The Tulsa Forum by TulsaNow

The Oklahoma City Thunder have released their new 'City Edition' uniforms for the upcoming season.

For the first time, only the name “Oklahoma” will appear across the chest of the Thunder’s jersey. The all caps black lettering is similar to the font on the state flag.
 

Trades:


    Phoenix Suns receive: Chris Paul.

    Oklahoma City Thunder receive: Ricky Rubio and Kelly Oubre Jr.

The Suns tabbed Ricky Rubio as their rebuild accelerator last offseason and saw a decent return on the investment with a jump in winning percentage from .232 to .466. But Chris Paul could be a different kind of fast-forward button.

The Point God might zoom this developmental process to ludicrous speed.

His reputation took a few hits in recent years due to his colossal contract (which still has two years and more than $85 million left on it) and a sometimes awkward fit with the Houston Rockets, but Paul proved he remains a special talent. He propelled the Oklahoma City Thunder to a jaw-dropping fifth-placed finish in the Western Conference and landed fifth overall in ESPN's real plus-minus.

Rubio showed the Suns what they could achieve with a competent point guard. Paul could change the possibilities as a top-of-the-line floor general. He could take defensive heat away from—and simultaneously raise the efficiency of—Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton and pinpoint the offensive comfort spots of Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson.

Even after an 8-0 run through the seeding games in the bubble, Phoenix is at most a mild curiosity in a fully loaded West. Put Paul on the roster, and the Suns could find themselves competing for the right to host a first-round playoff series.

OKC, meanwhile, would gain significant financial relief—Kelly Oubre Jr. has an expiring $14.4 million salary; Ricky Rubio is owed $34.8 million for the next two seasons—and add two players to keep or trade. Oubre in particular could be interesting for the Thunder. He fits their mold of long, athletic wings, and at 24 years old, he's young enough to grow alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luguentz Dort and Darius Bazley.

(https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/columnists/full/wojnarowski_adrian.png&w=160&h=160&scale=crop)Adrian Wojnarowski Senior NBA Insider

The Los Angeles Lakers are in advanced talks with Oklahoma City on a trade for guard Dennis Schroder, sources tell ESPN. Deal expected to include OKC acquiring LA's pick at No. 28 in Wednesday's draft. Deal can be completed at noon ET on Monday.

 
    Anticipation move to NBA Oklahoma City:

          (https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/3133603.png&w=350&h=254)
          Kelly Oubre Jr., Small Forward - HT/WT 6' 7", 203 lbs., DOB 12/9/1995  - College:  Kansas:  Age 24.

          (https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/4011.png&w=350&h=254)
          Ricky Rubio, Point Guard - HT/WT 6' 3", 190 lbs., DOB 10/21/1990  Age 30 - Draft - 2009: Rd 1, Pk 5

          (https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/4065733.png&w=350&h=254)

          Ty Jerome, Guard HT/WT 6' 5", 195 lbs., DOB 7/8/1997 - Age 23 - College:  Virginia - Draft Info:  2019: Rd 1, Pk 24 (PHI)

          (https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/headshots/nba/players/full/4423887.png&w=350&h=254)
          Jalen Lecque,  Guard HT/WT 6' 4", 185 lbs., DOB 6/13/2000 - Age 20


                                                                                                                                                                  ...From NBA Phoenix.

                              (https://ak.picdn.net/shutterstock/videos/8699836/thumb/1.jpg)

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Oklahoma City’s voters delivered a message at the polls on Dec. 10, 2019, a message that will keep the 20-plus year momentum of OKC’s reinvention rolling forward, as the latest installment of a penny sales tax for strategic investment passed by a landslide. The city’s MAPS 4 package received 71.7 percent of the vote, making it the most popular of all MAPS votes. 




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                                       Al Horford         C    34     6' 9"     240 lbs     Florida   $27,500,000
                                       Trevor Ariza      F     35     6' 8"     215 lbs     UCLA     $12,800,000
                                       George Hill       G     34     6' 3"    188 lbs     IUPUI     $9,590,602

               Each NBA team can have a maximum of 15 players, 13 of which can be active each game.

          Thunder restructuring roster:  https://www.espn.com/nba/team/roster/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder (https://www.espn.com/nba/team/roster/_/name/okc/oklahoma-city-thunder)

          

                                        

                         Oklahoma City Blue NBAGL relocation inside Oklahoma City.

Steve Lackmeyer
by Steve Lackmeyer
Published: Wed, December 9, 2020 1:05 AM Updated: Wed, December 9, 2020 1:28 AM

Film production will begin at the Cox Convention Center as soon as next month following approval Tuesday of a lease that will convert the complex into a studio with multiple sound stages.

After striking an agreement in September with the Oklahoma City Council to market the convention center as a film studio, Prairie Surf Media co-founders Rachel Cannon and Matt Payne began talks with Amazon, Disney, Hulu, Apple and Hallmark...


YouTube video:  https://youtu.be/8hC8sp-QH6M (https://youtu.be/8hC8sp-QH6M)

Where will the Oklahoma City Blue play their home games in 2021.  Rumors indicate that Oklahoma City University's Abe Lemons Arena

                                    (http://)
                                                                 3,500 seating capacity

or University of Central Oklahoma Hamilton Fieldhouse could be an interim venue.

                              (https://bronchosports.com/common/controls/image_handler.aspx?thumb_prefix=large&image_path=/images/2012/8/22/_2G20312_FIELDHOUSE_FLOOR.jpg)
                                                                 3,000 seating capacity

Oklahoma City Council this past Tuesday approved an agreement with Prairie Surf Media to lease the cox convention center:  https://oklahoman.com/article/5677907/lease-approved-okcs-cox-center-now-in-the-movie-business (http://"https://oklahoman.com/article/5677907/lease-approved-okcs-cox-center-now-in-the-movie-business")

Any questions or comments...

