<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-trade-proposal-for-lebron-james-adds-four-time-champion-to-finals-winners');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder trade proposal for LeBron James adds four-time champion to Finals winners');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/756655705-thunder-trade-proposal-for-lebron-james-adds-four-time-champion-to-finals-winners.jpg"></figure><h1>Thunder trade proposal for LeBron James adds four-time champion to Finals winners</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T14:35:11-07:00">June 30th, 2:35pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T14:35:11-07:00">June 30th, 2:35pm</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Oklahoma City Thunder just <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-son-nba-title">won the NBA Finals.</a> The team has the deepest roster in the NBA, but the rich could get richer this offseason. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/ranking-best-lebron-james-trade-destinations-rich-paul-bombshell-lakers-quotes">LeBron James might be a trade candidate this offseason</a>, and the Thunder will have the firepower to outbid every other team in the league for his services if they so choose. So what would a trade package for James look like for the Thunder?</p><h2><b>Thunder potential trade package for LeBron James</b></h2><p><b>Thunder receive:</b> LeBron James, Bronny James</p><p><b>Lakers receive:</b> Isaiah Hartenstein, Aaron Wiggins, Kenrich Williams, 2026 first-round pick, 2026 first-round pick (via 76ers)</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-ends-nikola-jokic-fourth-mvp-award">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander just won the MVP,</a> and Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren staked their claims as superstars while helping the Thunder to a title.</p><p>Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace, and Lu Dort are defensive stars. Nikola Topic, Ousmane Dieng, and Thomas Sorber are recent high draft picks with tons of potential; and Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Kenrich Williams are reliable role players. The team was predominately built through the draft, but they also have <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-big-splash-isaiah-hartenstein-87-million-contract">Isaiah Hartenstein as their big-ticket free agent</a> from last offseason.</p><p>Hartenstein, Wiggins, and Williams could be used alongside draft capital in a trade for James. The Lakers desperately need a center, and there is perhaps no big man that they could get their hands on who is better than Hartenstein. Additionally, the Thunder have tons of future draft picks that they could dangle in front of the pick-deprived Lakers team.</p><p>In fact, the Thunder might have too many picks, so they’d be smart to consolidate. Oklahoma City has a full roster of players who are either under long-term contracts or who the Thunder want to extend in the near future. They already had to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-okc-trade-champion-guard-wizards">move on from Dillon Jones</a> to create roster space, and Jones was a first-rounder just last year.</p><p>Oklahoma City has three first-round picks next year alone, and they could throw in two of them to complete a deal for James. The King would be a luxury not a necessity in Oklahoma City as they already won the championship without him, but his experience could help turn the program into a dynasty.</p><p>James is one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/updating-ranking-the-50-greatest-players-nba">best NBA players ever</a> and already has 10 NBA Finals appearances to his name. The Thunder, obviously, would also offer James a better chance to win one more ring than any other team in the league.</p><p>James is already 40 years old, and next season will be his 23rd season in the NBA. Nobody has ever played more than he has at the NBA level, so it would be smart to take some of the weight off of his shoulders before his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-overheard-revealing-wife-wants-retire">inevitable retirement</a>. The Thunder often go 11 or 12 players deep, so they could afford to give James the rest that he deserves.</p><p>The Thunder have built their roster the right way, and they don’t need to make an all-in trade. However, James’ age means that it won’t cost an arm and a leg to acquire him, and the Thunder have assets to spare. If they want to trade for the Chosen One, then they will be fully capable of doing so.</p><h2><b>Will the Lakers trade LeBron James?</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Thunder-All-Star-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander_5f8f73.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Trade rumors involving James were started after he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-52-6-million-contract-decision">opted into his $52.6 million player option</a>. After signing the paperwork to avoid free agency, James’ agent, Rich Paul, <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1939343388660146673" rel="noopener">hinted that</a> James might not be happy with the state of the Lakers roster.</p><p>Paul said, “He [James] knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”</p><p>The Lakers have a great duo that was created when <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-trade-grade-luka-doncic-deal">Luka Doncic was traded for</a> in arguably the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/the-most-shocking-nba-trades-ever-ranked">most shocking trade in NBA history.</a> However, their recent first-round exit proved that they might not be true contenders.</p><p>It is unclear if James’ agent spoke up because James would actually welcome a trade or if Paul wanted to put pressure on the Lakers to make moves. The latter of those ideas might be more likely to be true, which means James could very well be suiting up in purple and gold again next season.</p><p>Even so, a trade offer from the Thunder could be hard to pass up on. James only has so much more time in the league left, and the Lakers clearly had the future in mind when they traded for Doncic. The Thunder can offer the Lakers more than any other team in a James deal, and that includes both play-now players and future draft capital.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder trade proposal for LeBron James adds four-time champion to Finals winners

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-sam-presti-reveals-offseason-plan-2025-nba-finals-victory');   ga('set', 'title', 'Sam Presti reveals Thunder’s offseason plan after 2025 NBA Finals victory');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-GM-Sam-Presti_95d190.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Sam Presti reveals Thunder’s offseason plan after 2025 NBA Finals victory</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T11:37:31-07:00">June 30th, 11:37am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T11:37:31-07:00">June 30th, 11:37am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder GM Sam Presti addressed the media following his team’s championship victory, the first in franchise history, on Monday. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jalen-williams-wrist-injury-surgery-nba-title">Presti revealed Jalen Williams will undergo wrist surgery</a> among other things, such as the Thunder’s offseason direction as Oklahoma City will look to defend its first title in 2025-26. For Presti, there’s a formula the front office sticks to.</p><p>Speaking before a packed room of reporters, one asked if Presti <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1939711657539949008" rel="noopener">takes pride in seeing his vision</a> translate into a championship run with room to grow into a potential dynasty led by a pair of All-Stars, MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Williams, and Chet Holmgren.</p><p>“I don’t know if pride is the right way. To me, that’s a little judgmental of the other ways you can do it,” Presi said. “To me, there’s kind of three ways in the league; you can assemble teams, you can inherit/modify a team, or you can build a team. So, I think there are three kind of modes; build, modify, assemble. How you do that or the way in which you do that, I think, is very contextual. For us, building is probably our best path here.”</p><p>To keep the Thunder competitive, Presti know he has to think three steps ahead as defending champions.</p><p>“Because of that, we don’t have a lot of time to determine which way we should go. The paradox of choice is not really in our vantage point,” Presti added. “So, I think that helps us. We kind of know what our circle of confidence is and we try to really lean into that. But I think the way the guys have expressed that kind of in their play, the philosophies of the organization, and that’s been a really special thing.</p><p>“And Mark being able to bring that to the court itself was really unique, and that’s one of the reasons why I love working with him,” Presti concluded.</p><p>It’ll be interesting to see the Thunder offseason unfold.</p><h2><b>Sam Presti on Jalen Williams’ wrist injury before Thunder playoffs</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-All-Star-Jalen-Williams_b4eb14.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>After All-Star <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-applauds-front-office-nba-title">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander thanked Thunder GM Sam Presti</a> for the opportunity to compete for an NBA title, Presti commended Jalen Williams for playing through injury en route to a championship. Presti announced Williams will go under the knife, and that it was an injury Williams suffered during the regular season.</p><p>“Jalen Williams, Dub, is going to have surgery on that wrist” Presti said. “I want to just acknowledge for a second how impressed I am with him. The injury took place before the playoffs began.”</p><p>Williams scored 40 points in Game 5 of the NBA Finals before helping the Thunder secure Game 7 against the Pacers.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Sam Presti reveals Thunder’s offseason plan after 2025 NBA Finals victory

