OKC’s future with Perkins

 Amnestying Perkings is 100% what they will do. Keeping both guys is a must. 

 If Ibaka gets any better they won’t be able afford both in any case.  Harden is a max contract guy and Ibaka is heading toward being pretty darn pricy as well. No way OKC can afford those guys and Westbrook and Durant as well.

 If Ibaka gets any better they won’t be able afford both in any case.  Harden is a max contract guy and Ibaka is heading toward being pretty darn pricy as well. No way OKC can afford those guys and Westbrook and Durant as well.

I think they need to keep the Big Four. Thabo is a perfect fifth guy and be doesn’t make too much money.
Perkins makes a ton and even though he is a valuable player they might need to move him. If they can’t do that then
they need to get rid of rotation guys such as Collison, Cook, and Maynor to save money. Trade them for cash and second round picks.
They should be able to replace those players with cheaper options.

They might also consider selling their first round pick for cash. Or trade it for a second rounder and cash. Another option would be to get a Euro player who won’t come over for two more years or so.

Cole Aldrich makes a bit of money. Maybe they can package him and the 1st round pick for Portland’s 40th and 41st picks and cash.

First, they need to keep the Big Four. I think Thabo is a keeper as the fifth guy on that team. Can defend and hit some jumpers, and
his contract is ok. Kendrick Perkins is ok but he makes too much money. But, if they move him they at least need a competent center in
the middle and those guys don’t come cheap.

If I were them I would keep the Big Four and Thabo. Consider the options with Perkins. Then trade the rest of the guys for 2nd rounders and cheaper players. Then consider selling their first round pick or trading down to save money. The Blazers are an option since they have two 2nd rounders.

If they get creative and can keep the Big Four along with retaining a key rotation guy or two then I can see them building a dynasty — but dynasties don’t come cheap.

 If the Thunder amnesty Perkins in a year, they may be able to afford both Harden and Ibaka if they fill the rest of the roster with guys on rookie contracts and vet’s minimums.  They will have almost not financial flexibility, but I think any roster with a core of Westbrook, Harden, Durant, and Ibaka will be dangerous.  Plus, other players who want to win will want to play for them.  Lucky for them, they do have no bad contracts other than Perkins, whose isn’t bad given the amnesty provision, so if they commit to it and Harden and Ibaka want to stay, they could MAYBE do it.  They only have 5 players under contract for the 2013-2014 season, Perkins, Durant, Westbrook, and the reasonably priced Nick Collison and Thabo Sefolosha.  

Of course, their is no guarantee that Harden and Ibaka would return, and they would have trouble filling out the rest of their roster if they kept both.  I think keeping Ibaka is basically a must, so if they have to, they could let Harden walk, but I think they will try to keep him for as long as possible without losing Durant, Westbrook, or Ibaka.

Ibaka is big enough to play center anyway if it comes down to it. I hate to see Perkins go, but lets keep Ibaka and Harden in OKC for a long long time. And Westbrook did take less than he could have so maybe that will wear off on Ibaka and Harden. Take a few million less and be the top team in the league for the next 10 years? Seems like a good idea to me

Their best lineup against teams like San Antonio and most teams is going small with Westbrook, Harden, Durant, and Ibaka plus one more guard which should be Eric Maynor, but he’s out, so it was royal Ivey before D-Fish came to town, Perkins is a very valuable piece to their championship run, however keeping Ibaka and Harden is a must, so unfortunatly I believe Perkins will be with OKC next season because any Harden or Ibaka extensions would not begin until the 2013-2014 season.

to me, Cole Aldrich’s development could just make this decision a bit easier. i know the guy hasnt shown us much the past two years, but he hasnt really been given the oppurtunity to do so. at the very least, in the same regard Byron Mullens didnt while wearing a Thunder uniform. Cole developing quietly and getting better at practice in his specialty which is the same as Perkins just might sway the Thunder on choosing to amnesty perkins to keep more of their higher profiled players.

the biggest thing to me that Perkins brings to the table apart from his defensive abilities is his championship experience. if they end up do winning the championship this year, then the other main guys would have attained the level and knowledge of knowing what it takes to win an NBA championship.

 I wouldn’t mind that move in all honesty. I’ve been saying for years that the Thunder should try running Durant at PF in the same mold that the Mavs run Dirk. He would still cause a lot of mismatches, and would force other teams to play OKC basketball. 

If Ibaka can become a better defender who shuts his man down, then this move would be ideal. The Thunder already have Aldrich who was a lottery pick to take over for Perk, and if he or Tibor pans out then they won’t have to worry about loosing Perk.

Choice is easy: amnesty Perkins. He’s garbage. Still don’t know why many people overrate him.

 "He’s garbage. Still don’t know why many people overrate him."

Ask Andrew Bynum and Tim Duncan how they feel about Big Perk. Most centers in this league can’t score, but atleast Perkins adds toughness and great man defense. Dude completely disrupts people

Any veteran center that is not a complete fraud will cost them at least $5 or $6 a year so the difference might only be $4 million
a year. If they just downsized some rotation guys and traded down in the draft they could make up the difference.

I wouldn’t want to trade him to a contender either. He is a tough center who can play defense.

I think that the most replaceable guys on the team are Collison, Cook, and Maynor. Those contracts add up.

The best part about the Thunder is their versatility. Perk can only play the 5 but Ibaka can play either inside spot. Durant
is a big 3 who can shoot from deep but also play the stretch four when they go small. Harden can play either wing position
and can also handle, pass, and run the offense. Thabo only plays the 2 really, but so can guard point guards and 3’s. Westbrook can
play shooting guard when they go small. So the Thunder can play a short rotation. They could get Draymond Green to play both forward spots,
rebound, pass, and facilitate the offense. He also has some range on his jumper. So there is your 7 man rotation.

When they win the ring this year something tells me the players will find a way to get the contracts settled and stay together.  I get that kinda vibe from this squad.  Besides Ibaka is not a max player so that’s not gonna happen.  I can however see Harden getting a max offer but he’ll take less to stay.  They will buckle down and just win baby win!