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If I were OKC, I would sit down with Westbrook and his agent and sell him on staying with the franchise and building the team around him.
Focus on all of the young talent that they still have:
Oladipo (24 years old)
Kanter (24 years old)
Steven Adams (22 years old)
Sabonis (20 years old)
Cameron Payne (21 years old)
The cupboard isn't bare; the team is young but there is talent there. I would try to sell Westbrook on this and see if they can get him to agree to a max deal ala what Mike Conley did (5yr/$153 million). Give him a couple of weeks to think about it.
If Westbrook refuses to sign a contract extension, then I quietly try to talk a trade with a team that has a lot of young talent, like Boston. I would try to get something like this:
Boston gets:
Westbrook
OKC gets:
Terry Rozier
Marcus Smart
Jaylen Brown
draft picks that OKC gets:
Boston's 2017 1st round pick (the pick from Brooklyn)
Boston's 2018 1st round pick (the pick from Brooklyn)
*another future 1st rounder from Boston (must be top 6 pick)
It is a crazy and I know the idea is that you don't trade a player like Westbrook but you can't let him walk next offseason for nothing. The above scenario gives OKC 3 former 1st rounders (Rozier, Smart, Brown) and 3 future 1st round draft picks to rebuild with.
If I were OKC, I would sit down with Westbrook and his agent and sell him on staying with the franchise and building the team around him.
Focus on all of the young talent that they still have:
Oladipo (24 years old)
Kanter (24 years old)
Steven Adams (20 years old)
Sabonis (22 years old)
Cameron Payne (21 years old)
The cupboard isn't bare; the team is young but there is talent there. I would try to sell Westbrook on this and see if they can get him to agree to a max deal ala what Mike Conley did (5yr/$153 million). Give him a couple of weeks to think about it.
If Westbrook refuses to sign a contract extension, then I quietly try to talk a trade with a team that has a lot of young talent, like Boston. I would try to get something like this:
Boston gets:
Westbrook
OKC gets:
Terry Rozier
Marcus Smart
Jaylen Brown
draft picks that OKC gets:
Boston's 2017 1st round pick (the pick from Brooklyn)
Boston's 2018 1st round pick (the pick from Brooklyn)
*another future 1st rounder from Boston (must be top 6 pick)
It is a crazy and I know the idea is that you don't trade a player like Westbrook but you can't let him walk next offseason for nothing. The above scenario gives OKC 3 former 1st rounders (Rozier, Smart, Brown) and 3 future 1st round draft picks to rebuild with.
Yeah, you trade him somewhere for a ton of future draft picks and then hope it all blows up and the picks turn into good stuff.
I can't believe OKC will lose Durant and Westbrook with nothing to show for them, so I anticipate a trade at some point before he hits the open market.
I don't think Westbrook wants to watch Durant (and other stars) win NOW while he goes through a 2-3 year rebuilt that may never materialize. Players want to win now and if they means "colluding" so be it.
Maybe because of the fans? Laker fans are a weird bunch.
Taxes. They're ridiculously high in commiefornia and cost of living is high. Cost of living is low in OK. It all adds up, even for the mega rich. Maybe except for the mega rich hollyweird types who make in a single movie what Westbrook makes in a season and they have no worries that an injury would end their career.
Personally I would like to see some contraction and realignment of the league. Why are teams like Memphis, OKC and Minnesota in the west?
All California haters always talk about our taxes, believe me, when you are making millions upon millions, they are not going to mind living in paradise. When you live in a mansion hosting a party while overlooking the ocean in perfect weather. Do you think they think about their taxes??
Only at tax time, they will say that is the price for living where I live. I have been to Oklahoma a few times on business, I personally would easily rather live in California and pay higher taxes than live in OK.
All California haters always talk about our taxes, believe me, when you are making millions upon millions, they are not going to mind living in paradise. When you live in a mansion hosting a party while overlooking the ocean in perfect weather. Do you think they think about their taxes??
Only at tax time, they will say that is the price for living where I live. I have been to Oklahoma a few times on business, I personally would easily rather live in California and pay higher taxes than live in OK.
Secondary residence in California, Primary in another state.
You can easily enjoy the benefits of California without paying the tax bill.
Good luck with that!! He will sign elsewhere after next season if he isn't traded first. And here is the first trade scenario.
The Lakers give up D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle to send Westbrook home. That is better than nothing if they let him go FA.
Okc will want more than that....more like Ingram, Randle, and Russell OR Ingram, Clarkson, and Russell.
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