The Thunder indicated that the new court gives a fresh look to the Thunder logo along with an updated, lighter-toned floor and an additional Oklahoma City Thunder wordmark along the baselines.

City sales tax and use tax collections are down; cities are taking a hit.  As with most cities, decisions will have to be made; Oklahoma City's MAPS 4 will have 16 projects  as a result of passage of the $978 million initiative voters approved December 10, 2019.  Collection for  MAPS 4 projects started in April 2019 as the MAPS 3 projects collections ended in March 2020.

What kind of playing field will we be looking at when the city sends out bids on 16 projects that will take 3 to 13 years from start to finish.

Although the city has learned from previous MAPS initiatives (crafting projects), it comes down to knowing which projects will bid on the high end vs. the low end.  

MAPS I was the greatest challenge because the city's $350 million package didn't cover enough of the bids and the Chesapeake Energy Arena almost got the ax if
voters did not approve a 6 month extension to finish the projects.   Fortunately, the Bricktown Ballpark was the first of the MAPS one projects to be completed; therefore voters got a chance to see the quality of what their one-cent sales tax accomplished.  The extension was approved and OKC's downtown arena was fully funded.   Oklahoma City exceeded its expectations.  Where we originally built a new downtown arena in hopes of luring the National Hockey League we eventually landed a National Basketball Association franchise with the help of visionary businessmen who believed in our city.

As with all MAPS projects by funding the projects with a limited term, one-cent sales tax, the projects were built debt free. The U.S. Conference of Mayors noted, “Using a pay-as-you-go structure allowed Oklahoma City to build world-class facilities without the burden of debt for future generations and city leaders. Oklahoma City citizens made the historic decision to invest their own money in the city they called home.”

We don't want to sacrifice 'quality,' our city has learned which contractors to approved because they have a proven portfolio of development projects--not always the lowest bid.   The current pandemic will provide a new challenge.

                                                       Our vision and its history:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MdH014ucyw (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0MdH014ucyw)  Believe in our future.

The Professional Basketball Club, LLC is a group of Oklahoma City and Tulsa businessmen who represent a wide variety of local and national business interests. The PBC owns both the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA and the Oklahoma City Blue of the NBA Developmental League. The PBC purchased the NBA franchise in 2006.

          (https://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/thunder/media/owner_bennett_clay.jpg) Clayton I. Bennett
          Chairman, Oklahoma City Thunder
          Chairman, Dorchester Capital 

          (https://www.nba.com/resources/static/team/v2/thunder/kaiser_headshot_1314.jpg) George B. Kaiser
          President, GBK Corporation
          Chairman, BOK Financial

          (https://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/thunder/media/owner_records_jeffrey.jpg) G. Jeffrey Records, Jr.
          Chairman and CEO,
          MidFirst Bank

          (https://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/thunder/media/owner_cameron_william.jpg) William M. Cameron
          Chairman and CEO,
          American Fidelity Assurance Company

          (https://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/thunder/media/owner_howard_robert.jpg) Robert E. Howard II
          Chairman, Howard Investments

          (https://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/thunder/media/owner_scaramucci_domer.jpg) Jay Scaramucci
          President, Balon Corporation

          (https://i.cdn.turner.com/nba/nba/thunder/media/owner_dobson_everett.jpg) Everett R. Dobson
          Managing Partner, Dobson Partnerships

Oklahoma City scores with Top 10 ranking among ‘Best Cities for Basketball Fans’

                                                                            8        Philadelphia, PA
                                                                             9        Chicago, IL
                                                                         10        Houston, TX




Best Cities for Basketball Fans link:  https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/05/27/study-ranks-best-cities-basketball-fans/ (https://www.wmcactionnews5.com/2019/05/27/study-ranks-best-cities-basketball-fans/)


  

Published: Tueday, March 25, 2008 12:00 AM

Oklahoma City's sales pitch to get an NBA team has an audience today as league Commissioner David Stern and members of the relocation committee visit to get the official pitch from team owners and city leaders. The Oklahoma City-based ownership group of the Seattle SuperSonics has filed for relocation to Oklahoma City. The committee will make a recommendation to the NBA Board of Governors, which will vote on the proposal next month...

Credit Mayor Mick Cornett with the initial pitch to bring the NBA Supersonics to Oklahoma City.  Then NBA Commissioner David Stern often referred to Mayor Cornett as 'the mayor who wouldn't go away.'  

OKC Mayor Ron Norick attempted to bring the NHL to Oklahoma City in the 1997 NHL expansion derby; Norick was told to get a press conference ready on Friday for the following Monday.  Columbus, OH with some last minute maneuvers managed to secure the final NHL expansion spot for Ohio's capital city.

Oklahoma City NHL expansion entry had it been successful, would have been called the Oklahoma Redhawks.  Then OKC Mayor Norick pushed Oklahoma City-Tulsa as a television market that would served 2 million TV households.


NHL in OKC

Oklahoma City had flirted with professional sports before when they unsuccessfully tried to lure a National Hockey League expansion team in the 1990s. But in June 1997, they were told no, because the television market was too small.

NBA Relocation to OKC

Mayor Mick Cornett, along with officials from the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce, announced this afternoon the start of a campaign to support the March 4 'MAPS for HOOPS' sales tax initiative to pay for improvements at the Ford Center.

