a team option. JWill is a solid part of the bench, but a vital part of the culture. With this and the drafting of Thomas Sorber, I can't help but think that iHart will only be here one or two more seasons.

PS: Today is his birthday. Quite the gift.

[Patches Perry]

I think this is a fair deal, not a steal or overpay. Jwill has been a useful backup in certain situations and has improved each year. Highlights of the year for him were 3 triple doubles, guarding Jokic really well for stints in the playoffs, and being the leagues best cheerleader. A really important locker room guy imo. I'm good with this deal.

[djsunyc]

it's a low salary so surprisingly, it's tough to move without combining with other salaries for talent upgrades.

my guess is that okc is going to operate with big salaries bewteen sga, jwill and chet and keep recycling the players around them by shuffling guys in a out using all those picks. i dont think they will be a tax team.

[magee]

Why does everyone think Hartenstein is going anywhere? They were 65-15 with him this year. You take an .813 winning percentage any day of the week.

Hats off to J-Will for getting this deal. He offers just enough flexibility to maintain their depth throughout the regular season. I'm looking forward to seeing how he evolves his game next season and what he also leans into.

[Wolves21]

it's a low salary so surprisingly, it's tough to move without combining with other salaries for talent upgrades.

my guess is that okc is going to operate with big salaries bewteen sga, jwill and chet and keep recycling the players around them by shuffling guys in a out using all those picks. i dont think they will be a tax team.

Yep think this is the game play and extremely smart, luckily for them have arguably the best GM in the league who's been planning for this for years.Still have a ton of picks and young players on the roster on the cheap.

[Sixers in 4]

I think this is a fair deal, not a steal or overpay. Jwill has been a useful backup in certain situations and has improved each year. Highlights of the year for him were 3 triple doubles, guarding Jokic really well for stints in the playoffs, and being the leagues best cheerleader. A really important locker room guy imo. I'm good with this deal.

That was everything Naz Reid was and we were told those intangibles were worth 125m. Sounds like OKC got a bargain to me

[slicedbread2]

Well happy b-day to Jaylin AKA Arkansas Jaylin.

Really solid deal for both parties plus it shows a lot of goodwill on the part of Presti to give Jaylin a good deal. It's not the big bag, but at least, he got a good deal and if he keeps it up will make plenty after taxes and perhaps will have a 10 year career which is golden. He's exceeded expectations and you can't really ask for more than that.

Plus a little bonus: he's the first NBA player of Vietnamese descent to make it to the NBA.

[DrModesty]

I like this a lot. Hartenstein is 28.5m next season, and then a 28.5m team option the year after which is the first year the big 3 are on full contracts. The general expectation is that OKC probably turns down that team option.

This would mean Chet starting at the 5 (which is when OKC is at their best anyway), with J-Will at 8m per and Sorber at 5m per for a combined $13m of salary on back up centers after the maxes kick in. They also have Kenrich still on contract for 2 more seasons at 7m as well who can play small ball 5. So behind Chet, OKC will have 3 different cheap center options to deploy based on matchups.

I am curious as to how much better J-Will can get. I don't think he can make 'leaps', but at this point the shooting has to be deemed real. Career 39% on 5.7 attempts per 36. Never lower than 36% and the volume went up a bit this year too (7 attempts per 36, 40%). He has been making small improvements inside the arc, but interior scoring is still a weakness. The rebounding got better this year, and his assists went up too. Assist to turnover ratio has improved every year and was actually good to begin with. Defense has gotten incrementally better and is far less reliant on the charges he crutched on in his rookie year. But ultimately he is athletically challenged, especially with his hip mobility and lateral quickness. Very smart baller though. Also a fantastic locker room presence. Literally Thanasis tier.

[Slimjimzv]

Why does everyone think Hartenstein is going anywhere? They were 65-15 with him this year. You take an .813 winning percentage any day of the week.

Hats off to J-Will for getting this deal. He offers just enough flexibility to maintain their depth throughout the regular season. I'm looking forward to seeing how he evolves his game next season and what he also leans into.

I love iHart. He's a legend in OKC both on and off the court. The stuff he's been doing in the community is amazing. But unless the cap changes, he's going to be tough to keep at the end of his contract. I hope he sticks around until he retires, but the reality is that it's very unlikely.

[magee]

Oh I get it. That's why his third year is a team option.