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jalen-williams-wrist-injury-surgery-nba-title');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder star Jalen Williams hit with wrist surgery revelation after winning NBA title');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-star-Jalen-Williams-celebrating-during-championship-parade.jpg"><figcaption> Brett Rojo-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder star Jalen Williams hit with wrist surgery revelation after winning NBA title</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T09:09:30-07:00">June 30th, 9:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T15:37:54-07:00">June 30th, 3:37pm</time><address><a>Jason Patt</a>Jason Patt started as an editor at ClutchPoints in 2018 and became the Editorial Director in 2022. He also co-hosts Cash Considerations: A Chicago Bulls Podcast for the Blue Wire Network.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams needs right wrist surgery after <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/thunder-news-what-moved-jalen-williams-tears-final-buzzer-sounded-game-7">winning the NBA title</a>, general manager Sam Presti <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUCEvVvElI4" rel="noopener">announced at his end-of-season availability</a> right before free agency.</p><p>“Jalen Williams, Dub, is going to have surgery on that wrist” Presti said. “I want to just acknowledge for a second how impressed I am with him. The injury took place before the playoffs began. Against Phoenix, we had a back-to-back, I can’t remember. It may have been Lakers, Phoenix. It occurred during that game.”</p><p>The back-to-back Presti is referring to happened on April 8 and April 9 against the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns. OKC played two more regular-season games to end the year after that with Williams sitting out both of them with the No. 1 seed locked up. The young Thunder star didn’t miss a game in the playoffs due to the injury and apparently “forgot” it happened.</p><p>Williams posted on X, formerly Twitter, <a href="https://x.com/jdubwttp/status/1939713739076293107" rel="noopener">about the surgery news</a>: “Oh yea I forgot about that lol…”</p><p>Presti went into more detail about the injury, noting it’s “just a ligament tear” and expressing confidence in a return in time for the start of the 2025-26 season.</p><p>“We knew he would need surgery at the end of the season, and he played the two months with this injury,” Presti said about Jalen Williams playing through the injury. “It’s just a ligament tear. It’s not an injury he’ll have any problem recovering from. It’s pretty common.</p><p>“The part that I am most impressed with is in our modern era, when someone has a poor performance, or they’re not playing to their capability, you often see little birdies make sure that everybody knows the player is not 100 percent. That never happened with this guy. Not one time. He powered through and showed incredible mental endurance and security in himself.</p><p>“And I’ve said this many times: The best players are secure players. I really thought it was pretty impressive that he just kept moving along with no excuses. Obviously, he played some of his best basketball down the stretch of the season. He should be available for the start of the regular season.”</p><p>Jalen Williams did have his share of shooting struggles in the playoffs. While that could potentially be attributed to the wrist issue, as Presti noted, we never heard about it being a problem.</p><p>Williams also had a number of monster games to help lead OKC to the championship. That includes a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jalen-williams-kevin-durant-nba-finals-game-5">40-point outing in a crucial Game 5 win</a> that put the Thunder up 3-2 in the NBA Finals over the Indiana Pacers.</p><p>J-Dub finished the playoffs averaging 21.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists while shooting 44.9% from the field and 30.4% from 3-point range. The 24-year-old is in line to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jalen-williams-chet-holmgren-line-247-million-contract-extensions">get a huge contract extension</a> and shut down any possible trade speculation with his strong two-way play on the way to his first championship.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder star Jalen Williams hit with wrist surgery revelation after winning NBA title

