Category: Oklahoma City Thunder

Thunder Interested in Potential Trade for Bulls' Patrick Williams, per Report
4 Jun 24 Jimm Sallivan

Thunder Interested in Potential Trade for Bulls’ Patrick Williams, per Report

The Chicago Bulls drafted forward Patrick Williams with the fourth overall pick in 2020, and his tenure with the team may be coming to an end this offseason.

Williams is expected to become a restricted free agent this summer. If the Bulls decide to put Williams on the trade market, supposedly one team is interested in potentially signing and trading for the forward—the Oklahoma City Thunder, according to The Athletic's Darnell Mayberry.

The Bulls negotiated a contract for Williams last fall, which was valued at more than $16 million, a source told Mayberry, but the deal did not come to fruition. If the Thunder can offer Williams more than what the Bulls did last season, it's possible the former first round pick will make his way to Oklahoma City.

Williams missed a majority of the 2023–24 season, though, after he suffered a season-ending foot injury back in January. In the 43 games he played last season, he averaged 10 points, 3.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.

The Bulls hold the 11th pick in the NBA draft, which begins on Wednesday, June 26, while the Thunder have the 12th pick. The draft might have some impact on the Bulls' decision about Williams's future on the team, too.

Chicago Bulls, NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, Patrick Williams
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Thunder Could Become Serious Suitor for Free Agent Isaiah Hartenstein, per Report
31 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Thunder Could Become Serious Suitor for Free Agent Isaiah Hartenstein, per Report

Impending free agent center Isaiah Hartenstein's play this season for the New York Knicks could earn him a lucrative contract when he hits free agency this summer.

While the Knicks certainly have an interest in retaining Hartenstein, there will be plenty of other suitors as well.

Among those who are expected to have an interest in Hartenstein? The Oklahoma City Thunder, according to a report from Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports.

As Fischer points out, the Thunder have been a team linked to Hartenstein if he leaves New York, especially considering the rebounding issues that the franchise endured in the loss to the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference semifinals. Hartenstein is not a perfect fit offensively, as he is not a prototypical drive-and-kick offensive center like Chet Holmgren has become. However, as Fischer notes, Hartenstein's strengths offensively in the pick-and-roll could be appealing to the Thunder if the franchise is seeking to unlock another dimension to its offense.

As for the Knicks, the issue is that the franchise can only offer Hartenstein a four-year, $72.5 million contract due to his early Bird rights. If a team like the Thunder, or maybe even the Magic (who had an interest in Hartenstein before he landed in New York) want to offer Hartenstein a contract, they can blow the Knicks' offer out of the water. Any rival team looking to sign the free agent center can offer up to $151.6 million over four years.

The NBA Finals have yet to begin, but across the league, the rumor mill is heating up. Hartenstein's return to New York seems far from certain entering the summer.

Hartenstein, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Wizards Promote Interim Coach Brian Keefe to Head Role
29 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Wizards Promote Interim Coach Brian Keefe to Head Role

The Washington Wizards announced on Wednesday that Brian Keefe, who acted as interim coach since January, will officially be the team's new head coach.

Keefe took over after coach Wes Unseld Jr. was fired in January. Keefe led the Wizards to an 8–31 record after that.

“We are excited for Brian to become our next head coach. Brian is a proven motivator and connector of people,” Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said in a press release. “As a leader in the organization, he will continue to positively grow and invest into the development of our players. His wealth of experience will help move our team forward as we build for long-term sustained success.”

Keefe previously worked as an assistant coach for the Oklahoma City Thunder (2007–15 and 2019–20), the New York Knicks (2015–16), the Los Angeles Lakers (2016–19) and the Brooklyn Nets (2021–23) before coming to the Wizards. This past season was Keefe's first with the Wizards.

NBA, Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards
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NBA Playoff Schedule: Full Rundown for Conference Semifinals
6 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

NBA Playoff Schedule: Full Rundown for Conference Semifinals

The first round of the 2024 NBA postseason had some great matchups, and things will only get better from here on out. Saturday marked the start of the second round of the playoffs, when true contenders battle against one another in an effort to reach the final four of their conference. Iron sharpens iron, after all, and this year's slate of Round 2 contests look pretty great across the board.

Fewer games means fewer overlapping broadcast times, too. After two weeks with up to three NBA games on every night, we're more or less back to the standard of an Eastern Conference tip-off around 7 p.m. ET and a Western Conference tip-off around 10 p.m. ET.

For your viewing habit purposes, here is the full schedule for the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs, organized by series.

