Thunder extend Ibaka for 4 yr/ $40 million (now reported at $48 million)

[nickagneta]

Ibaka is more important to OKC than Harden because of his last line of defense ability and rebounding. He's 22 years old and is probably destined for years of double doubles with 3+ blocks per year and some DPOY awards thrown in there.

This contract is a major bargain.

[SHAQATTACK]

I'd rather have Ibaka than Hardin..... but I would have traded Perk for Hardin rather than Green....

[KGs Knee]

All this talk of whether to keep Ibaka or Harden has me perplexed.

OKC should be doing whatever they can to keep this core together.  Buck-up and spend the dang money, luxury tax be [dang]ed!

This is where ownership really loses me.  Owners who won't spend the money to put a winning team on the floor have no place in sports.

Clay Bennett has already proven to be a weasle in the past, will he now prove a cheapskate too?

[KGs Knee]

The contract for Ibaka does seem to be a good value.

Ibaka for $12m/yr is fair

[lightspeed5]

all beard no brains

[missyP]

Anyone remember that OKC-SA series where Ibaka shot 11/11 from the field ? The guy can ball and defend. I like this signing because big men are harder to replace that forwards/guards. If he was like 2nd or 3rd option on offense, he could easily make a 15/10/3 career.

Good job Presti!

[Celts Fan 92]

rofl 4 years 48 mil is crazy franchise player type money power forwards nd centers get overpaid like crazy horrible wack deal lls

[RJ87]

rofl 4 years 48 mil is crazy franchise player type money power forwards nd centers get overpaid like crazy horrible wack deal lls

4 years, $48m is franchise player money???

You can't be serious.

[CelticSooner]

All this talk of whether to keep Ibaka or Harden has me perplexed.

OKC should be doing whatever they can to keep this core together.  Buck-up and spend the dang money, luxury tax be [dang]ed!

This is where ownership really loses me.  Owners who won't spend the money to put a winning team on the floor have no place in sports.

Clay Bennett has already proven to be a weasle in the past, will he now prove a cheapskate too?

They should at least bite the bullet a few years to keep that core intact. They built it up after all.

[indeedproceed]

I think OKC could move one of Harden/Ibaka/Westbrook if they can find a deal that gets them a comparable player at cheaper money, and also helps out somewhere else.

Example: Westbrook for Irving/Varejao
Or
Harden/Perkins for Beal/Nene/future first

[Moranis]

I think OKC could move one of Harden/Ibaka/Westbrook if they can find a deal that gets them a comparable player at cheaper money, and also helps out somewhere else.

Example: Westbrook for Irving/Varejao
Or
Harden/Perkins for Beal/Nene/future first

they could have moved Harden for the #2 pick a couple of months ago.  They aren't moving him.

[tenn_smoothie]

so OKC is still under the basic salary cap ?

so just to be clear, we are not talking about the $74 mill "luxury tax" cap that the Celts bumped up against ?

if that is the case, then OKC needs to get their mind right. as Clay Davis reminded Stringer in The Wire, "if you are still in possession of that mindset (of trusting me with your "investment" money), then you are definitely not ready for the big leagues (business-wise)."

nobody is gonna stay under the base salary cap and win a title - you're gonna have to be willing to pay some amount of luxury tax (to enjoy the luxury of a championship). i guess now we'll see what kind of a "genius" that Sam Presti really is - he got real lucky in the lottery, but now he has to deal with the reality of being a grown-up contender with several very good players who don't want to be "dissed" by ownership.

what is James Harden expecting in terms of an extension ?

[saltlover]

so OKC is still under the basic salary cap ?

so just to be clear, we are not talking about the $74 mill "luxury tax" cap that the Celts bumped up against ?

if that is the case, then OKC needs to get their mind right. as Clay Davis reminded Stringer in The Wire, "if you are still in possession of that mindset (of trusting me with your "investment" money), then you are definitely not ready for the big leagues (business-wise)."

nobody is gonna stay under the base salary cap and win a title - you're gonna have to be willing to pay some amount of luxury tax (to enjoy the luxury of a championship). i guess now we'll see what kind of a "genius" that Sam Presti really is - he got real lucky in the lottery, but now he has to deal with the reality of being a grown-up contender with several very good players who don't want to be "dissed" by ownership.

what is James Harden expecting in terms of an extension ?

I think they're right at the luxury tax level for this year, but they are not under the cap.  Ibaka's pay day doesn't increase until next year, however, which is why there is some concern about keeping Harden.  They are paying about $52 million combined to Durant, Westbrook, Perk, and Ibaka next year.  Harden is probably angling for a max extension or will hit free agency, which means he'll probably be at $13-14 mil next year.  So that's the cap and then some for those 5 players.  Manageable, but unless there's a big jump in the cap (which is not impossible) they'll be looking at vet mins and rookies to fill out their roster.

[tenn_smoothie]

Harden is a very good player, but $13-14M ?? i don't see it. i thought the new CBA was supposed to protect the owners from themselves and keep salaries more reasonable.

[Who]

what is James Harden expecting in terms of an extension ?

James Harden should get a max contract. There will be plenty of teams willing to pay him that next summer.