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-alex-caruso-opens-up-full-circle-moment');   ga('set', 'title', 'Alex Caruso opens up on his ‘full-circle moment’ with Thunder');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-news-Alex-Caruso-opens-up-on-full-circle-moment-with-OKC.jpg"></figure><h1>Alex Caruso opens up on his ‘full-circle moment’ with Thunder</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-30T00:07:36-07:00">June 30th, 12:07am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T00:45:20-07:00">June 30th, 12:45am</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>OKLAHOMA CITY — Upon arriving in Oklahoma City for his first season with the Thunder, Alex Caruso noticed new buildings surrounding familiar roads on the outskirts of downtown. These roads led Alex to his first NBA contract nine years ago while playing for head coach Mark Daigneault in the G League. After earning his second NBA championship, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-alex-caruso-blunt-differentiating-lakers-title">Caruso says winning with the Thunder feels different</a> from winning with the Los Angeles Lakers.</p><p>His lone season with the Oklahoma City Blue — the Thunder’s G League affiliate — still resonates with the 31-year-old veteran. After a summer league appearance with the Philadelphia 76ers, Caruso, an undrafted rookie, was waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder and joined the Blue in 2016. It was his first campaign with the coach who would eventually guide him to his second NBA title, Daigneault, who was in his third season in the G League.</p><p>“I don’t lose those memories of when I was on the Blue. We’d get home at 1 AM from a connecting flight,” Caruso tells ClutchPoints. “I gotta drive 30 minutes to Edmond to the practice facility and drive home, and show up to work the next day. All those things aren’t forgotten, and I think the full-circle moment is, honestly, insane, and I probably won’t be able to appreciate it for some time. But I’m definitely aware of how rare that is, and how cool that is.”</p><p>Having Mark Daigneault, who made waves of his own in the NBA after leading the Thunder to 57 wins, a divisional title, and earning Coach of the Year in 2024, by his side makes the Thunder’s 2025 championship victory all the more fitting for Caruso. Led by his former G League coach, Daigneault, Caruso played a significant role in <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1937001988044279898/" rel="noopener">their first title</a> in franchise history.</p><p>“It’s super cool just to be able to share this with him,” Caruso said after Game 7 against the Indiana Pacers.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">From the G League to THE TOP OF THE NBA WORLD 🏆</p><p>Caruso &amp; Mark Daigneault have seen it all together 🤝 <a href="https://t.co/TLzZOW8gYD">pic.twitter.com/TLzZOW8gYD</a></p><p>— NBA (@NBA) <a href="https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1937001988044279898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 23, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Caruso admits he wasn’t the most coachable player, coming in as a frustrated undrafted guard eager to prove himself. Reflecting on his journey, which began with Mark Daigneault, continued with a championship run with the Lakers and a stint with the Bulls, and culminated in a reunion with Mark eight years later to become champions in Oklahoma City, is truly unique.</p><p>“It was pretty surreal through the year. Just driving by places in the city that I remember driving by, getting here for the first time. Different places in Edmond,” Caruso said. “The exit to go to the practice facility, driving through downtown, and seeing new buildings that weren’t there the first time I was here.”</p><p>Caruso won his first championship with the Lakers in 2020. After joining the Lakers’ summer league team in 2017, Alex signed a two-way contract and later agreed to a two-year, $5.5 million deal in 2019. He also earned All-Defensive First Team honors in 2023 after signing a four-year, $37 million contract with the Chicago Bulls in 2021.</p><p>Then, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/mark-daigneault-honest-review-josh-giddey-alex-caruso-trade-months-later">Bulls traded Caruso to the Thunder for Josh Giddey</a>, strengthening the Thunder’s backcourt defense alongside guards Lu Dort and Cason Wallace, while adding another three-point shooting threat to the offense.</p><p>“Adjusting to the team, for me, was relatively easy. Once I got here, I just started building those relationships with the guys, and I think I’m pretty un-serious off the court as well,” Caruso said. “I probably don’t show it as much as they do, but that part I fit in pretty well. On the court, I think, made it easier because we realized everybody was focused on the same thing. I and it was really competitive. It was pretty seamless once I got here after a month or two.”</p><h2><b>Alex Caruso differentiates roles between Thunder, Lakers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-guard-Alex-Caruso-Lakers-LeBron-James.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Thunder guard <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-alex-caruso-blunt-differentiating-lakers-title">Alex Caruso took on a veteran’s role</a> with the Thunder, which was one of the many differences between his most recent championship and his ring with the 2020 Lakers. One decade into his career, and all of a sudden, Caruso’s the oldest guy on the second-youngest team to win an NBA title.</p><p>None of his teammates had ever seen beyond the second round of the playoffs. Caruso admitted that his experience stood out, especially for a young Thunder team that battled through a Game 7 against MVP finalist Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. And an unforgettable NBA Finals against the Pacers, which also went the distance, ending in a 103-91 Game 7 victory for Mark Daigneault and the champion Thunder.</p><p>“The biggest difference between those two championships, for me, is probably just where I’m at in my career,” Caruso said. “I think the first one, I was surrounded by Hall of Fame players with pedigree, and I was learning, you know? I was trying to figure it out. I think this time — around five, six years later — I knew the answers to the test. So, I was trying to give those out. Help the other guys. Be there for the first time.</p><p>“And I think there are some similarities, where I picked it up, and ran with it in 2020. And I think guys who hadn’t been there, this time around, did the same, for Oklahoma,” Caruso concluded.</p><h2><b>Alex Caruso, Mark Daigneault deeply rooted in the G League’s Blue</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-guard-Alex-Caruso_124b19.jpg"><figcaption>Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Although Alex Caruso hasn’t spent his entire NBA career in Oklahoma City like Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault, he feels he has deep roots embedded in the city’s fabric, where his improbable journey began, just like many of his veteran teammates. Thunder players such as Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Jaylin Williams, as well as Caruso’s NBA path, started in Oklahoma City’s G League.</p><p>Daigneault can attest to the process of developing scrappy underdogs, as he rose from assistant to head coach of the Thunder in 2020. Similarly, his young prospects, including Caruso, Dort, Wiggins, and Williams, also blossomed into NBA talents. Caruso says it’s the from-the-bottom, overachieving underdog approach of Oklahoma City’s culture that stands out in contrast to his championship run with the Lakers in the Big City of Angels.</p><p>“I think what makes the city, the fanbase, the team so special is just from the roots, you know? That Lakers team was more or less picked from who we wanted to take; signed a bunch of veterans that are, like I said, gonna be in the Hall of Fame or, at least, had won championships before,” Caruso told ClutchPoints. “This one was second-round draft picks, a handful of undrafted, traded guys, a couple of free agents, and it was pieced together a little more meticulously.</p><p>“And I think a lot of the guys on this team are just starting the beginning of great careers, whereas the other guys were on the end run,” Caruso concluded.</p><p>It’s just the beginning of a promising championship window for Caruso and the young defending champion Thunder.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Alex Caruso opens up on his ‘full-circle moment’ with Thunder

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jaylin-williams-reacts-24-million-contract-gif-himself');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Jaylin Williams reacts to $24 million contract with GIF of himself');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-center-Jaylin-Williams_618b00.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Jaylin Williams reacts to $24 million contract with GIF of himself</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T15:14:57-07:00">June 29th, 3:14pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-30T14:01:07-07:00">June 30th, 2:01pm</time><address><a>Josue Pavon</a>Josue Pavon is an Associate Editor and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat writer for ClutchPoints. He started his career as a credentialed media member writing about the Boston Celtics for WEEI.com in Boston, where he grew into a local on-camera NBA reporter and podcast host for CLNS Media. Alongside the Celtics radio broadcaster and two-time NBA champion Cedric Maxwell, Josue is the co-host of the Cedric Maxwell podcast.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Center Jaylin Williams and the Oklahoma City Thunder reportedly agreed to a $24 million contract extension. In his third season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jaylin-williams-immediate-reaction-career-night-76ers">Williams recorded three triple-doubles for the Thunder</a>.</p><p>He’s also carved out a unique role as a two-way third-string center with a strong voice and leadership presence in the locker room. Filling in for injured starting forward Chet Holmgren, who missed 50 regular-season games, or Isaiah Hartenstein, Jaylin made his presence felt.</p><p>After becoming an NBA champion, Williams secured <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939334136025481596" rel="noopener">a three-year deal</a> to remain with the Thunder, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.</p><p>“Thunder C/F Jaylin Williams is signing a new three-year, $24 million contract extension with the franchise,” Charania reported. “Thunder declined Williams’ $2.1M team option and negotiated the new raise with his agents Marcus Monk and Sean Kennedy of Excel Sports.”</p><p>Then, Williams reacted to the news about himself with a GIF of himself on his X, formerly Twitter.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/c7OtvqvFQg">https://t.co/c7OtvqvFQg</a> <a href="https://t.co/jKnxR3TW6R">pic.twitter.com/jKnxR3TW6R</a></p><p>— Jaylin Williams (@Jay_MWilliams_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Jay_MWilliams_/status/1939341928840970548?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>The GIF is from one of the Thunder’s many group walk-off interviews, which is a reaction to something Thunder All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. It’s one many fans are familiar with as Oklahoma City welcomes Jaylin back for the foreseeable future.</p><p>Williams averaged 5.9 points on career-best 43.9% shooting, including 39.9% from deep, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 2024-25. He also started nine regular-season games, including in a 145-111 win against the Utah Jazz, where Williams recorded his third triple-double (15 points, 11 rebounds, 10 assists).</p><p>This happened 12 days after Jaylin finished with 19 points, 17 rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals in a 133-100 win against the Philadelphia 76ers. After the win, Williams discussed the significance of reaching such an impressive career milestone.</p><p>“It’s always an honor when you’re put into a group with a bunch of amazing players,” Williams said. “I’m super thankful that God gives me the opportunity to play basketball every day and puts me in a position to be able to showcase my skills.</p><p>“Regardless of what the opportunity is, I’m just going to go out there and play my game, bring energy to the team, and do whatever the team needs.”</p><p>Williams recorded his first triple-double (10 points, 11 rebounds, 11 assists) in a 107-89 win against the Portland Trail Blazers on March 7.</p><h2><b>Jaylin Williams’ NSFW parade message for Thunder fans</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-center-Jaylin-Williams-2.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Veteran <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jaylin-williams-okc-nsfw-parade-message" rel="noopener">Jaylin Williams’ speech had Thunder fans screaming</a> after their championship parade in downtown Oklahoma City. Williams knew just how to <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1937640331631038865" rel="noopener">evoke the passion</a> fans felt throughout the 2024-25 campaign.</p><p>“They said we were too young! They said Oklahoma shouldn’t have a team!” Williams said. “But guess what? We’re the f****** champs!”</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">"They said we was too young! They said Oklahoma shouldn't have a team! But guess what? We the f*cking champs!"</p><p>A hyped Jaylin Williams to the crowd at the Thunder's championship parade 🗣️<a href="https://t.co/PbytSFcDa3">pic.twitter.com/PbytSFcDa3</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1937640331631038865?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Williams brings plenty of value on a three-year, $24 million deal for the Thunder.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Jaylin Williams reacts to $24 million contract with GIF of himself

