Oklahoma City Thunder

Veteran guard Kemba Walker is reportedly receiving a buyout from the Oklahoma City Thunder and plans to sign with the New York Knicks.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Thunder bought out the final two years and $74 million on Walker's contract, and his deal with New York will become official after he clears waivers.

The Thunder acquired Walker in a trade with the Boston Celtics in June. OKC received Walker, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft and a 2025 second-round pick in exchange for bigs Al Horford and Moses Brown, as well as a 2023 second-round pick.

---

Per Bleacher Report's Jake Fischer, the Knicks plan to offer the Bronx, New York, native a contract that will pay him around $8 million annually.

Walker, 31, signed a four-year, $140.8 million contract with the Celtics in 2019 as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Charlotte Hornets that brought guard Terry Rozier to Charlotte.

Rozier averaged a career-high 20.4 points per game last season while Walker struggled to stay healthy.

Walker made the All-Star team in each of his final three seasons with the Hornets and in his first season in Boston. After averaging a career-high 25.6 points per game in his final season in Charlotte, however, his scoring average dipped to 20.4 points per game in 2019-20.

Still, that season was successful for Walker and the Celtics as they reached the Eastern Conference Finals before falling to the Miami Heat.

Walker's 2020-21 season got off to a late start after he received a stem cell injection in his knee, and he only appeared in 43 games.

He posted his lowest scoring output since the 2014-15 season with 19.3 points per game to go along with 4.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 three-pointers made and 1.1 steals. He also shot 42.0 percent from the field and 36.0 percent from beyond the arc.

The playoffs were especially difficult for Walker, who averaged just 12.7 points per game and shot 31.7 percent from the floor in three games during Boston's first-round loss to the Brooklyn Nets.

While Walker is coming off a poor season by his standards, a bounce-back in New York is possible under the tutelage of head coach Tom Thibodeau, who got the Knicks back to the playoffs last season for the first time since 2013.

He will join a veteran-laden backcourt that reportedly includes Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks, plus he can aid in the development of Immanuel Quickley.

Walker also may not face as much pressure in New York as in Boston and Charlotte, given that he won't be counted on as the No. 1 scoring option since Julius Randle and RJ Barrett remain.

Last season notwithstanding, the Knicks are getting a proven offensive threat with career averages of 19.9 points, 5.4 assists, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 three-pointers made and 1.3 steals per game.

The Knicks entered the offseason with little backcourt depth, but with Walker and Fournier set to join the returning Rose, Burks and Quickley, Thibodeau will have no shortage of options, which solidifies New York's standing as a playoff team.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is both the present and the future franchise player for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

That was made even more clear Monday when ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the guard agreed to a five-year, $172 million maximum rookie contract extension with the Thunder.

ESPN's Bobby Marks provided a breakdown of the deal:

Breakdown of the contract:

2022/23- $29.75M
2023/24- $32.13M
2024/25- $34.51M
2025/26- $36.89M
2026/27- $39.27M https://t.co/4F1qLnlvqW

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 3, 2021

The timing of the deal is particularly notable considering Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman reported before the draft that the Thunder attempted to trade Gilgeous-Alexander and the No. 6 overall pick to the Detroit Pistons for the No. 1 pick and the presumed opportunity to select Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham.

Alas, that did not happen, and Oklahoma City chose Josh Giddey with that No. 6 pick.

It appears as if Gilgeous-Alexander will be with the Thunder for the foreseeable future as he looks to lead the franchise he joined as part of the trade that sent Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Gilgeous-Alexander played just 35 games in 2020-21 due to a tear in his plantar fascia, but he was in the middle of a career season prior to the injury.

He averaged 23.7 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds per game while shooting 50.8 percent from the field and 41.8 percent from three-point range. The improvement in his outside shooting after he shot 34.7 percent the previous season was the most encouraging sign for someone with enough athleticism and quickness to blow past defenders in the half-court or in transition.

The University of Kentucky product is also just 23 years old and figures to anchor the Thunder as they look to write their next chapters in the post-Russell Westbrook era.