Cornett has said the city will not get an NBA team without voting in favor of the sales tax.

The chamber will fund the campaign, which will be called Citizens for a Big League City.

The 15-month sales tax would pay for about $100 million in improvements to the Ford Center, which included $10 million for an NBA practice facility.

Former Oklahoma City Mayor Ron Norick used that knowledge to lay out a vision about how to improve Oklahoma City’s downtown and its overall image.  The task force was charged with finding out how to make the vision a reality.    Brick and mortar projects the task force studied included new sports stadiums and arenas, a renovated convention center and riverfront developments.  The projects became known as MAPS, short for Metropolitan Area Projects.

Officials pitched a $254 million, sales-tax funded MAPS proposal to voters as a way to revitalize downtown and make the country take notice of Oklahoma City. Projects included were a new baseball park, a new sports arena, convention center renovations and expansion, a downtown canal, State Fair Park renovations, civic center renovations, a new downtown library, river construction and a downtown transit system.

A December election was called to enact a five-year penny sales tax to fund the projects.  Voter turnout was strong. The MAPS sales tax passed with 54 percent of the vote. At an election watch party, Norick told supporters: "Oklahoma City, welcome to the big leagues.” City Councilman Jack Cornett added: "I think we were either going to fall back or go ahead.  We had to win it for the future of Oklahoma City.”   In coming years as penny sales tax revenue collections came in, city officials began planning the projects.

Voter turnout was strong. The MAPS sales tax passed with 54 percent of the vote. At an election watch party, Norick told supporters: "Oklahoma City, welcome to the big leagues.” City Councilman Jack Cornett added: "I think we were either going to fall back or go ahead. We had to win it for the future of Oklahoma City.” In coming years as penny sales tax revenue collections came in, city officials began planning the projects.

What is now the Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark opened to rave reviews as 14,066 fans watched the Oklahoma RedHawks lose to the Edmonton Trappers. Despite the loss, players and fans alike complimented the new ballpark for its amenities, intimacy and location. Before the game, a statue of Mickey Mantle outside the ballpark was dedicated to the Yankees legend and native Oklahoman. The ballpark remains the home of the Dodgers.

    The quality of the ballpark influenced voters to approve the additional extension vote to complete what is now the Chesapeake Energy Arena and a    
             few remaining  projects in MAPS I.  

Nielsen's 210 Market Rankings for 2021:  https://mediatracks.com/resources/nielsen-dma-rankings-2021/ (https://mediatracks.com/resources/nielsen-dma-rankings-2021/)

Fox Oklahoma airs in OKC-TUL has a combined 1,308,320 TV Homes.
*Utah TV homes counts the whole state.

          February 11
          Oklahoma City 118
          Salt Lake City 84

          February 12
          G League Ignite 109
          Oklahoma City 103

          February 14
          Canton 110
          Oklahoma City 141

          February 16
          Oklahoma City 112
          Fort Wayne 105

          February 17
          Oklahoma City 120
          Memphis 106

          February 19
          Lakeland 113
          Oklahoma City 115

      (https://tse1.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.0NMIZfyeEPOFSvddvBbVewHaEK&pid=Api&P=0&w=295&h=167)
      Ty Jerome's floater beats Lakeland.

(https://www.okctalk.com/images/pete/thunderalley121919c.jpg)

MAPS 4 proposal for Chesapeake would prolong life of arena, backers say


          • An expansion of the 300 seating level, known as Loud City, to give the upper deck fans     
            some of the same amenities as those below, mostly more space to congregate and some
            sit-down dining options. More restrooms and elevators are part of the plan.

          • An outdoor patio on the second level.

          • Replacing all the original seats on every level.

          • Installing a new scoreboard with a 34-foot by 19-foot video board. The video board
             in place is 20 feet by 10 feet. Video monitors would be placed above seating tunnels.



A better Loud City   https://stories.usatodaynetwork.com/maps4/maps-4-proposal-for-chesapeake-would-prolong-life-of-arena/ (https://stories.usatodaynetwork.com/maps4/maps-4-proposal-for-chesapeake-would-prolong-life-of-arena/)

Chesapeake Energy signed a 12-year deal in 2011 with the Thunder to have naming rights to the arena. It cost the company $3 million over the first season and increased by 3% each year after, according to the Oklahoma City Thunder, who receive naming rights proceeds. The deal is currently scheduled to expire after the 2022-23 season.

Tom & Judy Love who owns Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores are among the sponsorship groups of the Oklahoma City Thunder who may throw their company's name in the bidding process in 2023.

Arena Naming Rights for what is now the Chesapeake Energy Arena will be up for bid.  Here are some selected companies who might be interested in the bidding process based on their NBA Oklahoma City Thunder sponsorships:

     Express Services, Oklahoma City
     Hobby Lobby, Oklahoma City
     Love’s Travel Stops & Country Stores, Oklahoma City
     Sonic, Oklahoma City
     MidFirst Bank, Oklahoma City
     Paycom, Oklahoma City
     Devon Energy, Oklahoma City
     OGE Energy, Oklahoma City
     American Fidelity Assurance Oklahoma City
     Enable Midstream Partners, Oklahoma City
     Mathis Brothers Furniture, Oklahoma City
     BancFirst, Oklahoma City
     Continental Resources, Oklahoma City

     Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Tulsa
     Williams, Tulsa
     BOK Financial, Tulsa
     ONEOK, Tulsa
     Flintco, Tulsa

The above list was taken from 100 Largest Oklahoma companies:  https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-companies-in-oklahoma/ (https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-companies-in-oklahoma/)
The above companies have advertised on Fox Oklahoma Thunder game broadcast/telecasts on radio and television.