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-okc-lock-in-another-new-contract');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder lock in another new contract');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-parade.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder lock in another new contract</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T14:29:36-07:00">June 29th, 2:29pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T14:29:36-07:00">June 29th, 2:29pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna is an Associate Editor covering the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Oklahoma City Thunder turned Sunday into a crucial workday. Locking in new contracts.</p><p>The NBA Finals champions <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-okc-hands-out-24-million-contract-trade">presented a $24 million deal to Jaylin Williams Sunday</a>. But didn’t stop signing checks after. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939425699103719770" rel="noopener">revealed who signed next</a> with OKC.</p><p>“The Oklahoma City Thunder intend to sign guard Ajay Mitchell to a new three-year contract worth nearly $9 million after declining his 2025-26 team option, sources tell ESPN,” Charania posted on X (formerly Twitter). “OKC and Life Sports Agency CEO Todd Ramasar and agent Mike Simonetta negotiated the new deal for Mitchell.”</p><p>Charania added more context into the afternoon OKC decision post Williams.</p><p>“Oklahoma City today locks in Jaylin Williams and now Mitchell, who averaged 6.5 points and 17 minutes last season for the NBA champions. Mitchell was the 38th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft for OKC,” Charania shared.</p><h2><b>Who could be odd man out on Thunder? </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Jaylin-Williams.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>OKC general manager Sam Presti and head coach Mark Daigneault are making the early attempts to keep their title winning core together.</p><p>Yet there’s no guarantee everyone from the 2024-25 champs will return. Not with free agency on the horizon. Plus with the 2025 NBA Draft already coming and going.</p><p>Speaking of the latter, OKC made two huge moves that is bound to alter the roster moving forward. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/oklahoma-city-thunder-2025-nba-draft-grades-for-each-pick">The Thunder drafted Thomas Sorber and Brooks Barnhizer</a>. The first round selectin Sorber already looks like he’s helping push one OKC contributor out.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/live-2025-nba-draft-grades-every-1st-round-pick-trade">Isaiah Hartenstein faces a shake future post draft</a>. The big man became a key rotational piece and part-time starter when called upon. He still has one year left on the three-year, $87 million deal he signed in July 2024.</p><p>Barnhizer is compared to beloved playoffs and NBA Finals star Alex Caruso. Yet Caruso’s deal can allow him to stay on board until the 2028-29 season.</p><p>If anything, these trio of players face uncertain futures on the franchise: Adam Flagler, Branden Carlson and Alex Ducas. All three have their two-way contracts expiring. Clearing the way for Barnhizer and Sorber to claim their future roster spots.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder lock in another new contract