If Gilgeous-Alexander builds on what he showed last season and continues to improve throughout the life of this contract extension, Oklahoma City could be in position to win its first playoff series since the 2015-16 campaign at some point with him leading the way.

The Oklahoma City Thunder selected Villanova forward Jeremiah Robinson-Earl with the No. 32 pick of the 2021 NBA draft. 

This pick originally belonged to the New York Knicks, but ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Thunder acquired it in exchange for picks 34 and 36. 

Bleacher Report Draft Expert Jonathan Wasserman's Scouting Report

Player: Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

Position: PF

Height: 6'9"

Pro Comparison: Patrick Patterson

Scouting Report: A fundamentally sound forward, Robinson-Earl could carve out a career with his mid-range shooting, soft hands around the basket, rebounding instincts and basketball IQ.

Thunder Active Roster and Average Salary (Expiration Year)

Kemba Walker, PG: $35.2M (2024)

Josh Giddey, G: $4.84M (2025)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, PG: $4.2M (2022)

Gabriel Deck, F: $3.7M (2024)

Aleksej Pokusevski, PF: $3M (2024)

Darius Bazley, SF: $2.4M (2023)

Tre Mann, PG: $2.35M (2025)

Ty Jerome, PG: $2.3M (2023)

Theo Maledon, PG: $2M (2024)

Kenrich Williams, SF: $2M (2023)

Isaiah Roby, SF: $1.6M (2023)

Luguentz Dort, SG: $1.3M (2023)

Charlie Brown, Jr.: $860K (2022)

Jeremiah Robinson-Earl: (TBD)

                   

Free Agents

Tony Bradley, C: RFA

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk, SG: RFA

Deonte Burton, SF: UFA

Jaylen Hoard, F: RFA

Josh Hall, SF: RFA

A 5-star recruit in 2019, Robinson-Earl broke out in the 2020-21 season with averages of 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. He averaged 18.5 points per game during the Wildcats' four postseason games, including an appearance in the Sweet 16.

The forward provided Villanova with a much-needed interior presence but also showed he could step out and hit a three-pointer when given the opportunity. It helped him bring home the 2020-21 Big East co-Player of the Year award.

Given where the Thunder are at in their current rebuilding effort, Robinson-Earl is a solid addition who could potentially contribute because of his ability to do many things well. 

The Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly "active in trade talks" with an eye toward moving up from the No. 6 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft on Thursday night.

Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported OKC is "engaging with all five teams ahead of them" on the hope of landing either Cade Cunningham, Evan Mobley or Scottie Barnes, three of the class' top prospects.

The Thunder are in a unique spot. They were tied for the NBA's fourth-worst record during the 2020-21 season at 22-50, which ended to a five-year playoff streak, but they have enough pieces to make a quick turnaround.

They acquired Kemba Walker from the Boston Celtics to serve as a veteran leader for a promising young core that includes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Darius Bazley, among others.

So getting one of the draft class' instant-impact players—Cunningham, Mobley and Barnes all qualify—would give OKC a chance to see some real progress in 2021-22.

There's a little drop-off once you get outside the top five, though. Players such as Jonathan Kuminga and James Bouknight still possess ample upside, but what type of role they'll play as rookies is tougher to project.

Oklahoma City does have the assets to make a rock-solid offer to move up. Along with the No. 6 pick, it also owns Nos. 16 and 18 in the first round along with three selections in the second round. So a team inside the top five that's willing to bet on the class' impressive depth could get quite a haul from the Thunder.

General manager Sam Presti explained Tuesday their draft decisions will be driven by finding players who can "thrive in your organization." He told reporters: 

"We always try to move up. If we're 60, we want to be 59. If we're 59, we want to be 58. We're always looking to move and find ways, but I wouldn't say we're doing that blindly. We have to always assess what's the value proposition, what is it that we are willing to do and where are we willing to get to."

Ultimately, the Thunder are in a no-lose situation with six picks in a strong draft. If they stand pat, they'll have a lot of talent that can grow together over the next handful of years. If they use some of those picks to trade up, they'll land another cornerstone to accelerate the rebuild.

