Oklahoma City Thunder: Offseason Hinges On Kevin Durant
Extension Talks
Although many teams missed on finding stars in the 2013 NBA Draft that saw Anthony Bennett – now out of the league – go first overall, the Oklahoma City Thunder did not. With the last pick acquired in the James Harden trade, the Thunder picked New Zealand center Steven Adams. Later in the draft, they acquired Andre Roberson and the rights to Spanish wing Alex Abrines.
Both Adams and Roberson are eligible to sign their rookie extensions as early as this summer. If they do not sign one by the end of October, they then must wait until next summer to sign contracts as restricted free agents.
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After a postseason where Roberson demonstrated how he can help the Thunder win even without an outside shot, his value is at an all-time high. Likewise, Steven Adams announced to the league that he has a future as a top-10 center in the NBA, if he is not there already.
The benefit to the Thunder comes if they predict continued rises for either or both players. If Adams is going to continue to develop into a dominant defensive force who excels in the pick-and-roll — a delightful cross between prime Tyson Chandler and Inigo Montoya — it might behoove Oklahoma City to lock him into a contract now before he can demand max contract money. It’s possible that ship has already sailed.
For Roberson, the lack of development in his shot is troubling. If the Thunder have confidence he can improve in that area, he should be worth at least the $10 million or $12 million he could ask for this summer or fall.
The reason not to sign either player is flexibility in the summer of 2017. If Durant signs the expected two-year contract with a player option, and Waiters is retained for around $12 million, the Thunder would enter next offseason with around $6 million in cap space (per early estimates) factoring in their many cap holds.
Is it worth risking the departure (or inflated contract demands) of Adams or Roberson to preserve that small amount of cap space? It could very well be that it isn’t, and the Thunder engage in extension talks as early as July.
Or they could hang onto the low cap holds of Adams ($4.3 million) and Roberson ($3.2 million) to keep their options open heading into an offseason where five of their six best players could all be free agents.
Next: Options For Improvement