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/nba-stories/ranking-best-lebron-james-trade-destinations-rich-paul-bombshell-lakers-quotes');   ga('set', 'title', 'Ranking 5 best LeBron James trade destinations after Rich Paul’s bombshell Lakers quotes');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/756246540-ranking-5-best-lebron-james-trade-destinations-after-rich-paul-s-eye-opening-lakers-quotes.jpg"></figure><h1>Ranking 5 best LeBron James trade destinations after Rich Paul’s bombshell Lakers quotes</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T11:21:27-07:00">June 29th, 11:21am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T11:21:47-07:00">June 29th, 11:21am</time><address><a>Bailey Bassett</a>Bailey Bassett is a sports writer from Denver, Colorado, covering major sports events and athlete backgrounds at ClutchPoints. He has experience covering and writing on high school, collegiate, and professional sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Cavaliers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>LeBron James has spent each of the last seven seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. When he joined the team, it was widely assumed that the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/updating-ranking-the-50-greatest-players-nba"> all-time great</a> wouldn’t have many great years left. Instead, the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/25-greatest-small-forwards-in-nba-history-ranked"> best small forward ever</a> has defied Father Time and is slated to <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/nba-longest-careers-history">play in a record 23rd NBA</a> season. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-lebron-james-makes-52-6-million-contract-decision">James just picked up the $52.6 million player option</a> on his contract for next season, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-fans-thinking-lebron-james-trade-rich-paul-comments">Rich Paul had some interesting comments</a> when James did so.</p><p>Paul, who is James’ agent, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939342381058281819" rel="noopener">said</a>, “We understand the difficulty in winning now while preparing for the future. We do want to evaluate what’s best for LeBron at this stage in his life and career.” While that wasn’t an outright trade request from the mouth of James’ agent, it did open up the door for a trade, which hadn’t previously been thought of as a possibility by NBA fandom. Paul <a href="https://x.com/AdamSchefter/status/1939343388660146673" rel="noopener">continued,</a> “He knows the Lakers are building for the future. He understands that, but he values a realistic chance of winning it all. We are very appreciative of the partnership that we’ve had for eight years with Jeanie [Buss] and Rob [Pelinka] and consider the Lakers as a critical part of his career.”</p><p>The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-trade-grade-luka-doncic-deal"> Lakers traded for Luka Doncic</a> ahead of last season’s trade deadline. While James is seemingly happy with his pairing alongside Doncic, who was acquired in one of the<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/the-most-shocking-nba-trades-ever-ranked"> biggest fleeces ever</a>, the move put the Lakers on a timeline that is more set up for the future rather than the present. Los Angeles’ roster is solid as of now, but it might not be deep enough to win a championship, which James clearly wants to do again before retiring. Any potential James trade would likely need to include his son, Bronny James, but what destinations actually make sense if the former first overall pick truly does want to be moved? Check out the gallery to find out.</p><h2><b>5. LeBron James to the Denver Nuggets</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/756246534-lebron-james-nuggets.jpg"><figcaption>Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>If James wants to win another championship,it would make sense to join the team that he has struggled against in recent years. The Denver Nuggets won the NBA Finals in 2023, and they swept James’ Lakers along the way. Denver beat the Lakers in a five-game series that included two Jamal Murray game-winners in the first round of the 2024 playoffs as well. All in all, the squad led by Nikola Jokic has won <a href="https://www.landofbasketball.com/head_to_head_gl/lakers_vs_nuggets_game_log_season.htm">15 of the last 20</a> games between the Lakers and the Nuggets.</p><p>Leaving Los Angeles for Denver could be looked at in a similar light to when Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors after the Warriors knocked Durant out of the playoffs. Durant was criticized for that decision to join the enemy, but at the end of the day, it resulted in two championships. James has been unable to beat the Nuggets, but he could potentially win with them.</p><p>The Nuggets were actually <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/source-nuggets-aggressively-pursuing-meeting-free-agent-lebron-james-075605653.html" rel="noopener">interested in</a> pursuing James dating back to 2018. Nobody knew that Jokic would become one of the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/25-greatest-centers-nba-history-ranked">best centers ever</a> at that point. The big man from Serbia and the kid from Akron are two of the smartest NBA players ever, and their playmaking prowess, passing expertise, and unmatched basketball IQ would make for a fun pairing. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/orlando-magic/magic-offseason-trade-proposal-michael-porter-jr-after-postseason-struggles">Michael Porter Jr. has been rumored as a trade candidate</a> for the Nuggets this offseason because he had a rough postseason.</p><p>Porter is an excellent 3-point shooter who better fits a Doncic timeline, and he’d thrive catching passing from Doncic as he has from Jokic, so he could be used as the primary trade chip in a deal for James. James, meanwhile, could be the piece that gets Denver back into the NBA Finals. The Nuggets need depth, and having both Jokic and James on the roster could be enough to incentivize free agents to come to Denver for cheap.</p><h2><b>4. Minnesota Timberwolves add LeBron James</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/756246538-lebron-james-timberwolves.jpg"><figcaption>Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Minnesota Timberwolves were one of the most aggressive teams in<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-rumors-brian-windhorst-claims-minnesota-on-verge-kevin-durant-trade"> pursuing a trade for Durant</a>. Ultimately, the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/kevin-durant-trade-grades-rockets-suns-after-blockbuster-deal">Phoenix Suns took a deal from the Houston Rockets.</a> A deal for a different veteran legend might not be a bad idea for Minnesota, as James would be a pretty great consolation prize.</p><p>The Timberwolves have lost in the Western Conference Finals in back-to-back seasons. They need a player who can get them over the hump. James has been to the conference finals 12 times, winning 10 of those appearances. He clearly knows what it takes to get to the NBA Finals, which is something the Timberwolves have never done in franchise history.</p><p>The rumored <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/kevin-durant-trade-offer-timberwolves-make-suns-seal-deal">package for Durant</a> was something along the lines of Rudy Gobert, Donte DiVincenzo, either Terrence Shannon Jr. or Rob Dillingham, and a draft pick. It might cost less to acquire James, considering he is already 40 years old. If that is the case, it could make sense to pair James and Anthony Edwards. The<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/minnesota-timberwolves/timberwolves-news-naz-reids-massive-contract-bobby-marks-questioning-value"> Timberwolves just extended Naz Reid</a> and drafted Joan Beringer in the first round <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/timberwolves-news-julius-randle-100-million-contract-naz-reid-bonanza">while also bringing back Julius Randle</a>. They seem ready to move off of Gobert, and it is clear that they coveted another star who can take some of the offensive burden off of Edwards’ shoulders. The Lakers, meanwhile, are desperate for a starting center. Therefore, a trade of James to the Timberwolves could make sense.</p><h2><b>3. Golden State Warriors pair LeBron James and Steph Curry</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/756246539-lebron-james-warriors.jpg"><figcaption>Kyle Terada-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>James and Stephen Curry battled it out for years, which led to many fans fantasizing about what a pairing between the two could look like. James is the greatest physical specimen that the league has ever seen, while Curry is the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/ranking-20-best-shooters-in-nba-history-stephen-curry-ray-allen-klay-thompson">best shooter in NBA history</a>. Both are past their primes, but it would be cool to see them end their careers teaming up together rather than trying to beat one another.</p><p>James could be traded alongside his son for Jimmy Butler. Butler fit great with the Warriors after being traded for last season, but a trade for James might be too tempting to pass up, even though Butler is the younger player. James could thrive in the do-it-all wing role that Butler found success in with the Warriors.</p><p>Curry, James, and Draymond Green only have a few good years left, but together, they might have enough left in the tank for one more championship run.</p><h2><b>2. Oklahoma City Thunder trade for LeBron James</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/756246537-lebron-james-thunder.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are in a great position. Clearly, they have the talent on the roster to win now, and they don’t need to make any desperation moves. However, they also have the firepower to trade for whichever superstar they want. The Thunder have so many young assets and future draft picks that they can likely outbid any other team for any player on the trading block, and that includes James.</p><p>James would be a luxury for the Thunder and not a necessity. If he truly wants a trade to a contender, though, he could hold out for whichever team he wants, as he is one of two players with a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/los-angeles-lakers/lakers-news-does-lebron-james-have-no-trade-clause">no-trade clause on his contract</a>. James would fit well in Oklahoma City, too, as the team prioritizes excellent passers with a high feel for the game. His 3-point shot has improved over the years, too, further  enhancing what could be a great fit.</p><p>The Thunder seem unlikely to sacrifice their young core or unload tons of future draft capital for a 40-year-old. After all, they’ve built their team the right way. They’ve got picks to spare, though, so they could trade for James if they really wanted to. No team offers the all-time scoring leader a better chance to win one more ring than the Thunder would.</p><h2><b>1. LeBron James’ homecoming with Cleveland Cavaliers</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/756246532-lebron-james-cavaliers.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>The Cleveland Cavaliers would have some serious hoops to jump through to get under the second apron and make a move for James, but a second homecoming makes too much sense for the Ohio native. James went to high school just outside of Cleveland, he was drafted by the Cavaliers, and he delivered the team a promised championship after returning from a stint with the Miami Heat.</p><p>Ending his career where it started would make for a storybook ending to a memorable career for James. The Cavaliers have a championship-caliber roster, too. They showed this with a 15-game winning streak to start the 2024-25 season, which was the second-<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/cleveland-cavaliers/longest-undefeated-streaks-nba-history">best undefeated streak ever</a>. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen form arguably the best big four in the NBA.</p><p>One or more of the players might have to be moved to make the money work, and a deal might not make the most sense from a roster-building perspective for the Cavaliers. Even so, everybody would like to see this heartwarming story to end James’ career, and both he and the Cavaliers have proven in the past that they are happy reuniting.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Ranking 5 best LeBron James trade destinations after Rich Paul’s bombshell Lakers quotes

