March 2008 Oklahoma City Thunder Wiretap

OKC Purchases Tulsa D-League Team

Jul 31, 2008 7:35 PM

The National Basketball Association announced today that the Professional Basketball Club, LLC, owner of the Oklahoma City NBA franchise, has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League from Southwest Basketball, LLC. Oklahoma City becomes the third NBA team to purchase an NBA D-League affiliate, joining the Los Angeles Lakers (L.A. D-Fenders) and the San Antonio Spurs (Austin Toros) as sole owners of their affiliates.

?As owners of the Tulsa 66ers, we will be able to oversee the team's business operations and provide a valuable developmental vehicle for some of our young players,? said Clay Bennett, chairman of Professional Basketball Club, LLC.  ?We have received tremendous support from Tulsa for our NBA team in Oklahoma City and we are excited to be a part of the NBA D-League in the Tulsa area. It?s going to be a great partnership.?

Press Release

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA, D-League

Discuss
Oklahoma City Home Opener On October 29

Jul 30, 2008 1:45 AM

Oklahoma City will officially begin their new era at home on October 29, but the opponent has not yet been revealed, according to a report in The Oklahoman.

The OKC franchise will play 41 home games at the Ford Center, and those dates have been reserved, including New Year's Eve.

The full schedule should be released next week.

The Oklahoman

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
NBA Scheduler Has Extra Work This Season

Jul 28, 2008 12:33 PM

Matt Winick is in charge of scheduling for the NBA, and he starts the process for the following season in February.

Teams supply at least 50 to 60 available dates, and it takes Winick about six months to chart out all 1,230 games.

Because of the Sonics' uncertain home base, Winick worked with two different schedules the first five months, one for Seattle and one for Oklahoma City. The uncertainty ended July 2 when team chairman Clay Bennett announced the Sonics were relocating to Oklahoma City.

The NBA schedule traditionally is announced the first week of August. Winick said he's about "three or four days behind? his usual pace.

"Oklahoma City is part of it,? Winick said. "Some other arenas have been part of it. But there are a number of factors. Free agency is part of it because it affects some television matchups we have to move around.?

Oklahoman

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
J.R. Smith In OKC's Sights?

Jul 28, 2008 3:13 AM

Having missed out on C.J. Miles, could Sam Presti and Oklahoma City turn their sights to restricted Nugget J.R. Smith for help at shooting guard?

According to The Oklahoman columnist Darnell Mayberry, Oklahoma City was also interested in Tony Allen before Allen re-signed with Boston.

The Nuggets have said they will match any team's offer for Smith, but with the team already in the luxury tax they may be tempted to let Smith walk. Presti could employ a similar strategy as he did with Miles by setting the bar high and daring Denver to match.

Smith reportedly turned down a three-year, $10 million extension from Denver last fall, and because Memphis is the only other team with significant cap space, the Nuggets have leverage to not offer much more.

The Oklahoman

Tags: Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
Ex-Sonics Owner Says Stern Told Him To Drop Suit

Jul 27, 2008 4:39 AM

Former Sonics owner Harold Schultz has declared in a declaration filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Seattle that NBA Commissioner David Stern warned him that it would be "very expensive" to pursue a lawsuit seeking to return the team to Seattle from Oklahoma City, the Associated Press is reporting.

Schultz has sued to try to reverse his sale of the franchise to Clay Bennett, claiming the Oklahoma City businessman failed to follow through on a promise to negotiate in good faith to keep the team in Seattle.

Schultz said in his declaration that when he learned on June 23 of the potential settlement between the city of Seattle and the franchise, he told his lawyers that he could not support that settlement "because my primary objective was to secure an NBA team in Seattle, and that objective was not adequately insured by that settlement."

Schultz said that Stern tried to contact him on July 24, the first contact Stern had made since Schultz filed the suit, to find out why Schultz was not joining the settlement between the new Sonic owners and the City of Seattle.

Schultz said Stern told him "that if I did not join in the settlement ... I should realize that it will become very expensive for me and my partners, and he implied that I should reconsider my position."

ESPN

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
Jazz Match C.J. Miles Offer

Jul 26, 2008 6:20 AM

The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has exercised its first right of refusal on guard C.J. Miles?s contract. Per team policy, terms of the agreement were not announced.