Others:

     Hertz Car Rental, Oklahoma City
     Enterprise Car Rental, Oklahoma City
     WinStar World Casino and Resort, Thackerville
     Riverwind Casino, Norman
     Lucky Star Casino, Oklahoma
     Thunderbird Casino, Norman
     Remington Park Racetrack & Casino, Oklahoma City

Mark Cuban prefers Sonics in Seattle, not Oklahoma City:

“My prejudice is against having a Dust Bowl Division in this part of the country,” Cuban told The Oklahoman. “I don’t think in the big picture that helps the NBA. I think a bigger market helps the NBA.

Cuban downplayed any possible impact a franchise in Oklahoma City would have on his bottom line and said that isn’t a factor in his opposition to the SuperSonics’ relocation.

“From an NBA perspective, they’re all NBA fans,” Cuban said. “It’s not going to take any money out of my pocket. It’s not like I’m not selling out every game anyway. It’s not like people are going to come from Oklahoma City.”

Paul Allen and Mark Cuban were the only owners to vote against the relocation move of the Seattle Supersonics to Oklahoma City.  The only owners that care about these fans and the city of Seattle in the NBA.  If Paul Allen voted for the move, he would have been crucified up here in Seattle.

Three members of the NBA relocation committee visited Oklahoma City in 2008 to tour the Ford Center and watch a presentation from city officials. Commissioner David Stern said those three members would recommend approval of the move

Did the NBA help boost Oklahoma City's image?

          Oklahoma City's image gets a boost with Hornets' success...

The temporary relocation of the New Orleans Hornets following Hurricane Katrina to Oklahoma City gave the Sooner capital city a chance to audition for a possible future expansion or relocation franchise.   There were others cities vying for an NBA franchise like Louisville and Kansas City, who lost out to New Orleans when the Hornets left Charlotte for popular French port city.  New Orleans Arena opened in 1999, a construction cost price tag of $114 million with an NBA basketball seating capacity of 16,867.


Wall Street Journal Online: A 600-word story details an array of sports writers who think Oklahoma City is too good a home for the Hornets to leave. The news service is read by corporate executives worldwide.

New York Times/International Herald Tribune: A 1,340 word cover story details Oklahoma City's transformation the last decade into a major league city. The publications are considered among the most prestigious in the world and are read by corporate executives and civic leaders.
 
Ford Center Renovations:

"Mayor Cornett and the city have taken a visionary and appropriate step towards becoming an NBA city,” Bennett said. "I applaud their leadership.”

The improvements to the Ford Center would be funded by a temporary sales tax to be collected beginning January 1, 2009 — the day after the MAPS for Kids penny sales tax expires.   Then OKC Mayor Mick Cornett said the tax would likely last one year to 15 months and pay for about $100 million worth of improvements. The Ford Center cost about $92 million to build.

"With the Hornets, we saw a total economic impact between $65 and $70 million during their two-year stay,” Hamm said. "Regardless of whether you're an NBA fan or sports fan at all, having our own major league team in Oklahoma City expands business growth, development and opportunity across the city.”

Cornett said he knows getting the proposal passed will be a fight, but it's one he believes city leaders can win.

2008:  Oklahoma City's plan to fund Ford Center upgrades:

          Oklahoma City voters approve $100 million in arena upgrades to lure NBA team

Oklahoma City voters approved a sales tax extension $100 million in improvements to a downtown arena and build a practice facility in hopes
luring an NBA team.

The plan calls for a one-penny sales tax to be extended by 15 months to pay for $122 million in upgrades to the Ford Center that included $20 million
for a brand new NBA practice facility.  Note:  Sales tax collections in March 2008 fell shot of expected goals, however low bids along with some  
downgrades helped bring both projects to fruition.  Ninety million was budgeted for the arena upgrades and $10 million was used to build the practice facility.  
Original plans called for a warm up gym type facility to be build inside the Ford Center; the team indicated that the gym wasn't needed and it was scrapped
from the budget.


MAPS for HOOPS campaign...

Oklahoma City voters on overwhelmingly embraced a $120 million tax package aimed at luring the team as that city’s first major-league sports franchise.
More than 60 percent of Oklahoma City voters favored the 15-month, one-cent sales tax to fix up the city’s Ford Center arena and build a new NBA practice facility, according to unofficial final returns from the Oklahoma County Election Board.

The proposal received support from 44,849 voters, or 62 per cent of those who cast ballots, according to final results from the Oklahoma County Election Board.

The city council and the chamber of commerce, which backed a campaign promoting the vote as a way to become a “Big League City.”

The Oklahoma vote was aimed at sending a powerful signal to the NBA Board of Governors.


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(https://cdn2.newsok.biz/cache/r960_blur-d9425f8996bf255c707c250247009b80.jpg)

Thunder become first NBA team to prohibit fans for entire season due to COVID-19:  https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/thunder_become_first_nba_team_to_prohibit_fans_for_entire_season_due_to_covid_19/s1_13132_34248767 (https://www.yardbarker.com/nba/articles/thunder_become_first_nba_team_to_prohibit_fans_for_entire_season_due_to_covid_19/s1_13132_34248767)

Disappointed that Oklahoma City didn't allow some percentage of fan capacity into the arena.  We usually follow what our neighboring NBA franchises are doing:


               Dallas Mavericks    Dallas, TX    American Airlines Center    Yes    1,500 (7.8%)
               Houston Rockets    Houston, TX    Toyota Center    Yes    4,500 (25%)
               Memphis Grizzlies    Memphis, TN    FedEx Forum    Yes
               New Orleans Pelicans    New Orleans, LA    Smoothie King Center    Yes    750 (4%)
               Oklahoma City Thunder    Oklahoma City, OK    Chesapeake Energy Arena    No
               San Antonio Spurs    San Antonio, TX    AT&T Center    Yes    3,200 (Starting March 12)]

Well, hopefully next season...

