The Oklahoma City Thunder promoted seven internal members of its Executive Team, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

“We are proud of the continued evolution of our Executive Team and the promotions of many long-tenured Thunder team members,” said Presti. “These individuals have demonstrated a consistent commitment to our vision for Thunder basketball on and off the floor, and we are grateful for their contributions. The continued leadership development of our entire staff is essential to our focus of sustaining an elite basketball infrastructure.”

Will Dawkins, who has been with the Thunder since its inaugural season in 2008-09, has been promoted to the role of Vice President of Basketball Operations. The Springfield, Mass. native has risen through the ranks of Thunder basketball operations, where he started as a front office intern, then spent time as Assistant Video Coordinator, Scouting Coordinator, Director of College and Player Personnel and Vice President of Identification and Intelligence before taking on his current role.

Rob Hennigan will also be taking on the role of Vice President of Basketball Operations for the Thunder. Hennigan is currently in his second stint with the Thunder (2008-2012; 2017-present), where he has held positions as Vice President of Insight and Foresight and Assistant General Manager/Player Personnel. Prior to his return to the Thunder, Hennigan served as the General Manager of the Orlando Magic for five seasons.

The Thunder is also promoting Jesse Gould to Vice President of Strategy and Analysis and Wynn Sullivan to Vice President of Strategy and Design. Gould has been with the organization since the start of the 2009-10 season and Sullivan will be entering his ninth campaign with the club. In their roles, Gould and Sullivan will work closely with Amanda Green, the Thunder’s Vice President of Strategic Alignment/Team Counsel, on future-focused initiatives for the organization.

Brandon Barnett, who has worked for the organization as a Senior Pro Scout and in a multitude of roles helping to build the organization’s G League program, has been promoted to Director of Pro Player Personnel. Barnett has been with the club since its inaugural season in 2008-09.

These long-time members of the Thunder front office have helped to oversee teams that have accumulated the second-best record in the NBA over the last 10 seasons and have reached the postseason in 10 of the last 11 years.

As part of the changes to the Thunder front office structure, Nazr Mohammed will take on the role of General Manager of the Oklahoma City Blue/Pro Personnel Evaluator. In his new position, the former Thunder center will lead the efforts for the franchise’s G League operation while also continuing his involvement in all facets of the Thunder basketball operations department. Mohammed has gone through an extensive post-playing transition program for former players with a curriculum designed by the team to prepare them for a transition to basketball operations.

Additionally, Paul Johnson, who has worked in different capacities for the Thunder front office including most recently as Pro Evaluation Coordinator, has been named the Blue’s Assistant General Manager.

As part of the most recent basketball operations staffing updates, the Thunder is also announcing the hiring of Corey Evans as Amateur Scout. Evans comes to the Thunder from Rivals.com, where he worked as a national recruiting analyst.

The Milwaukee Bucks consider a trade for Chris Paul as "highly unlikely," sources with knowledge of ownership's thinking tell Eric Nehm and Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Paul is owed $41.3 million next season and also has a player option for $44.2 million in 21-22.

The Bucks would prefer to look elsewhere due to a combination of Paul's salary and also the uncertainity of how his personality would mesh with Giannis Antetokounmpo.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are widely expected to consider a trade of Paul this offseason. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are hiring Corey Evans as an amateur evaluation scout.

Evans comes to the Thunder from Rivals.com where he was a national recruiting analyst. Evans, 30, is a highly respected national evaluator for Rivals who built a reputation as one of the most connected young analysts in both high school and college basketball.

Evans began his career by starting his own scouting service, Roundball Rundown Report, in 2012.

The San Antonio Spurs made a similar hire in 2013 when they hired Dave Telep from the prep recruiting space.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Billy Donovan agreed to part ways this week after five seasons as head coach.

The Thunder are now widely believed to be pivoting to a rebuild.

But the Thunder did offer Donovan an extension with two seasons guaranteed before the restart in July that he declined. Both the Thunder and Donovan agreed to table discussions until the end of the season.

The Philadelphia 76ers have "seriously debated the idea of chasing" a trade for Chris Paul, league sources tell Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer.

The 76ers have lacked a point guard for several seasons and finally have appeared to signal they want Ben Simmons to play power forward.

Paul has two seasons remaining on his current contract at $41.4 million and $44.2 million.

The Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks could also pursue a trade for Paul. 

The Milwaukee Bucks are expected to explore a trade for Chris Paul, according to rival teams that spoke with Marc Stein of the New York Times.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are expected to eventually trade Paul and pivot to a rebuild.

The Milwaukee Bucks were eliminated from the playoffs in Game 5 on Tuesday by the Miami Heat. 

Billy Donovan will not return to the Oklahoma City Thunder as head coach.

Donovan was quietly in the final season of his contract with the Thunder in 19-20. The two sides decided against pursuing an extension. Oklahoma City is widely expected to eventually rebuild.

The Thunder hired Donovan ahead of the 15-16 season, which was Kevin Durant's final one with the franchise.

Donovan is expected to become a candidate for other NBA jobs, such as the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans, Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder were a somewhat unexpected playoff team in 19-20 after trading away Paul George and Russell Westbrook last offseason. Chris Paul had a resurgent season and the Thunder were one of the best clutch teams in the league. But the Thunder could still begin a more conventional rebuild if they trade away Paul and follow that move by dealing Dennis Schroder and Steven Adams.

"By all appearances, once the Thunder make the move to move on from Chris Paul, that's kind of when they're going to hit the reset button," said Royce Young on The Hoop Collective Podcast. "That's when I think they'll start tearing down some of the pieces. Schroder will go. Adams might go. And they'll start to sort of begin their first ever rebuild since they moved to Oklahoma City."

The Thunder have one of the deepest stockpiles of draft picks in the NBA, which will aide in their rebuilding plans.

Wednesday's Game 7 between the Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder averaged 4.11 million viewers on ESPN, making it the most-watched opening round playoff game on cable in two years, and the most-watched on ESPN in three.

Houston's win was the largest NBA audience since the Los Angeles Lakers played the Portland Trail Blazers on January 31st a few days after the passing of Kobe Bryant, which drew 4.41 million viewers.

Compared to last year’s lone opening round Game 7 — a Saturday night Spurs-Nuggets game on TNT (3.49M) — Thunder-Rockets increased 18% and Jazz-Nuggets declined 3%.

Five of the 11 most-watched NBA games this season have been since the restart on August 1st.

TNT's cameras appeared to show Chris Paul starting at James Harden during a free throw with 3.8 seconds remaining in a 104-100 win by Oklahoma City Thunder over the Houston Rockets in Game 6 to force a Game 7.

Paul and Harden were teammates for two season with the Rockets before the former was traded with the latter serving as the "driving force" of the decision. 

But Paul was actually looking at Billy Donovan and not Harden as Danilo Gallinari shot the free throw.

“I wasn’t looking at him,” Paul told Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I was looking down at coach, and then at the scoreboard, because if Gallo makes that shot, it’s game.”