[ThunderBolt]

I think this is a fair deal, not a steal or overpay. Jwill has been a useful backup in certain situations and has improved each year. Highlights of the year for him were 3 triple doubles, guarding Jokic really well for stints in the playoffs, and being the leagues best cheerleader. A really important locker room guy imo. I'm good with this deal.

That was everything Naz Reid was and we were told those intangibles were worth 125m. Sounds like OKC got a bargain to me

Naz Reid is significantly better than JWil.

[DrModesty]

I think this is a fair deal, not a steal or overpay. Jwill has been a useful backup in certain situations and has improved each year. Highlights of the year for him were 3 triple doubles, guarding Jokic really well for stints in the playoffs, and being the leagues best cheerleader. A really important locker room guy imo. I'm good with this deal.

That was everything Naz Reid was and we were told those intangibles were worth 125m. Sounds like OKC got a bargain to me

Naz Reid is significantly better than JWil.

Yeah, Naz is a level above J-Will at this stage. Even more threatening as a shooter, but also importantly he can actually put the ball on the floor and attack against favorable matchups. Very potent offensive player and also more proven in a playoff setting (even though he was spotty this recent run).

[Slimjimzv]

That was everything Naz Reid was and we were told those intangibles were worth 125m. Sounds like OKC got a bargain to me

Naz Reid is significantly better than JWil.

Yeah, Naz is a level above J-Will at this stage. Even more threatening as a shooter, but also importantly he can actually put the ball on the floor and attack against favorable matchups. Very potent offensive player and also more proven in a playoff setting (even though he was spotty this recent run).

The players I currently fear the most are Naz Reid, TJ McConnell, and JJ Barrea. Whenever we play Dallas, I fear he'll come running out of the stands WWE style and start lighting us up.

[Sixers in 4]

I think this is a fair deal, not a steal or overpay. Jwill has been a useful backup in certain situations and has improved each year. Highlights of the year for him were 3 triple doubles, guarding Jokic really well for stints in the playoffs, and being the leagues best cheerleader. A really important locker room guy imo. I'm good with this deal.

That was everything Naz Reid was and we were told those intangibles were worth 125m. Sounds like OKC got a bargain to me

Naz Reid is significantly better than JWil.

Yeah I was referring to the intangibles aspect. I think Naz Reid is better too 100M better nope? But 4/75 ish would have been fair. All I am saying is Okc managed to sign a productive player and not overpay based on intangibles.

I also think people here are discounting how good he has been. OKC just can't really expand his role because of how much depth they have. Like he is 23 and managed to improve every year. He makes 3's defends hard rebounds. He would easily have double the minutes on most other teams

[UnbelievablyRAW]

Honestly would have paid him more to play in Toronto

[HMFFL]

Jaylin Williams deserves this and Happy Birthday!

I expect him to shoot 40% from three consistently and filling holes for OKC.

Not bad for the 23 year old.

[___Rand___]

Not a bad deal for the team. Still not a SF!

[Saints14]

Great deal for the Thunder, J Will is an ideal 3rd big and a big culture guy for them. Hedge against Sorber if he isn’t able to replace Hartenstein next season. I’m a little surprised J Will went for this, he put up numbers when given the opportunity and might think he can start and get more money elsewhere, but if he’s happy in OKC then good for him sticking around. Speaks volumes to the culture built there that guys want to stay on team friendly deals

[Chuck Everett]

I think this is a fair deal, not a steal or overpay. Jwill has been a useful backup in certain situations and has improved each year. Highlights of the year for him were 3 triple doubles, guarding Jokic really well for stints in the playoffs, and being the leagues best cheerleader. A really important locker room guy imo. I'm good with this deal.

That was everything Naz Reid was and we were told those intangibles were worth 125m. Sounds like OKC got a bargain to me

Naz Reid won 6MOY and can go for 20+ plus any given night, J-Will is a decent player, but he's also a guy who can go two weeks and not touch the floor in the playoffs. He and Naz are not in the same stratosphere as players.

[2LeTTeRS]

I liked what he did as a started last year and would have gladly taken him as a backup option in Charlotte, but he locked in for security and the chance to keep winning titles -- and I bet a lot of other teams would have loved to have him as well. I love that he decided to win on a team that genuinelymakes him happy, but I wonder how much money he could have received on the free agent market.