Which NBA arenas will allow fans during the 2020-21 season? https://ca.nba.com/news/which-nba-arenas-will-allow-fans-to-start-the-2020-21-nba-season/1xjxebnff02i3183pybejqkvmf (https://ca.nba.com/news/which-nba-arenas-will-allow-fans-to-start-the-2020-21-nba-season/1xjxebnff02i3183pybejqkvmf)

 

                                                     House of Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XG0mD1OVSE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XG0mD1OVSE)

                         NBA: Grizzlies @ Thunder Box score  https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401307377 (https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401307377)

 

     Aleksej Pokusevski Full Game Highlights | March 24 | Grizzlies vs Thunder  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LuUf-TXSMg (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LuUf-TXSMg)

[INDENT]
(https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/03/88d64-16147436678877-800.jpg)

 

 

          1st Round
                4.   Oklahoma City
               18.    Oklahoma City (MIA)

          2nd Round
                33.    Oklahoma City
                35.    Oklahoma City (MIN)
                56.    Oklahoma City (DEN)

Determining the NBA Draft Order

      1  All teams missing the playoffs are in the Lottery
      2  Teams with worse records get more chances at winning a top four pick (more ping pong ball combos)
      3  The 1st overall pick is awarded by a drawing of ping pong balls
      4  The 2nd overall pick is awarded by a drawing of ping pong balls
      5  The 3rd overall pick is awarded by a drawing of ping pong balls
      6  The 4th overall pick is awarded by a drawing of ping pong balls
      7  Remaining lottery teams, sorted by record, fill out picks 5-14
      8  Playoff teams, sorted by record, are assigned picks 15-30 - playoff seeds and outcomes have no impact
      9  Random drawing decides who picks first between teams with same record
    10  Tied lottery teams split their ping pong balls evenly, and any odd remainder and the better draft order position are given to the random
          drawing winner
    11  Second round is ordered by record without playoff consideration
    12  Second round ties are in reverse order of the teams' first round picks


                                                                Tankathon:  Full 2021 NBA Draft Order

                                                                 Link:  http://www.tankathon.com/full_draft (http://www.tankathon.com/full_draft)


                                      


  This looks like a mock scenario; if the teams were to finish and pick in the same draft order.  We'll see, what happens after the actual draft.

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The Oklahoma City Thunder are among teams who will have to wait to know exactly what odds they’ll have in the draft lottery. They are tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fourth-worst record in the NBA.

  Oklahoma City, Cleveland and the other teams who have a record that is equal to another team’s will have their draft or lottery spot determined by a coinflip, according to ESPN’s Jonathan Givony.  Givony tweeted that the coinflips will take place on May 25 early in the day.

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Thunder win pre-draft tiebreaker over Cavs, jump to 4 spot https://www.koco.com/article/thunder-win-pre-draft-tiebreaker-over-cavs-jump-to-4-spot/36536514 (https://www.koco.com/article/thunder-win-pre-draft-tiebreaker-over-cavs-jump-to-4-spot/36536514)

The teams finished with identical records this season, prompting a “coin flip” that didn’t go the Cavs’ way. The drawings were conducted by NBA executive vice president Kiki VanDeWeghe at the league office in Secaucus, New Jersey, and overseen by the accounting firm Ernst & Young.

The league decided five other teams among those with identical regular-season records: Chicago (31-41) won a tiebreaker with New Orleans and Sacramento; Charlotte (33-39) won a tiebreaker with San Antonio; New York Knicks (41-31) won a tiebreaker with Atlanta; Dallas Mavericks won a tiebreaker with the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers; and the Clippers (47-25) won a tiebreaker with Denver.

The draft lottery is set for June 22, 2021 & The draft is July 29, 2021

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                         (https://www.thewrap.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/BA_generic.jpg)

     Here’s a look at the NBA’s key dates & milestones over the next 12 months.

          2021

                   June 21-27: NBA draft combine
                   June 22: NBA draft lottery (ESPN:  7:30 - 8:00 p.m.)

                   July 23 to August 8: Toyko Olympics
                   July 29: 2021 NBA draft

                   August 2: Free agency negotiations can begin at 5 p.m. Central
                   August 3: Official start of 2021-22 league year; brief moratorium period begins on transactions
                   August 6: Moratorium period ends at 11:01 a.m. Central, allowing free agents to be signed and trades to be executed
                   August 8-17: NBA Summer League in Las Vegas

                   September 28: Training camps open

                   October 19: Regular season begins
 
         2022

                    April 16, 2022: 2021-22 playoffs start

                    June 2, 2022: NBA Finals Game 1
                    June 19, 2022: NBA Finals Game 7
                    June 23, 2022: 2022 NBA draft

ESPN will air the ping pong balls selection pick that will determine the pick selection order tonight at 7:30 p.m.   This will be a pivotal moment in NBA Thunder history.  Time:  7:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. on ESPN.

Are we feeling lucky; this will be much more agonizing (anticipation filled) than the recent coin flip the Thunder won.
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Lottery picks for Oklahoma City: #6 pick,  

          Lottery order:
 
               #5  Orlando Magic
               #4  Toronto Raptors
               #3  Cleveland Cavaliers
               #2  Houston Rockets
               #1  Detroit Pistons


On the positive side; Presti will make the most of a #6 pick...

