Oklahoma City Thunder

It's important to have dreams.

When they were examining all of their options and devising ways to strengthen their squad in a major way, the Los Angeles Lakers apparently threw out a surprising name: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Sam Amick of The Athletic reported on The Ringer's Real Ones podcast (via Silver Screen & Roll) the Lakers thought SGA might be attainable if the Oklahoma City Thunder "completely tank." He dismissed the idea as a "dream" for Los Angeles.

"Don’t get too excited. It’s not happening," Amick said. "I wrote something about it a couple of weeks ago and, boy, did I hear about it from the Thunder."

In November, Amick spoke to an NBA front-office executive who said, "You keep hearing that Shai is frustrated with the losing." Because of that, the 24-year-old may not be untouchable in the event the Thunder reset the clock on their rebuild.

Gilgeous-Alexander is only in the first year of the five-year, $179.3 million extension he signed with Oklahoma City, and the team is just 1.5 games out of the final play-in spot in the Western Conference.

Sure, the Thunder could command a king's ransom for the dynamic guard, who's averaging 31.3 points, 6.0 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game, but it's hard to see why they would want to do that.

The notion is even more of a long shot when you add the Lakers to the equation because they don't have the assets to make a straight-up swap. Two first-round picks, Russell Westbrook and whatever else won't get it done for a player with Gilgeous-Alexander's age, production and contract situation.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale included SGA among the group he dismissed as candidates when rumors surfaced the Lakers were targeting an unnamed mystery star:

Consider this your bi-hourly reminder that Gilgeous-Alexander, who currently ranks as one of the seven top MVP candidates, is the Thunder's timeline and shouldn't be up for grabs. It also wouldn't matter if he was, because OKC could get so much more for him than what the Lakers can currently peddle.

Maybe Gilgeous-Alexander will return to L.A. and don purple and gold at some point down the road. But it won't be anytime soon.

The Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City Thunder were each fined $25,000 for violating the league's injury reporting rules:

Thunder guard Josh Giddey was initially ruled out for Tuesday's game against the Orlando Magic with an ankle injury but he was later able to play. He had seven points with 10 assists in a 116-108 win for Oklahoma City.

Brandon Boston Jr. and Moussa Diabaté were also ruled out for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Pelicans due to their G League assignments. They ended up being active and both playing in the game.

Boston and Diabaté each played five minutes in the 112-91 loss.

Both entered the game with the Clippers trailing by 18 points, so their appearances didn't make much of an impact, but the NBA still has strict rules about reporting lineups.

It was the second career NBA game for Diabaté, a second-round draft pick out of Michigan who is playing on a two-way contract. Boston averaged 6.7 points per game as a rookie last year for Los Angeles. He's now seen action in five games this season.

Giddey's impact is a bigger one for the Thunder. The 2021 No. 6 overall draft pick averaged 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game last season and continues to fill up the stat sheet in 2022-23. Through four games, he is averaging 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game.

An ankle injury cost him three games last week, but his return provides the Thunder with a significant boost going forward.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will miss Sunday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves due to a hip contusion, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

The 24-year-old is a budding superstar. He averaged 24.5 points, 5.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds per game last year for a rebuilding Thunder team with a bright future thanks to young talents such as himself, Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren.

Unfortunately, though, injuries have kept the former Kentucky star off the court for large swaths of time over the past two years.

Gilgeous-Alexander, 24, was held to 35 games in 2020-21, and his season ended after suffering a tear in his plantar fascia. Last year, an ankle injury ended his campaign after 56 games.

The five-year NBA veteran was sidelined again this offseason. The Thunder announced on Sept. 21 that he suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain and would miss the beginning of training camp. He was healthy enough to play in the first two games of the season, scoring 32 points against Minnesota in the season opener and 28 against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday.

Without Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder backcourt rotation consists of Giddey, Tre Mann, Theo Maledon and Jalen Williams.

Giddey figures to handle much of the ball-handling and scoring burden, but he could be up to the task after averaging 12.5 points and 6.4 assists last year.

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie center Chet Holmgren saw his first season end before it began after he suffered a Lisfranc injury to his right foot during a pro-am game in Seattle in August.