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/1-sneaky-good-player-oklahoma-city-thunder-must-sign-in-2025-nba-free-agency');   ga('set', 'title', '1 sneaky good player Oklahoma City Thunder must sign in 2025 NBA free agency');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-sneaky-good-player-Oklahoma-City-Thunder-must-sign-in-2025-NBA-free-agency.jpg"></figure><h1>1 sneaky good player Oklahoma City Thunder must sign in 2025 NBA free agency</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T10:23:10-07:00">June 29th, 10:23am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T10:23:10-07:00">June 29th, 10:23am</time><address><a>Garrett Kerman</a>Garrett Kerman also goes by the name of The Fight Analyst. He covers all combat sports, from MMA, to boxing, to even bare-knuckle. He is also very well-versed in all American sports when it comes to news and betting analysis. Whether you want betting advice or some breaking news, Garrett is your guy.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Editorials</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder-2025-nba-draft-grades-for-each-pick">Oklahoma City Thunder</a>, fresh off a breakthrough NBA Finals run, face a pivotal offseason. With a young, talented core led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren, the Thunder are positioned to remain contenders for years to come. But as the Western Conference arms race intensifies, standing pat could mean falling behind. For a team seeking the right blend of veteran savvy and two-way impact, the “sneaky good” free agent they must sign this summer is <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/ranking-nickeil-alexander-walker-free-agency-destinations-if-he-leaves-timberwolves">Nickeil Alexander-Walker</a>.</p><p>Oklahoma City enters free agency with enviable flexibility. The front office, led by Sam Presti, has maneuvered the roster and cap sheet to allow for strategic additions. With the ability to use the $14.1 million non-taxpayer midlevel exception, the Thunder can target impactful free agents without breaching the luxury tax or first apron. Their core is under contract, and the only real question is how to maximize the supporting cast around their stars.</p><p>The Thunder’s 2025 Finals run showcased their strengths, versatility, pace, and unselfishness, but also revealed some weaknesses. While the starting five is formidable, the bench struggled with consistency, especially when it came to perimeter defense and secondary playmaking. That’s where Alexander-Walker comes in.</p><h2>Why Nickeil Alexander-Walker Is the Ideal Fit</h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Alexander-Walker-celebrates.jpg"><figcaption>Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Nickeil Alexander-Walker, hitting unrestricted free agency at age 26, is coming off a season where he averaged 9.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game as a key reserve. His numbers don’t leap off the page, but his impact goes well beyond the box score. Alexander-Walker has quietly developed into one of the league’s most reliable “glue guys”, a player whose defense, versatility, and willingness to play any role make him invaluable on a contender.</p><p>For the Thunder, who often rely on three-guard lineups and switch-heavy schemes, Alexander-Walker’s ability to guard multiple positions is a major asset. He’s a disruptive perimeter defender, capable of taking on tough assignments and providing relief for Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. Offensively, he’s improved as a spot-up shooter (hovering near 38% from three last season) and can handle secondary playmaking duties, allowing the Thunder to keep their offense humming even when the stars rest.</p><p>If there was one clear takeaway from Oklahoma City’s Finals run, it’s that the team needs more reliable, playoff-ready depth on the wing. The Thunder’s bench was often outscored, and opposing teams targeted their weaker defenders relentlessly. Alexander-Walker addresses both concerns. He brings postseason experience, having contributed meaningful minutes in playoff rotations, and his defensive mindset fits perfectly with head coach Mark Daigneault’s system.</p><p>Alexander-Walker’s familiarity with the Thunder organization, as he’s a cousin of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, could help him acclimate quickly and buy into the team’s culture. Chemistry matters, especially for a team built on trust and shared responsibility.</p><h2>Cap Flexibility and Long-Term Planning</h2><p>One of the Thunder’s greatest strengths is their ability to add talent without sacrificing future flexibility. Alexander-Walker is likely to command a salary in the mid-level exception range, making him both affordable and movable if needed. Unlike splashier names who might demand a starting role or higher salary, Alexander-Walker can seamlessly fit into whatever role Daigneault envisions, whether as a sixth man or a defensive specialist in closing lineups.</p><p>This approach also allows the Thunder to maintain cap space for future extensions, critical with Holmgren, Williams, and others due for new deals in the coming years. Alexander-Walker’s contract would not clog the books or limit Presti’s ability to make bigger moves down the line.</p><p>In the playoffs, the margin for error shrinks. Teams hunt mismatches, and every possession is magnified. Alexander-Walker’s defensive acumen and playoff experience make him a valuable asset in these moments. He’s shown the ability to hit big shots, make smart decisions, and compete on every possession. For a Thunder team with championship aspirations, adding a battle-tested, team-first player like Alexander-Walker is exactly the kind of move that can swing a series.</p><p>The Thunder have the stars. They have the system. What they need is a player who can fill gaps, elevate the bench, and deliver in high-leverage moments. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is that sneaky good free agent—one who won’t command headlines but could make all the difference in a title chase. His defensive versatility, shooting, and playoff pedigree make him the perfect fit for Oklahoma City’s next step. If the Thunder want to make another run at the NBA Finals in 2025-26, signing Alexander-Walker should be at the top of their to-do list.</p><p>Adding Nickeil Alexander-Walker would not only bolster the Thunder’s depth but also send a message to the league: Oklahoma City is serious about contending now and building sustainably for the future. With his skill set and mindset, Alexander-Walker could be the missing piece that helps the Thunder capture their long-awaited NBA championship.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 sneaky good player Oklahoma City Thunder must sign in 2025 NBA free agency