Davion Mitchell projected to be drafted by Thunder at #6.

(https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2021/03/7b6df-16169782959122-800.jpg)
Age:  22,  Height 6' 2 -  205 lbs.,  position - point guard

The Thunder will pick No. 6, No. 16 and No. 18 in July’s draft.

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With the No. 32 pick in the 2021 draft, the Thunder selected 6-foot-9 Villanova big Jeremiah Robinson-Earl. Oklahoma City gave up picks No. 34 and 36 to move up and acquire the New York Knicks’ selection, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Oklahoma City Thunder 2021-2022 roster:  https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Oklahoma-City-Thunder/33/Rosters (https://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Oklahoma-City-Thunder/33/Rosters)

Note:  Roster hasn't been updated.  Kemba Walker traded to New York Knicks

               Small Ball: Meet the OKC Thunder Summer League roster

                    (https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/w_850,h_560,c_fill,g_auto,f_auto/https%3A%2F%2Fthunderousintentions.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fimagn-images%2F2017%2F07%2F16050512-850x560.jpeg)

          (https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,f_auto,w_150,h_150/https://fansided.com/wp-content/assets/site_images/thunder/logo_thunderousintentions-com__150x150.png)  https://thunderousintentions.com/2021/08/07/meet-okc-thunder-summer-league-roster/ (http://"https://thunderousintentions.com/2021/08/07/meet-okc-thunder-summer-league-roster/")

OKC Thunder Summer League roster guards:
#3 Josh Giddey, 6’9, 210 pounds, G, Australia
#44 Charlie Brown Jr., 6’6, 199 pounds, G, St. Joseph’s
#25 Rob Edwards, 6’5, 205 pounds, G, Arizona State
#14 Jalen Lecque, 6’4, 185 pounds, G, Brewster Academy
#31 Ryan Woolridge, 6’3, 175 pounds, G, Gonzaga
#21 Aaron Wiggins, 6’6, 200 pounds, G, Maryland
#23 Tre Mann, 6’5, 190 pounds, G, Florida
#11 Theo Maledon, 6’5, 180 pounds, G, France

OKC Thunder Summer League Roster: Wings
#13 Oscar da Silva, 6’9, 230 pounds, F, Stanford
#15 Josh Hall, 6’8, 200 pounds, F, Moravian Prep
#8 Jaylen Hoard, 6’8, 216 pounds, F, Wake Forest
#30 Emmitt Williams, 6’6, 225 pounds, F, LSU
#50 Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, 6’9, 230 pounds, F, Villanova


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                         (https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/187172630_10159550952258573_8505612005316040478_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-4&_nc_sid=e3f864&_nc_ohc=veomddZdFS8AX-kmSBX&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=4e694217615721c33f41e586bfa37ec8&oe=61370113)

          How to watch Thunder in NBA Summer League

               ► Sunday: vs. Pistons, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 (Thomas & Mack Center)

               ► Wednesday: vs. Pelicans, 6 p.m., NBA TV (Cox Pavilion)

               ► Friday: vs. Warriors, 6 p.m., ESPN2 (Cox Pavilion)

               ► Saturday: vs. Pacers, 5 p.m., ESPN2 (Thomas & Mack Center)

               ► Monday/Tuesday, Aug. 16/17: TBD

               ► Tuesday, Aug. 17: Championship game (top-two teams)

                                                              . . . via Oklahoman, Sunday, July 8, 2021

                         (https://scontent-dfw5-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/p843x403/228936550_10159733415388573_973002700567791135_n.jpg?_nc_cat=100&ccb=1-4&_nc_sid=730e14&_nc_ohc=FLL3Tl2EkPUAX87LaYu&_nc_ht=scontent-dfw5-2.xx&oh=4b15f51353eed8c884be1d26230053c7&oe=61376014)


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Oklahoma City Thunder 2021-2022 schedule will be released tomorrow (08-20-2021);  Go to the Google Pay app store to get your free download of the Oklahoma City Thunder for your mobile device.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yinzcam.nba.thunder (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.yinzcam.nba.thunder)

(https://play-lh.googleusercontent.com/JmRsQFwP2NogDF7rEiz40EgL85NqsBd5C2YMQlWBnQZmXyay1sKp_jFIP-aw53TUUtY=s360)




(https://www.nba.com/thunder/sites/thunder/files/nb-pod210817.png?w=756&h=440)

Oklahoma City Thunder Preseason schedule:

2021

          Monday, October 4 - Charlotte Hornets, Paycom Center - OKC, 7 p.m.
          Sunday, October 10 - Milwaukee Bucks, Fiserv Forum - Milwaukee, 7 p.m.
          Wednesday, October 13 - Denver Nuggets, Paycom Center - OKC, 7 p.m.
          Thursday, October 14 - Denver Nuggets, BOK Center - Tulsa, 7 p.m.