But Holmgren doesn't regret the decision to play in the contest, despite some criticism of his participation.

"There's freedom of speech and criticism comes along with anything. Basketball players are going to play basketball," Holmgren told reporters. "You have to feed the love of the game. I don't want an injury like this to take away from that."

While it's no doubt a major setback, other NBA stars like Joel Embiid, Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons each missed their rookie seasons and went on to have successful NBA careers.

Still, it's no doubt a disappointment for Thunder fans eager to see how Holmgren would fit in with the team's young core of Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Darius Bazley, Tre Mann and Jalen Williams. They'll have to take a rain check until next season.

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets have agreed to an eight-player trade that notably includes 12-year NBA veteran forward Derrick Favors.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski provided the details.

Wojnarowski also added some context regarding why the deal went down.

"Cap-centric deal for both teams: Thunder gain two trade exceptions and drop about $10M under luxury tax," Wojnarowski wrote.

"Rockets get a second-round pick for taking on $1M in salary. Favors will have value as a backup center, or elsewhere on a trade in marketplace too."

Favors, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2010 NBA draft, averaged 5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 16.7 minutes over 39 games (18 starts) for the Thunder last year.

The Thunder and Rockets are both in similar spots. They were Western Conference contenders for much of the 2010s but have since gone into multiyear rebuilding modes. Both teams have players to build around and a boatload of future draft picks to work with as well.

On the Thunder side, the trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren (who is out this year with a Lisfranc injury) lead the future. For the Rockets, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith Jr., Kevin Porter Jr. and others provide hope for the team.

Outside the core, there is some expected roster churn. Both teams had a lot of players suit up for them last year, with the Thunder totaling 26 and the Rockets totaling 19.

The eight-player trade ultimately is a cap-based move that probably doesn't foreshadow any seismic moves for the team's future. At the very least, though, some players featured in the trade could end up in the back end of rotations.

Of note, Favors could find a home in the Houston frontcourt off the bench. Or the Rockets could simply buy him out of his contract (one year, $10.2 million), allowing Favors to find a contending team at this stage of his career.

For now, the Thunder and Rockets are gearing up for the beginning of the season. OKC opens on the road Oct. 19 versus the Minnesota Timberwolves. Houston visits the Atlanta Hawks on the same day.

The Toronto Raptors are reportedly "closely monitoring" the situation of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in case the Oklahoma City Thunder guard seeks a trade.

Josh Lewenberg of TSN reported the Raptors "will be ready" if Gilgeous-Alexander ever decides he wants to play in his hometown. The Toronto native has also recently spent time playing under Raptors coach Nick Nurse for the Canadian national team, so the two parties have some level of familiarity.

Lewenberg's report noted there has been no indication Gilgeous-Alexander is dissatisfied in Oklahoma City.

"I know what I signed up for when I signed a five-year extension," Gilgeous-Alexander told Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic. "I don't think we're gonna be losing for much longer, so it's not like I signed up to lose or anything. I believe in this team. Believe in the players we have on this team, and I think we're headed in the right direction and we'll be where we wanna be soon."

Gilgeous-Alexander is in the first year of a five-year, $179.3 million contract he signed in August 2021. The deal carries no options and has a 15 percent trade kicker, so there was a true commitment from both parties when the contract was signed.

The Thunder were hoping for a marked improvement in 2022-23 after taking Chet Holmgren with the No. 2 pick in June's draft, but the Gonzaga product will miss the entire season after suffering a foot injury while playing in a Seattle pro-am game.

Gilgeous-Alexander is expected to miss much, if not all, of the preseason while recovering from a knee injury. His status for the beginning of the regular season remains unclear.

It's likely the Thunder will remain one of the worst in the NBA for the third straight season. Oklahoma City went 46-108 over the last two seasons, finishing 14th in the Western Conference in each of those campaigns.

The Raptors, meanwhile, have managed to stay competitive despite undergoing their own full-scale roster overhaul. Toronto finished 48-34 in 2021-22 and appears to have found a gem in Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes, who already ranks ahead of any teammate Gilgeous-Alexander has in OKC.