Their assets and numerous options on how to handle the situation make them one of the most interesting teams to watch heading into Thursday night.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are on the clock with the No. 6 overall pick, but the team may be busier earlier in the 2021 NBA draft if general manager Sam Presti has his way.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported the Thunder "have been active in conversations looking to potentially move up in the draft." Oklahoma State's Cade Cunningham and USC's Evan Mobley are reported targets, which would require a top-three pick and likely the No. 1 overall selection in Cunningham's case.

Through a series of trades, Oklahoma City has assembled a treasure trove of first-round draft picks. 

One would assume those first-rounders will come in handy when the Thunder want to acquire a proven star once their rebuild is further along. In the meantime, those picks will also provide some flexibility if Presti wants to be aggressive in moving up.

In Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC has a promising young player around which to orient its future. The 23-year-old averaged 23.7 points, 5.9 assists and 4.7 rebounds in 35 games this past season.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bneMy0fAhvY

The Milwaukee Bucks are a bit of an anomaly in that Giannis Antetokounmpo was the 15th overall pick in 2013 and Khris Middleton was a second-rounder. In order to build a title contender from the ground up, one and usually two high lottery picks are required.

By landing Mobley or Cunningham to pair with Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder would have the framework for its next phase. The latter fills the obvious need for a big man in the frontcourt, while the latter could ease the playmaking burden on Gilgeous-Alexander.

Should Oklahoma City stay at No. 6, the franchise will probably land a young talent who can help them in the years ahead but perhaps not somebody who emerges as an All-NBA star.

Two weeks away from the 2021 NBA draft, Florida State forward Scottie Barnes is reportedly moving up team boards.

Per The Ringer's Kevin O'Connor, the Orlando Magic are "high" on Barnes with the No. 5 pick. The Oklahoma City Thunder have a preference of either Barnes or James Bouknight from Connecticut at No. 6.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman moved Barnes up to No. 5 in his big board rankings Thursday, citing a combination of respect for his game from scouts and concern over Jonathan Kuminga's upside.

"There is a sense he's a more capable shooter than the numbers suggest, and though he doesn't possess traditional upside fueled by scoring skills, his playmaking, finishing and defense create a different type of star potential," Wasserman wrote of Barnes.

After the June 22 lottery finalized the draft order, Kuminga was widely regarded as the fifth-best prospect in the class behind the big four (Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs, Jalen Green and Evan Mobley).

O'Connor noted Kuminga, who averaged 15.8 points on 38.7 percent shooting and 7.2 rebounds in 13 starts with the G League Ignite, "has been scarcely mentioned" in NBA circles as a favored option for the Magic or Thunder.

Barnes was a breakout star during his lone season at Florida State in 2020-21. He earned ACC Sixth Man of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors after averaging 10.3 points on 50.3 percent shooting, 4.1 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game in 24 appearances.

If Kuminga does fall further than expected, the Magic could still select him. They also own the eighth overall pick as compensation from the Nikola Vucevic trade with the Chicago Bulls in March.   

The Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder are reportedly all "making overtures" to the Detroit Pistons about the cost of trading for the first overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported Wednesday the talks are at an "early stage," but he noted the Pistons will be "active in exploring the possibility of trading down" heading toward the July 29 event.

Detroit general manager Troy Weaver said he was "ecstatic" about winning the draft lottery last month and explained they hadn't narrowed down the top prospect on their board despite Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham being the presumptive top choice.

"There's about four or five of 'em I felt that way about," Weaver told reporters. "Now we're No. 1, so we get to pick the best one we see fit to move us forward. That's the goal. Whoever we pick, that's the No. 1 goal—to continue to help us restore the Pistons and build this franchise back to where it once was."

He also confirmed a potential trade down would be part of the decision-making process.

"Yes, that's an option," Weaver said.

If the Pistons are intrigued by a handful of prospects atop the class, there's certainly a case to make for trading down and acquiring as many extra assets as possible while they try to rebuild a roster that struggled en route to a 20-52 record this season.