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-okc-hands-out-24-million-contract-trade');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder hand out $24 million contract after trade');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-hand-out-24-million-contract-trade.jpg"><figcaption>© Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder hand out $24 million contract after trade</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T08:04:13-07:00">June 29th, 8:04am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T08:22:30-07:00">June 29th, 8:22am</time><address><a>Preston Byers</a>Preston Byers is an experienced writer and journalist who currently serves as an associate editor for ClutchPoints and as a staff writer at The Vindicator and Tribune Chronicle, where he covers sports in the Mahoning Valley. Previously, Preston worked as an associate editor for Dot Esports and a site expert for FanSided's Union and Blue.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder">The Oklahoma City Thunder</a> are bringing back a piece of their bench unit after winning the 2025 NBA championship.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jaylin-williams-okc-nsfw-parade-message">Jaylin Williams has</a> agreed to a three-year, $24 million contract extension with OKC, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939334136025481596" rel="noopener">who reported that</a>, as part of the deal, the Thunder declined Williams’ team option, which would have guaranteed him $2.19 million this season.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oklahoma City Thunder C/F Jaylin Williams is signing a new three-year, $24 million contract extension with the franchise, sources tell ESPN. Thunder declined Williams' $2.1M team option and negotiated the new raise with his agents Marcus Monk and Sean Kennedy of Excel Sports. <a href="https://t.co/16rvbMDpyG">pic.twitter.com/16rvbMDpyG</a></p><p>— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) <a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939334136025481596?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Williams, nicknamed J-Will to avoid confusion with teammate Jalen “J-Dub” Williams, is a key part of the Thunder’s incredible depth. Although he averaged 16.7 minutes per game in the regular season and 8.3 minutes in the playoffs, he <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-jaylin-williams-shuts-down-anti-nikola-jokic-idea-game-5">proved valuable in brief moments</a> as a 6-foot-8 forward who could play either the four or five when needed while shooting around 40% on 3-pointers. Additionally, he has proven to be a proficient distributor in his relatively limited role.</p><p>The 34th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, Williams turns 23 years old today, and signing a deal worth $24 million is as good of a birthday gift as one could get.</p><p>Considering his age, Oklahoma City certainly hopes Williams continues to develop, especially if his role were to happen to grow. While his career averages are 5.1 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists, he averages 12 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal and block per 36 minutes — all while shooting 39% on 3-pointers and with true shooting and effective field-goal percentages of 57.0% and 54.8%, respectively.</p><p>Earlier this season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-mark-daigneault-heartwarming-story-jaylin-williams-development">Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault called Williams</a> a “great developmental story” for OKC and a “great leader for this team,” signifying his value to what would become a championship team.</p><p>Williams is just one piece of the deep and skilled Thunder roster, though, as nine other players averaged more minutes in the regular season and 10 did in the playoffs. If the Thunder were to part ways with one or multiple of Kenrich Williams,<a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder"> Lu Dort, or</a> Isaiah Hartenstein during the course of Williams’ new contract, that may open up the rotation for Williams to become a bigger part of the Thunder’s winning formula.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder hand out $24 million contract after trade

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-shai-gilgeous-alexander-hilarious-shot-chris-pauls-age');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes hilarious shot at Chris Paul’s age');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thunder-guard-Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-and-Spurs-guard-Chris-Paul.jpg"><figcaption>Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes hilarious shot at Chris Paul’s age</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-29T05:41:09-07:00">June 29th, 5:41am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-29T05:41:09-07:00">June 29th, 5:41am</time><address><a>Owen Crisafulli</a>Owen Crisafulli is a Senior Editor and NFL Lead at ClutchPoints, who also covers the NBA and MLB. He received his Masters in Business Administration Bachelor's degree in Sports Management from Nichols College. Previously, ran his own website, and had bylines at FanSided, Basketball Network, Athlon Sports, and The Sporting News. In addition to his work at ClutchPoints, Owen is also a Breaking News Writer at Heavy and a Content Producer for More Views Media.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder have been <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/thunder-news-alex-caruso-gushes-aaron-wiggins-mic-drop-moment-parade">partying it up</a> in the wake of their <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/thunder-news-shai-gilegous-alexander-calls-out-doubters-ig-post-parade">2025 NBA Finals victory</a> over the Indiana Pacers. However, on Saturday, Gilgeous-Alexander took a quick break from his celebrations to take a hilarious jab at his former teammate, San Antonio Spurs guard Chris Paul.</p><p>Gilgeous-Alexander and Paul spent the 2019-20 campaign together on the Thunder, with the veteran Paul playing a big role in helping with the younger SGA’s development. Even though they only spent one season as teammates, the two formed a close bond, with Paul attending a couple of Oklahoma City’s games during their playoff run to support Gilgeous-Alexander. So when Paul shared a post on Saturday commemorating his 20-year anniversary of getting drafted in the NBA, Gilgeous-Alexander left a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLdpMgAMK0-/" rel="noopener">quick two-word reply</a>.</p><p>“Old ahhhhhhh,” Gilgeous-Alexander commented in response to Paul’s post.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="instagram-media"><div style="padding: 16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLdpMgAMK0-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="line-height: 0; padding: 0 0; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; width: 100%;" target="_blank"> <div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div><div style="display: flex;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div><div style="display: block; height: 50px; margin: 0 auto 12px; width: 50px;"></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"><div style="color: #3897f0; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 550; line-height: 18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 14px;"><div><div></div><div></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div><div></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"><div></div><div></div><div></div></div></div><div style="display: flex; margin-bottom: 24px;"><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div><div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div><p></p></a><p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DLdpMgAMK0-/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Chris Paul (@cp3)</a></p></div></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://instagram.com/embed.js"></script></p></figure><h2><b>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder continue to celebrate 2025 NBA Finals victory</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Shai-Gilgeous-Alexander-hoists-the-trophy.jpg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption></figure><p>Gilgeous-Alexander was only in his second year in the league when he teamed up with Paul, but he showed early signs of stardom during that season. That led to the 2024-25 campaign, when Gilgeous-Alexander led the league in scoring with 32.7 points per game, while also taking home the 2025 MVP Award in addition to a slew of other achievements, with the best of the bunch seeing OKC win a championship.</p><p>Now, SGA and his squad will be looking to build off of this season and prove that they can become the dynasty that many folks believe they are capable of becoming. Paul, meanwhile, will be looking to find a new home in free agency, as a return to the Spurs doesn’t seem all that likely in the wake of the 2025 NBA Draft. Who knows, maybe he could team up with Gilgeous-Alexander again in hopes of winning that ever-elusive championship before he retires. After all, as Gilgeous-Alexander noted, he is getting up there in age.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander takes hilarious shot at Chris Paul’s age