The Oklahoma City Thunder have gone 46-108 over the past two years amid a multiyear rebuilding process, but guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is confident that the losing will not last much longer in OKC.

Gilgeous-Alexander made the remarks in a Monday interview with Andrew Schlecht of The Athletic.

The 24-year-old certainly has the capability to lead OKC out of the league basement someday. The rising star averaged 24.5 points, 5.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game last year.

Gilgeous-Alexander is in Oklahoma City for the long haul after he signed a five-year, $173 million extension in 2021.

General manager Sam Presti is building a solid core around him that includes second-year guard Josh Giddey and rookie big man Chet Holmgren, who will miss this season with a Lisfranc injury. The Thunder also have a hoard of draft picks for the remainder of the decade to continue their rebuild.

In the present, though, the Thunder will most likely continue to take their lumps, especially with Holmgren out. Last year's team went 24-58 and finished second-to-last in the Western Conference. The Thunder did suffer a litany of injuries, to the point where no player suited up 70 or more times. Twenty-six players also took the court for the team.

Better health and a more consistent rotation should go a long way toward some improvement for now, but all eyes will be on 2023 when the Thunder should have another lottery pick and Holmgren makes his long-awaited debut.

That could be the year OKC starts making its turnaround and starts winning more ballgames. If that's the case, then Gilgeous-Alexander's prediction will be on the money.

Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to miss the start of training camp.

The team announced Wednesday that Gilgeous-Alexander suffered a Grade 2 MCL sprain in his left knee.

Injuries have already caused the Thunder problems. Chet Holmgren, the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA draft, will miss the entire season due to a Lisfranc injury suffered during a pro-am game in August.

The 24-year-old missed 26 games in 2021-22 while dealing with an ankle injury. He still had a productive year, though, averaging career highs of 24.5 points and 5.9 assists to go with 5.0 rebounds per game.

The 11th overall pick in 2018, Gilgeous-Alexander was selected by the Charlotte Hornets and traded to the Los Angeles Clippers on the night of the draft.

After a nondescript rookie season, he was shipped to Oklahoma City as part of the deal that allowed to the Clippers to acquire Paul George.

Since joining the Thunder, Gilgeous-Alexander's career has blossomed. He's improved his scoring average in each of his three years in Oklahoma City. The team signed him to a five-year max extension worth as much as $207 million prior to last season.

However, injuries are starting to become a theme for the Canadian, as this is now the third straight year he's been hobbled. He was limited to 35 games in 2020-21 after suffering a tear in his plantar fascia.

Teams start reporting to training camp next week. The Thunder open the regular season on Oct. 19 against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Oklahoma City Thunder rookie Chet Holmgren had successful surgery on his Lisfranc injury on Tuesday.

The Thunder announced Dr. David Porter at Forté Sports Medicine and Orthopedics performed the procedure.

General manager Sam Presti announced last week that Holmgren would miss the entire 2022-23 season after suffering the injury during a pro-am game in Seattle.

Losing Holmgren is a big blow for a Thunder organization that was hoping to make strides in its rebuilding project this season.

A consensus second-team All-American selection as a freshman at Gonzaga, Holmgren was the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft. He averaged 14.0 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.8 blocks per game in five appearances during summer league.

Oklahoma City made a concerted effort to put Holmgren and Josh Giddey on the court together in summer league. The decision paid off, as both players looked comfortable with each other from the jump.

Holmgren suffered the injury while trying to stop LeBron James from driving to the basket for a layup. He hobbled back up the court before stopping to grab at his lower leg.

The loss of Holmgren is a setback for the Thunder, but they do have a solid foundation in place to take steps forward in 2022-23. Giddey showed promise with 12.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game in 54 starts as a rookie.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has All-Star potential if he can stay healthy. The 24-year-old averaged a career-high 24.5 points and tied his career high with 5.9 assists per contest in 56 starts during the 2021-22 campaign.

Oklahoma City has gone 46-108 in two seasons with Mark Daigneault as head coach. If Gilgeous-Alexander, Giddey and Luguentz Dort continue to progress this season, Holmgren's return in 2023-24 could have the Thunder in the mix for a playoff spot.