Among the teams linked to a possible deal, the Rockets (No. 2) and Cavs (No. 3) are close behind in the order and would still give Detroit an opportunity to select from the class' mostly consensus top four—USC center Evan Mobley, Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs and G League guard Jalen Green.

The Thunder (No. 6) and Pelicans (No. 10) would likely have to include some young impact players or a large cache of future assets in order to jump all the way to the No. 1 spot. OKC also owns Nos. 16 and 18 in this year's first round.

That said, landing a true franchise cornerstone like Cunningham may be too good to pass up for Detroit in the end. Givony called him the "overwhelming favorite" to end up with the Pistons despite the team's interest in Mobley and Green.

The 6'8", 220-pound guard is an NBA-ready talent who averaged 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 threes and 1.6 steals while shooting 40.0 percent from beyond the arc in his only college season.

It's hard to imagine the Pistons passing on the Oklahoma State standout unless the offer includes another top-five pick in this year's draft and a king's ransom of other assets to seriously jump-start their rebuild.

Another trade involving Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Kemba Walker is reportedly "imminent" after the four-time All-Star was acquired from the Boston Celtics last week.

Kristian Winfield of the New York Daily News reported Wednesday that Walker is expected to have a short stay with OKC, but it's "unclear whether the trade will occur before or after the beginning of the 2021-22 NBA season."

Oklahoma City traded Al Horford, Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick to the Celtics in exchange for Walker, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 draft and a 2025 second-round selection.

Walker missed the start of the 2020-21 season while recovering from treatment on his left knee, and he sat out games throughout the campaign to manage the injury.

Bleacher Report's Farbod Esnaashari reported in early June the Celtics had previously tried to trade the veteran guard for Jrue Holiday, who was instead dealt to the Milwaukee Bucks in November, but there were lingering effects as Walker was "hurt by Boston's efforts to trade him."

So Boston was able to find a deal with OKC that provides them with financial flexibility, and now the Thunder will seemingly try to flip the 2011 first-round pick for someone who better fits their rebuild.

Walker remained productive when healthy this season, averaging 19.3 points, 4.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.1 steals across 43 appearances for the C's during the regular season. He missed the final two games of their first-round playoff elimination by the Brooklyn Nets with lingering knee issues, though.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti didn't tip his hand after the blockbuster deal, saying he could envision the longtime Charlotte Hornets star playing alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the backcourt.

"I don't think anything's gonna change with Shai," Presti said. "Good players learn to play together."

It's not a natural partnership, however. Walker is used to playing with the ball in his hands, a role OKC opened up for the 22-year-old after trading Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder.

The 31-year-old UConn product would be a better fit on a contender at this stage of his career, but a list of potential suitors hasn't emerged yet following his arrival to the Thunder.

The knee issues that plagued Kemba Walker since the second half of the 2019-20 season played a role in the Boston Celtics' decision to trade the four-time All-Star. 

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported on NBA Countdown that the Celtics had "such concerns" about Walker's knee and "how much he would really be available for them and able to play at a really high level" over the next two seasons (starts at :39 mark). 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeiE3NHldqc?start=38

The Celtics announced on Friday they had traded Walker, the No. 16 pick in the 2021 NBA draft and a 2025 second-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a second-round pick in 2023. 

After playing in the 2020 All-Star Game, Walker missed the first five games of the second half with a knee injury. He told reporters that he had to have his knee drained and received an injection to alleviate some of his pain. 

Walker did play all 17 playoff games for the Celtics last season. The 31-year-old told reporters prior to the start of this season that he underwent a stem cell procedure on his ailing knee. 

The Celtics held Walker out for the first 11 games of the 2020-21 season. He wound up playing in 43 of 72 games during the regular season. The Connecticut alum average of 19.3 points per game and field-goal percentage of 42.0 were his worst numbers in those categories since 2014-15. 

Walker sat out Boston's last two games in the first round of the playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets with a bruised left knee. 

The Celtics signed Walker to a four-year, $140.8 million contract in July 2019. He is still owed $36 million next season and has a $37.7 million player option for the 2022-23 season. 