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/oklahoma-city-thunder-2025-nba-draft-grades-for-each-pick');   ga('set', 'title', 'Oklahoma City Thunder 2025 NBA Draft grades for each pick');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Nique-Clifford-before-the-trade.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Oklahoma City Thunder 2025 NBA Draft grades for each pick</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T21:33:27-07:00">June 28th, 9:33pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T21:33:27-07:00">June 28th, 9:33pm</time><address><a>Lorenzo J Reyna</a>Lorenzo J Reyna is an Associate Editor covering the NFL and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints. He's equipped with past experience for both realms through his recent stops at Pro Football Network and Heavy while also writing for 247Sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Oklahoma City Thunder quickly shifted to building the roster mode following their victory parade. The NBA Finals champions had 24 hours to prepare for the Wednesday NBA Draft.</p><p>OKC did indeed make one intriguing selection. Taking Nique Clifford at No. 24 overall out of Colorado State. But the thoughts of Clifford teaming with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company quickly became erased.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-okc-trades-no-24-pick-kings-winning-nba-title">The Thunder sent Clifford to the Sacramento Kings</a>. The champs then added a future projected 2027 first round selection.</p><p>That doesn’t mean OKC completely ignored the 2025 draft. Especially as a franchise that discovered Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams through the draft.</p><p>Here’s the grades OKC earns following the conclusion of the ’25 session.</p><h2><b>Round 1, Pick No. 15: F/C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Thomas-Sorber.jpg"><figcaption>Brad Penner-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>A new low post scoring threat is heading to the Larry O’Brien Trophy holders.</p><p>He leaves the Hoyas averaging 14.5 points per game. Sorber also grabbed 8.5 rebounds per game. He ended his college career delivering a streak of four straight games of hitting double digits in scoring. But he produced eight double-double contests. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/ncaa-basketball/georgetown-basketball-news-thomas-sorber-injury-blow-freshman-season">Sorber even had to fight off a late season injury before declaring for the draft</a>.</p><p>The 6-foot-10, 255-pounder adds length next to Williams and Holmgren. But his shooting from behind the arc lacked consistency.</p><p>“Sorber is a great low-post scorer who was active on defense. He was willing to shoot open 3-pointers in college, but the results weren’t there despite solid mechanics,” <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2025/prospects/thomas-sorber" rel="noopener">his scouting report reads</a>.</p><p>This pick, though, speaks to Mark Daigneault boosting the defense. Especially with centers Jaylin Williams and Branden Carlson free agents soon. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/nba-stories/live-2025-nba-draft-grades-every-1st-round-pick-trade">Isaiah Hartenstein is one more potential odd man out</a> with the rookie coming in. Sorber will aim to bring his imprint on the defensive side.</p><p><b>Grade: A</b></p><h2><b>Round 2, Pick 14 (Selection No. 44): Guard Brooks Barnhizer, Northwestern </b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Brooks-Barnhizer-Northwestern.jpg"><figcaption>Grace Hollars/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Barnhizer improved his scoring every season for the Wildcats. He leaves the Big Ten university averaging 17.1 points per game as a senior. Barnhizer <a href="https://www.espn.com/nba/player/gamelog/_/id/4684208/type/mens-college-basketball" rel="noopener">etched out 11 games of hitting 20 points or higher</a>.</p><p>He struggled against a Dylan Harper-led Rutgers team, though, by settling for 10 points. The guard then scored three and four points against No. 17 Illinois and No. 16 Michigan State, respectively, during January.</p><p>He’s not expected to add an immediate scoring threat to OKC’s arsenal, though. Like Sorber, he’s another defensive move.</p><p>“Defense is his standout trait, and he made the All-Defensive team just as much through impressive team defense as he did racking up steals and blocks,” <a href="https://www.nba.com/draft/2025/prospects/brooks-barnhizer" rel="noopener">his scouting report revealed</a>.</p><p>But what can he bring to a loaded offense featuring no shortage of scoring options?</p><p>“Offensively, shooting is the biggest question mark, as his outside jumper and free-throw shooting were inconsistent,” the report reads. “Still, he makes up for that with quality ballhandling and playmaking.”</p><p>OKC adds a future rotational piece to a deep roster. This should win over Thunder fans: Barnhizer has earned Alex Caruso comparisons. OKC fans watched Caruso spearhead the defensive charge during this title run. If he’s anywhere close to Caruso’s defensive game, you’re looking at a new fan favorite inside the Paycom Center.</p><p><b>Grade: B</b></p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Oklahoma City Thunder 2025 NBA Draft grades for each pick

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-okc-trade-champion-guard-wizards');   ga('set', 'title', 'Thunder trade NBA champion guard to Wizards');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG_1735.jpeg"><figcaption>Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Thunder trade NBA champion guard to Wizards</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-06-28T18:58:12-07:00">June 28th, 6:58pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-06-28T18:58:12-07:00">June 28th, 6:58pm</time><address><a>David Yapkowitz</a>David Yapkowitz is an NBA Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He is a credentialed reporter based in Los Angeles who covers the NBA/WNBA, NCAA/NCAAW and boys/girls high school basketball.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">NBA</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-capture-first-nba-championship-game-7-pacers">Oklahoma City Thunder just won their first championship</a> in the Oklahoma-era, but they got right to work with the NBA offseason and free agency period on the horizon. The Thunder’s <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939134526279623109" rel="noopener">first order of offseason business</a> was a trade with the Washington Wizards involving Dillon Jones, as per Shams Charania of ESPN.</p><p>In addition to Dillon Jones heading to the Wizards, the Thunder also sent a second round pick as part of the trade. On the Wizards’ side of things, they will send Colby Jones to the Thunder. The Thunder <a href="https://x.com/ShamsCharania/status/1939135500595667163" rel="noopener">do not intend to keep</a> Colby on the roster, per Charania.</p><p>The Thunder trading Jones to the Wizards clears up a roster spot as well as another potential <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/nba/oklahoma-city-thunder/thunder-news-sam-presti-reacts-to-okc-becoming-youngest-champion-in-48-years">young player that the team had to develop</a>. The Thunder front office has done a good job acquiring draft picks, but at some point those pick have to be made and eventually developed. This trade at least alleviates some of that burden. The team is set up to contend for the foreseeable future with or without this trade.</p><p>From the Wizards perspective, they add another first round talent to potentially go with their current young core. Jones was the No. 26 overall pick by the Thunder in the 2024 NBA Draft. He didn’t see much playing time this season, spending a good portion of his rookie year in the G League with the Oklahoma City Blue.</p><p>During the regular season, Jones appeared in 54 games, including five starts, at a little over ten minutes per game. He averaged 2.5 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists with splits of 38.3 percent shooting from the field, 25.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 60.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><p>In the G League, Jones appeared in 23 games for the Blue at a little over 32 minutes per game. He averaged 13.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists with splits of 42.2 percent shooting from the field, 29.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 66.7 percent shooting from the free-throw line.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

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Oklahoma CityThunder NEWS

Thunder News: Get the latest Oklahoma City Thunder news, scores, stats, standings, fantasy games, and more from ClutchPoints.

Latest Thunder News

Thunder trade proposal for LeBron James adds four-time champion to Finals winners

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