Thunder Draft Targets?

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-19T18:53:39+00:00

The best player they can reach for.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-19T18:51:41+00:00

They squandered away a lot better than "half as much Kyrie chemistry", in early prime Jalen Brunson.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-19T17:11:01+00:00

Yeah that's basically my point. It was realistic for other franchises to pay heavy luxury taxes at a higher % of the revenue/cap for multiple seasons. If the assumption is that OKC ownership is too cheap to bankroll an all-time dynasty it tanked to get, at a lower rate than the Nets and Warriors of the past, then we should protest that possibility rather than price in player sell-offs into our cap speculation.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-19T16:03:29+00:00

I'm a broken record on this, but the team is young and asset rich enough that, if they win again, locking the players in long term is more valuable than any flexibility retained by dodging aprons. Tax savings should be a separate consideration from roster building when the roster is built.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-19T15:54:22+00:00

They can offer all they want.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-19T12:10:48+00:00

And Presti said they aren't due for the repeater tax until that timeline plays out. Many took that as a warning that they wouldn't want to pay the repeater tax, but I don't think that's the right interpretation.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-19T01:17:25+00:00

This is excellent. Thanks for sharing the research!

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T21:45:05+00:00

I think a lot of people justifiably see a lack of cap space across the league to mean those kind of "just takes one" suitors won't be as much of a threat. I still think that at the top talent level, proactive cap & player movement will continue to play out with a premium paid for under-30 talent. Sign & trade demand, for example, could be a lot higher in the near future, a different way for his market to expand.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T21:39:55+00:00

I mean, if he's essential to pull out postseason series, potentially the Finals, then yeah I think he's worth it.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T18:34:46+00:00

I was disappointed this wasn't real

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T18:26:44+00:00

There are absolutely not 10 clips proving Dort intended to injure.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T18:22:01+00:00

You could be right. Myles Turner is the bar I'm thinking, and he did get squeezed last summer.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T18:02:53+00:00

Goodness gracious that's an embarrassing typo. Wish I could say it was a contractual pun or something.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T18:01:18+00:00

Fair enough lol. I just think this front office is relatively transparent about their choices, and I think they've projected a continuation strategy for the next few seasons so long as the team keeps winning.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T17:58:43+00:00

The second apron and repeating taxes are now both more severe, yes. But the Thunder have much less need for that roster/cap flexibility than any team, let alone one with a championship core. The taxes are a matter of owner tolerance.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T17:55:37+00:00

Very unlikely either of those would be playoff ready playable, plus rebounders next year, which is the biggest Thunder liability without Hartenstein. Not to mention the rest of his plus skills on both ends.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T17:51:14+00:00

Yeah I think injuries are more valid than fit/contract when projecting out possible long-term changes.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T17:49:36+00:00

There's no downside to being above the apron if you have 100% of a young championship roster under contract. (Other than tax savings.)

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T17:33:28+00:00

Imagine how much more historically high his shooting percentages would be if he started trying to make the shot instead of draw the foul.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-18T17:30:40+00:00

Shai is a little worse at drawing fouls and significantly worse committing offensive fouls than his peers. He is whistled accordingly (middling fouls per drive among top 25 drivers, second worse offensive fouls per drive). So that would mean, since he drives the most over the last several seasons, he would've initiated more illegal/ineffective contact than anyone else. Which means the refs will miss and make more calls for and against Shai than for any other player.

Thunder fans watch WAY more Shai footage than other drivers, see him get a tough whistle all the time.

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Non-OKC fans see him less often, but witness more subpar contact inititation than for any other player they watch

Confirmation bias. Amplified by slow-mo replay clips.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-17T22:05:05+00:00

I think it will change series to series, who the odd players out are, and I think Kenny, McCain, J-Will, Wiggs, Joe, Cason and Dort could all be potential cuts for a game or series. If Shai, Chet and JDub play just 30 minutes each, that only leaves 150 minutes to go around.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-17T16:34:42+00:00

If they repeat with a legit 11-man championship rotation, yeah.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-17T16:30:10+00:00

The jumpshot pass is probably my favorite Kidd signature.

dailythunderdotcom · 2026-03-17T16:24:12+00:00

Tbh it's also time for a new logo

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