Rather than bet on Walker returning to form, the Celtics brought back Horford after he had three successful seasons with the team from 2016 to 2019. Brown is also more than a throw-in as a 21-year-old center who averaged 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds in 43 appearances with the Thunder last season. 

The NBA's first blockbuster trade of the summer occurred on Friday, with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reporting the Boston Celtics will send Kemba Walker, the No. 16 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft and a 2025 second-rounder to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Al Horford, Moses Brown and a 2023 second-round pick. 

Wojnarowski added the deal will give Boston financial flexibility to potentially make more moves this offseason by getting off of the $73 million still owed to Walker. 

The Thunder figure to be the most prominent team mentioned during the draft on July 29. They now have three first-round picks, including their own still-to-be determined lottery choice and the No. 18 selection from the Miami Heat. 

Per ESPN's Jonathan Wasserman, Oklahoma City could end up with a fourth first-rounder and up to seven total picks in this year's draft:

After Kemba trade, OKC projected to pick at 4, 16, 18, 35, 36, 55, + possibility Thunder steal Rockets pick if it drops to #5

— Jonathan Wasserman (@NBADraftWass) June 18, 2021

Updated Celtics Depth Chart

PG: Marcus Smart, Payton Pritchard, Tremont Waters

SG: Evan Fournier (eligible for unrestricted free agency), Romeo Langford

SF: Jaylen Brown, Aaron Nesmith

PF: Jayson Tatum, Grant Williams, Semi Ojeleye (eligible for unrestricted free agency), Jabari Parker (team option for 2021-22)

C: Al Horford, Tristan Thompson, Robert Williams, Luke Kornet (eligible for unrestricted free agency), Moses Brown

---

Updated Thunder Depth Chart

PG: Kemba Walker, Theo Maledon, Ty Jerome

SG: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Svi Mykhailiuk (eligible for restricted free agency)

SF: Luguentz Dort, Kenrich Williams, Gabriel Deck

PF: Darius Bazley, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jaylen Hoard (eligible for restricted free agency), Josh Hall (eligible for restricted free agency)

C: Isaiah Roby, Tony Bradley (eligible for restricted free agency), Mike Muscala (eligible for free agency)

Rosters via RealGM.com 

---

One of the many offseason storylines for the Celtics was about their relationship with Walker. 

B/R's Farbod Esnaashari reported on June 9 that the two sides wanted to go their separate ways after two seasons together. 

A series of knee problems that began late in the 2019-20 season seemed to impact Walker's performance on the court. He missed the first 11 games this season after undergoing treatment and a stem cell injection in December. 

Walker did average 19.3 points per game in 43 starts this season, but his 42.0 field-goal percentage was his worst since 2014-15. 

The Thunder might not end up being the final stop for Walker this offseason. They are taking a long-term approach to team building, so paying a 31-year-old point guard $36 million in 2021-22 and possibly $37.7 million in 2022-23 if he picks up his player option wouldn't seem to make much sense. 

OKC now have 36 picks in the next 7 drafts.

18 firsts and 18 seconds.

The NBA roster size is 15 players. pic.twitter.com/rDoUFlUHCN

— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 18, 2021

The Celtics did have to sacrifice a first-round pick this year, but B/R's Jonathan Wasserman noted there is a talent drop off after the top of the lottery this year that suggests they won't necessarily miss that selection.

Horford gets to go back to a Boston franchise that he knows well and had great success with from 2016-19. He averaged 13.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.6 per game in 208 starts for the Celtics. The five-time All-Star shot 38.2 percent from three-point range with the team. 

It should also help the Celtics that Horford already has experience playing alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, thus they shouldn't need much time to develop chemistry on the court. 

The acquisition of Brown in the deal could make Tristan Thompson expendable. Brown played well with 8.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game in 43 appearances for the Thunder in 2020-21. His offensive rebound average was slightly higher than Thompson's (3.6 to 3.1). 

Thompson's $9.72 million salary next season isn't small, but it's hardly an impossible-to-move contract. 

There's still work for the Celtics to do in order to make themselves a title contender in the Eastern Conference, but their first move of the offseason has them on the right track.