                                                            Oklahoma City Thunder 2021-22 Ticket Interest:
                    http://okcthunder.com/interest/?campaignid=paidsearch&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpf2IBhDkARIsAGVo0D3MUV7Q60NvJveZmwKSVJOtjlfN71cAjc4G2A01aM4YjR0AsK0YYrQaAkIjEALw_wcB (http://okcthunder.com/interest/?campaignid=paidsearch&\gclid=Cj0KCQjwpf2IBhDkARIsAGVo0D3MUV7Q60NvJveZmwKSVJOtjlfN71cAjc4G2A01aM4YjR0AsK0YYrQaAkIjEALw_wcB)

                                Paycom Center: Attendance 14,256

                                                    Game Highlights:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3u6OYnKdzc (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3u6OYnKdzc)

          Video link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7lXU1nQLoE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7lXU1nQLoE)

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          Video Highlights  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtsNJ8ecH5o (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtsNJ8ecH5o)

National Basketball Association Smallest Markets*

    NBA Attendance
          01   Bulls   (22)   460,280   20,921   100.0 - 9.6 M - Chicago, IL
          02   76ers   (19)   385,755   20,302   100.7 - 6.3 M - Philadelphia, PA
          03   Mavericks   (23)   451,082   19,612   102.1 - 7.6 M - Dallas-Fort Worth, TX

NBA Leaders above

          08   Jazz   (23)   421,038   18,306   100.0 -  [29 - 16   .644] .3 M - Salt Lake City, UT
          12   Bucks   (23)   399,350   17,363   100.1 [28 - 19   .596] - 1.6 M - Milwaukee, WI
          22   Pelicans   (21)   322,180   15,341   91.0 - [17 - 28   .378] 1.3 M - New Orleans, LA
          24   Grizzlies (26)   390,326   15,012   81.6 - [31 - 16   .6601.3 M - Memphis, TN
          27   Thunder (22) 304,568   14,503   79.7 - [14 - 31   .311]   1.4 M - Oklahoma City, OK   
   
*Markets:  Five above are under 2 million MSA populations.

NBA bottom below:

          28   Spurs   (22)   311,533   14,160   77.2 - 2.6 M - San Antonio, TX
          29   Kings   (28)   381,792   14,140   80.4 - 2.4 M - Sacramento, CA
          30   Pacers   (24)   332,289   13,845   77.2 - 2.1 M - Indianapolis, IN

List compiled January 21, 2021 (number of games played) [Won - Lost record] 41 home games for each franchise.

     All Star Weekend Link:  https://www.nba.com/news/2022-all-star-schedule-of-events (http://"https://www.nba.com/news/2022-all-star-schedule-of-events")


    

   

   

   

     (https://okcfox.com/resources/media2/16x9/full/1015/center/80/64cde732-d2ba-4260-9e4f-62a8e57d064b-large16x9_IMG_1175.jpg)

Despite ending March 16 on a 7 game losing streak, home attendance at Paycom Center has had a slight increase.  The 20-49 Thunder moved ahead of the 27-43 Spurs in NBA average attendance:

     27   Thunder  (35)   501,066   14,737   81.0   34   
     28   Spurs   (36)   529,458   14,707   80.1   34   
     29   Kings   (37)   511,057   14,196   80.7   34   
     30   Pacers   (35)   496,211   14,177    79.1   35 

March home games:

     March 14 vs Hornets - 15,810
      March 13 vs Grizzlies - 17,482
      March 8 vs Bucks - 15,743
      March 6 vs Jazz - 15,079
      March 4 vs T-Wolves - 15,180

(# of home games played)

Oklahoma City exhibits solid support as an NBA city.

   

Can you find more pictures of players with heads?  Decapitatied pictures do not appeal to me.  I skip most of your posts anyway since I don't care about athletic competition but headless players is really yucky.

How about the HEADLESS HORSEMAN, my good man Red Arrow...  ;D

In all seriousness, this is actually a preview of uniforms that will be worn on scheduled game night.

     Just want to say, the Thunder players who are stepping up to fill the spots of our depleted player roster:

          Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
          Luguentz Dort
          Josh Giddey
          Kenrich Williams
          Ty Jerome
          Derrick Favors
          Mike Muscala
          Tre Mann

     All of the original starters are out and some key reserves.  Thunder needs some love for next season's draft.  

     The players who have stepped up are getting invaluable playing experience;

        Theo Maledon
          Aleksej Pokusevski
          Jeremiah Robinson-Earl
          Isaiah Roby
          Olivier Sarr
          Aaron Wiggins
          Lindy Waters III
          Vit Krejci

     The playing experience these guys are getting will help them to the next level.  Truly feel our Thunder will make the playoffs next season.
     We only need another pick on Josh Giddey's level to get there.  Oklahoma City Thunder IMO replaced Coach Billy Donovan with a coach who
     has gotten all of our players to buy in and continue to motivate their competitiveness.

                         (https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/head-coach-mark-daigneault-of-the-oklahoma-city-thunder-looks-on-the-picture-id1239534747?s=612x612)
                                     Kudos to Coach: Mark Daigneault who himself is a practitioner of the game.

      What are your thoughts...

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*******

The Oklahoma City Thunder, meanwhile, currently own two lottery picks -- the second thanks to Friday's play-in loss by the LA Clippers -- and three first-rounders to go along with OKC's No. 34 pick in the second round.

The Thunder's two lottery picks carry a 12.5% chance and a 1.5% chance of winning the top pick.

Link:  https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33748170/2022-nba-draft-order-complete-picks-first-second-rounds-ahead-lottery (https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33748170/2022-nba-draft-order-complete-picks-first-second-rounds-ahead-lottery)

The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery is officially in the books, meaning we have roughly half of the first round draft order complete. Below are the results from tonight's Lottery.

The complete 1-58 draft order for the 2022 NBA Draft presented by State Farm was determined after the results of the NBA Draft Lottery, which was won by the Orlando Magic who will pick first. The NBA Draft will be held in Chicago on Thursday, June 23.