Miles (6-6, 220, Skyline H.S. (TX)) has appeared in 120 games (26 starts) in three seasons with the Jazz, averaging 4.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.8 assists in 10.5 minutes per game. Miles appeared in 60 games (13 starts) for the Jazz in 2007-08, posting career highs of 5.0 points and 0.9 assists in 11.5 minutes per game. Originally selected by the Jazz in the second round (34th pick overall) of the 2005 NBA Draft, the then 18-year-old became the youngest player in Jazz franchise history.

Press Release

Tags: Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
NBA Files For Rights To Six OKC Nicknames

Jul 26, 2008 1:42 AM

The NBA has filed for trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to six potential nicknames for the Oklahoma City team, the Associated Press is reporting.

The nicknames include the Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Thunder and Wind.

It was previously reported that the team will be called the Thunder, although no official announcement has been made or has been scheduled.

USA Today

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
Jazz Match Offer For C.J. Miles

Jul 25, 2008 6:44 PM

The Jazz on Friday matched the offer C.J. Miles signed with Oklahoma City last week, as reported by Yahoo.com.

Terms were not disclosed, but sources indicated Miles inked a four-year, $15M deal with the former Sonics franchise.

yahoo.com

Tags: Utah Jazz, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
OKC Purchases Performance Sports Center As Practice Facility

Jul 22, 2008 10:27 PM

Oklahoma City?s new NBA team has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Performance Sports Center building in north Oklahoma City to use as its temporary home for practice and basketball operations offices, team officials announced today. The 30,000 square foot facility will serve as the team?s practice facility until a permanent one is constructed at a still to be determined location.

?We were quite impressed with what Performance Sports Center was able to offer for our temporary needs.  The NBA size court and weight and training facilities are efficient for us in the interim " said team General Manager Sam Presti. ?It?s an excellent location and we feel our players, coaches and staff will fit in well there. The Oklahoma City area offered several good facilities but we decided this best met our needs,? Presti said.

The facility will require some minor improvements to meet temporary team needs and NBA specifications including changes to the locker rooms, training area, office space, meeting rooms and media room. The team plans to move in once the improvements are made, which should be by the time training camp opens in late September. The City of Oklahoma City is assisting in providing the temporary facility.

Presti added it?s more than just a place to practice basketball. ?This is a very important piece of our basketball operations. It?s the players? office, where they spend a great deal of time practicing, conditioning and continuing to develop as a team.?

Press Release

Tags: Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
LeBron Leaves U.S. Practice With Sprained Ankle

Jul 22, 2008 10:22 PM

Cavalier superstar LeBron James was forced from practice on Tuesday with a sprained ankle which Team USA officials are labeling as 'minor', the Associated Press is reporting.

James landed on the foot of Kevin Durant during a closed scrimmage between Team USA and a select squad of young NBA players at Valley High School.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski said he would know more on Wednesday after James has had a chance to rest.

"He thinks it's a mild sprain," Krzyzewski said. "Our trainers think it's a mild sprain. So we'll find out tomorrow. But I don't think it's anything serious. Obviously, we'll look and see what happens tomorrow."

ESPN

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, Oklahoma City Thunder, NBA

Discuss
Report: OKC Franchise Nicknamed Thunder

KOCO-TV

Texas To Retire Durant's #35 Jersey

ESPN

Oklahoma City Signs C.J. Miles To Offer Sheet

Press Release

Five Teams Interested In Elson?

Denver Post

Seattle Council Terminates Sonics' KeyArena Lease

Seattle Times

Barkley Calls Sonics Move A 'Travesty'

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer

NBA Seeks To Intervene In Howard Schultz's Suit Against Sonics

Seattle Times

SuperSonics' Name Stripped From Team Website

USA Today

Schultz Sticks With Sonics Suit

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Oklahoma City Loses Summer League Opener

ESPN

Oklahoma City Will Be Active In Trade Market

The Oklahoman

Sonics Still Undecided On Practice Facilities

ESPN

Team To Wear NBA-OKC Jerseys In Summer League

The Oklahoman

Sonics Sign Westbrook And White

RealGM Staff Report

Earl Watson Undergoes Thumb Surgery

RealGM Staff Report

Current, Former Sonics Upset By The Team's Exit

Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Sonics Officially Done In Seattle

ESPN

Sonics' Watson Suffers Broken Thumb

Press Release