Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti traveled to Stillwater on Thursday to watch the Oklahoma State Cowboys practice.

Presumably, Presti was there to scout Marcus Smart and Le’Bryan Nash.

Smart, a 6-foot-3 point guard, is averaging 13.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.4 blocks through his first five games, bringing immediate leadership and a defensive mentality that’s rubbed off on those around him.

The 6-foot-7 Nash is a talented wing scorer who excels at getting to the rim and finishing in a variety of ways.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have assigned Jeremy Lamb to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League.

Lamb, who was originally acquired from the Houston Rockets along with Kevin Martin on Oct. 27, has appeared in eight games this season averaging 2.1 points in 4.3 minutes.

James Harden makes his first return to Oklahoma City as a member of the Houston Rockets on Wednesday.

Harden spent three seasons with the Thunder where he became a fan favorite before he was traded in October.

“I’m on the road trying to get a win,” Harden said Tuesday. “That’s no different than when we played at Memphis or Atlanta or whatever the case may be.”

Harden refuses to give special significance to the game.

“To be honest, I don’t even know,” he said. “It will be good to see some faces, some old teammates and coaches. They’re all my family. I look forward to every single game I play. It’s just another game.”

Daequan Cook expects Harden to be particularly motivated in the game.

“He’s going to be in a different zone,” Cook said. “At the end of the day, if anybody knows, I know this game means a lot to him. He’s going to want to play his best basketball. This game means so much right now to him. You’re going to see a different mindset with him.

“It’s going to be crazy, man. Crazy emotional and very energetic on both sides of the floor for both teams.”

The Oklahoma City Thunder has assigned guard DeAndre Liggins and center Daniel Orton to the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. 

During the 2012-13 season, Liggins has appeared in four games for the Thunder logging a total of 11 minutes.

Orton has seen action in one game scoring two points in two minutes of action versus Cleveland on Nov. 11th.

The Oklahoma City Thunder remain at the top of the Western Conference despite their trade of James Harden for a package centered around Kevin Martin and Jeremy Lamb.

Martin is averaging 17.6 points per game for the Thunder.

"I've yet to find another GM in the league who liked that deal for the Thunder, which is rare given the high level of respect everyone (including me) has for Sam Presti," wrote Chad Ford.

The Thunder traded Harden because they didn't believe they could afford a payroll that would have consistently made them pay the luxury tax.

LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Nov. 12, through Sunday, Nov. 18.

In guiding the Heat to a 3-1 week, James averaged a league-best 29.0, while adding 7.3 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.25 blocks. James’ week included a personal season-high 38 points Nov. 12 at Houston in which he scored 32 in the second half while leading the Heat to a come-from-behind 113-110 victory.

James was named Player of the Week six times last week, and has received the honor twice in three weeks.

Durant helped the Thunder to a 3-1 week by averaging a point/rebound double-double, which included a Western Conference-best 28.0 ppg and a team-high 10.3 rpg. Durant added 5.8 apg, 1.75 spg and 1.75 bpg. He capped off his week by posting his first career triple-double – 25 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists – in the Thunder’s 119-109 win over the Golden State Warriors Sunday.

Zach Randolph has received a $25,000 fine for his confrontation with Kendrick Perkins last week.

Randolph and Perkins were each ejected from the game and had an altercation in the locker room area.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will not insert Kevin Martin into the starting lineup in the near future, but will consider making a change in the future.

“At this moment, no, I don't see it changing,” Scott Brooks said. “You never know. It's a long season. A lot of things can happen. But we have a pretty good track record with our starters. They understand their role and they do a good job. Kevin, we're building him to be that guy off the bench that can give us what we need that particular game.”

Martin entered Sunday's game averaging 17.1 points in 29.5 minutes.

Kendrick Perkins and Zach Randolph were ejected from the Memphis Grizzlies' 107-97 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday.

Perkins and Randolph had their altercation resume into the locker room area, according to multiple eyewitnesses.

Perkins and Randolph engaged in incessant jawing during a stoppage late in the fourth quarter and were ejected.

As the two were being separated, Randolph, using a closed fist and a thumb, motioned in the direction of the locker room to Perkins.

Other players downplayed the incident that was seen on the court.

Perry Jones III had an encouraging preseason for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but has played in only half of the regular season games.

Jones is averaging 0.5 points, 1.5 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 8.3 minutes per game.

“In defense of him, it's nearly impossible to play consistently when you don't have consistent minutes,” Scott Brooks said of Jones. “And I told him that. Just go out there and play hard, play with energy and have some fun out there because your minutes are going to be inconsistent.”

Jones averaged 9.8 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 21.3 minutes during the preseason.

“It's just a lot harder because you don't know when you're going to get in, if you're going to get in,” Jones said. “It's a lot harder for me to sit down and wait and wonder when I'm going to get in. It's real hard to find a rhythm that way."

“He's done a great job. We love what he does,” Brooks said “I just told him to go out there and play hard. I'm not worried about him making shots. Sure, I would like to have him making shots and I'm sure he would like to make shots. But it's really about his energy. And I can't complain about his energy. Every time we throw him in there he's given us good energy.”