Below are the results from the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery presented by State Farm:

1ST ROUND:  


(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FTACyA5WIAAy76l?format=jpg&name=small)
15. New Orleans (to Charlotte)
16. Atlanta
17. Brooklyn (to Houston)
18. Chicago
19. Minnesota
20. Toronto (to San Antonio)
21. Denver
22. Utah (to Memphis)
23. Philadelphia^^
24. Milwaukee
25. Boston (to San Antonio)
26. Dallas
27. Miami
28. Golden State
29. Memphis
30. Phoenix (to Oklahoma City)

2ND ROUND:

31. Houston (to Indiana via Cleveland)
32. Orlando
33. Detroit (to Toronto via San Antonio, Washington and Chicago)
34. Oklahoma City
35. Indiana (to Orlando via Milwaukee)
36. Portland
37. Sacramento
38. Los Angeles Lakers (to San Antonio via Chicago and Washington)
39. San Antonio (to Cleveland via Utah)
40. Washington (to Minnesota via Cleveland)
41. New Orleans
42. New York
43. LA Clippers
44. Atlanta
45. Charlotte
46. Brooklyn (to Detroit)
47. Cleveland**
48. Minnesota
49. Chicago (to Sacramento via Memphis and Detroit)
50. Denver (to Minnesota via Philadelphia)
51. Toronto (to Golden State via Philadelphia)
52. Utah (to New Orleans)
53. Boston
— Milwaukee (forfeited)
— Philadelphia (to Miami via Denver; forfeited by Miami)
54. Dallas (to Washington)
55. Golden State
56. Miami (to Cleveland via Indiana)
57. Memphis (to Portland via Utah)
58. Phoenix (to Indiana)

** This pick (47) will be conveyed either to New Orleans via Atlanta, or to Memphis via New Orleans and Atlanta


If there are any picks on the quality player level of an undrafted Lu Dort, Sam Presti already has his eye on them for
the 12th, 30th & 34th picks.




        

(https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/05/USATSI_179154511.jpg?resize=1024,683)
     1.  Orlando Magic: Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga - Height: 7-0 - Weight: 195 - Position: C

(https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/04/USATSI_17943886.jpg?resize=1024,794)
     2.  Oklahoma City Thunder: Jabari Smith Jr., Auburn - Height: 6-10 - Weight: 220 - Position: F

Link:  https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/lists/2022-nba-mock-draft-may-20-post-lottery/ (https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/lists/2022-nba-mock-draft-may-20-post-lottery/)

1st Round:

     1. Orlando
     2. Oklahoma City
     3. Houston
     4. Sacramento
     5. Detroit
     6. Indiana
     7. Portland
     8. New Orleans (from Los Angeles Lakers)
     9. San Antonio
    10. Washington

    11. New York
    12. Oklahoma City (from LA Clippers)
    13. Charlotte
    14. Cleveland
    15. Charlotte (from New Orleans)
    16. Atlanta
    17. Houston (from Brooklyn)
    18. Chicago
    19. Minnesota
    20. San Antonio (from Toronto)

    21. Denver
    22. Memphis (from Utah)
    23. Philadelphia
    24. Milwaukee
    25. San Antonio (from Boston)
    26. Dallas
    27. Miami
    28. Golden State
    29. Memphis
    30. Denver/Oklahoma City (from Phoenix) From Denver - Forward JaMychal Green and a future first-round pick.

         The Oklahoma City Thunder made their first move of the offseason on Monday when it was announced that they have traded away the No. 30
         pick in the 2022 NBA draft and two future second-round picks to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for JaMychal Green and a protected 2027
         first-round pick.

2nd Round:

    34. Oklahoma City



.

Oklahoma City Thunder 2022 draft picks

    Round 1, No. 2: Chet Holmgren, Gonzaga
    Round 1, No. 11: Ousmane Dieng, NZ Breakers (acquired in trade with Knicks)
    Round 1, No. 12: Jalen Williams, Santa Clara

    #     #     #

    Round 2, No. 34: Jaylin Williams, Arkansas


Source:  Oklahoman, 06/24/2022

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(https://okcthunderwire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/36/2022/06/1_11_Ousmane-Dieng_OKC_Lead.png?w=1000&h=600&crop=1)
Ousmane Dieng  Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 216 pounds - Position: Forward
Drafted: First round, No. 11 overall by N.Y. Knicks (proposed trade to OKC Thunder)

(https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/i_Y_zMeDHAZbfxy_sZjt9g--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTY0MDtoPTM2NQ--/https://s.yimg.com/uu/api/res/1.2/9eFgENWldC4cVE_n7z7BeA--~B/aD02Mjg7dz0xMTAwO2FwcGlkPXl0YWNoeW9u/https://media.zenfs.com/en/thunder_wire_usa_today_sports_articles_686/ee4bf82bebacebbb0b6cb7df0d0f4613)
Jalen Williams   Height/weight: 6-foot-6, 195 pounds - Position: Forward
Drafted: First round, No. 12

(https://razorbackswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/103/2022/06/2_34_Jaylin-Williams_OKC_Lead.png?w=1000&h=600&crop=1)
Jaylin Williams   Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 240 pounds - Position: Forward
Drafted: Second round, No. 34

(https://content.2kdb-cdn.com/2k21/players/jamychal_green_44252.jpg) 
JaMychal Green   Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 227 pounds - Position: Forward-Center
Undrafted:

(https://therookiewire.usatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/12/2022/06/1_2_HolmGren_OKC.png?w=1000&h=600&crop=1)

2022 NBA Draft results: Picks 1-58: https://www.nba.com/news/2022-nba-draft-order (https://www.nba.com/news/2022-nba-draft-order)

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