Thunder over the limit with contract players

[montgod]

The signing of Royal Ivey last week put the Thunder at 16 contract players, one more than NBA rules permit teams to carry into the regular season. That means someone must go. Mo Peterson will be 33 next month but can still contribute on the court and has earned a reputation in his 10 seasons of carrying a first-class attitude away from it. Don't expect Peterson to be waived. Daequan Cook, 10 years younger than Peterson, provides much of the same assets and essentially is on a one-year trial run as a 3-point specialist in OKC. Cook figures to be on the opening-night roster as well. Since the Thunder's coaching staff and front office is pleased with the returning nine-man rotation, and No. 11 overall pick Cole Aldrich is entrenched in the long-term plans, that leaves Byron Mullens, D.J. White and Kyle Weaver as the most likely candidates to be on the outside looking in. Oklahoman

Thunder Insider: With 16 players signed, Kyle Weaver could be on the outside looking in | NewsOK.com

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It's a long shot, but just found it interesting with the guys that they might make available.. you never know with the Spurs connection.

[Zelophehad]

:sleep

[Goran Dragic]

Idk why you think they'd trade any noteworthy players, and yeah Kyle Weaver is gonna get waived. They have a log jam at 2 guard (Sefolosha, Harden, Peterson, Cook, Weaver), so it only makes sense to cut him since all 4 other guys provide something he doesn't while he doen't provide anything they don't. It'll be interesting to see how OKC's rotations shapes up next year, IMO they would be smart to start Serge Ibaka at PF so they have a more traditional lineup and they can bring Jeff Green off the bench as a stretch 4/offense when Durant is out.

[JMarkJohns]

Can't they just drop a first or second-year player down to the D-League?

If not, seems Weaver or Peterson are likeliest. Mullens is too young to get rid of. He was a top-10 Prep prospect just three years ago. Can't write that off so quickly.

[DisAsTerBot]

IMO they would be smart to start Serge Ibaka at PF so they have a more traditional lineup and they can bring Jeff Green off the bench as a stretch 4/offense when Durant is out.

agreed. I like Green, but question the use of a stretch 4 in the thunder system with no low post scoring big. I guess the main use would be in mismatches but this seems to further the assessment that he shouldn't start there but be used to create mismatches...

[Goran Dragic]

agreed. I like Green, but question the use of a stretch 4 in the thunder system with no low post scoring big. I guess the main use would be in mismatches but this seems to further the assessment that he shouldn't start there but be used to create mismatches...


Yeah exactly. Having Green as the primary PF doesn't do anything for their centers other than put more of a defensive workload on them, Green opens things up for the low post scorer they don't have. The other thing is, he and Durant don't co-exist very well on offense since they're similar players, when Durant and Westbrook are playing, Green is nothing more than a "stretch 4" when he has so many other skills they aren't utilizing. Bring him off the bench with Harden and Maynor it'll get them way better bench production and he'll get to use his ability to play point forward.

[DisAsTerBot]

Yeah exactly. Having Green as the primary PF doesn't do anything for their centers other than put more of a defensive workload on them, Green opens things up for the low post scorer they don't have. The other thing is, he and Durant don't co-exist very well on offense since they're similar players, when Durant and Westbrook are playing, Green is nothing more than a "stretch 4" when he has so many other skills they aren't utilizing. Bring him off the bench with Harden and Maynor it'll get them way better bench production and he'll get to use his ability to play point forward.

which leads to another question......how about durant at the 2? he usually isnt gonna defend the best wing so why not play him at the 2 and really use his length?....in the meantime opening up the 3 for green

[Goran Dragic]

which leads to another question......how about durant at the 2? he usually isnt gonna defend the best wing so why not play him at the 2 and really use his length?
He started off playing 2 guard as a rookie and into his sophomore year, but once Scott Brooks took over he moved him to small forward because he wasn't very efficient as a 2, and he immediately started to score a lot better and more efficiently as a 3 who could use his quickness and athleticism more. Him at the 2 and Green at 3 also wouldn't work because neither one is an elite perimeter defender. The back court of Westbrook and Sefolosha is what makes the Thunder a top 10 defensive team, if they had a front court with two 7 footers (Ibaka being one of them) to anchor the D they'd be a championship level defensive team.

[DisAsTerBot]

He started off playing 2 guard as a rookie and into his sophomore year, but once Scott Brooks took over he moved him to small forward because he wasn't very efficient as a 2, and he immediately started to score a lot better and more efficiently as a 3 who could use his quickness and athleticism more. Him at the 2 and Green at 3 also wouldn't work because neither one is an elite perimeter defender. The back court of Westbrook and Sefolosha is what makes the Thunder a top 10 defensive team, if they had a front court with two 7 footers (Ibaka being one of them) to anchor the D they'd be a championship level defensive team.

ahhh, didn't know he started at the 2....but i still wonder given that he's undoubtedly figured out ways to score if he could be effective from there now. Sef would still start giving them the wing defender and green could be a very effective 6th man.....though i could also see that being essentially the same...