NBA Playoff Schedule for Second Round

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics v. (4) Cleveland Cavaliers

• Game 1: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Tuesday, May 7 (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
• Game 2: Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Thursday, May 9 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Game 3: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, Saturday, May 11 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
• Game 4: Celtics vs. Cavaliers, Monday, May 13 (7 p.m. ET, TNT)
• Game 5 (if necessary): Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Wednesday, May 15 (TBD)
• Game 6 (if necessary): Celtics vs. Cavaliers, Friday, May 17 (TBD)
• Game 7 (if necessary): Cavaliers vs. Celtics, Sunday, May 19 (TBD)

(2) New York Knicks v. (3) Indiana Pacers

• Game 1: Pacers vs. Knicks, Monday, May 6 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
• Game 2: Pacers vs. Knicks, Wednesday, May 8 (8 p.m. ET, TNT)
• Game 3: Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 10 (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Game 4: Knicks vs. Pacers, Sunday, May 12 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
• Game 5 (if necessary): Pacers vs. Knicks, Tuesday, May 14 (TBD)
• Game 6 (if necessary): Knicks vs. Pacers, Friday, May 17 (TBD)
• Game 7 (if necessary): Pacers vs. Knicks, Sunday, May 19 (TBD)

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder v. (5) Dallas Mavericks

• Game 1: Mavericks vs. Thunder, Tuesday, May 7 (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
• Game 2: Mavericks vs. Thunder, Thursday, May 9 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Game 3: Thunder vs. Mavericks, Saturday, May 11 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
• Game 4: Thunder vs. Mavericks, Monday, May 13 (9:30 p.m. ET, TNT)
• Game 5 (if necessary): Mavericks vs. Thunder, Wednesday, May 15 (TBD)
• Game 6 (if necessary): Thunder vs. Mavericks, Saturday, May 18 (8:30 p.m. ET)
• Game 7 (if necessary): Mavericks vs. Thunder, Monday, May 20 (8:30 p.m. ET)

(2) Denver Nuggets v. (3) Minnesota Timberwolves

• Game 2: Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, Monday, May 6 (10 p.m. ET, TNT)
• Game 3: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, Friday, May 10 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
• Game 4: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, Sunday, May 12 (8 p.m. ET, TNT)
• Game 5 (if necessary): Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, Tuesday, May 14 (TBD)
• Game 6 (if necessary): Nuggets vs. Timberwolves, Thursday, May 16 (8:30 p.m. ET)
• Game 7 (if necessary): Timberwolves vs. Nuggets, Sunday, May 19 (TBD)

Key Dates for the 2024 NBA Playoffs

Aside from the all the above, the NBA postseason generally has a few key dates.

The first have already passed in the form of the play-in tournament, as well as the start of the first round. The Nuggets and Timberwolves kicked off the second round on Saturday, May 4. Below are several other key dates to look forward to.

• Conference Finals start dates: May 19-22, depending on the length of the second-round series.
• NBA Finals start date: Thursday, June 6 will be Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Sunday, June 9 will be Game 2. Game 3 will take place on Wednesday, June 12. Friday, June 14 will be Game 4.

First Round Results

Below are the full results for the first round of this year's postseason.

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston Celtics def. (8) Miami Heat in 5 games

(2) New York Knicks def. (7) Philadelphia 76ers in 6 games

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers def. (5) Orlando Magic in 7 games

(6) Indiana Pacers def. (3) Milwaukee Bucks in 6 games

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder def. (8) New Orleans Pelicans in 4 games

(2) Denver Nuggets def. (7) Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games

(3) Minnesota Timberwolves def. (6) Phoenix Suns in 4 games

(5) Dallas Mavericks def. (4) Los Angeles Clippers in 6 games

And that's everything you need to know about the second round of the 2024 NBA playoffs. Enjoy watching!

Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, NBA, New York Knicks, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Mavericks' Maxi Kleber Suffered Full Shoulder Dislocation, per Report
4 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Mavericks’ Maxi Kleber Suffered Full Shoulder Dislocation, per Report

Dallas Mavericks big man Maxi Kleber suffered a full shoulder dislocation on Friday night in his team's Game 6 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers, according to a report from Shams Charania of The Athletic.

As a result of the injury, Kleber is expected to miss a significant period of time, if not the remainder of the Mavericks' postseason run.

Kleber suffered the injury on a drive to the basket in the second quarter when he was fouled by Clippers wing Amir Coffey and landed with all his weight on his shoulder.

The injury is significant to Dallas' frontcourt, and is devastating for Kleber, who was really coming into his own this postseason off the Mavericks' bench. Kleber averaged 5.7 points and 2.7 rebounds in 19.3 minutes per game off the bench in the team's first-round series.

Kleber will certainly be missed moving forward, as the Mavericks attempt to navigate their upcoming series with Oklahoma City without one of their key frontcourt players.

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, Maxi Kleber, Oklahoma City Thunder
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Galveston Fires Back at Charles Barkley With Mysterious Series of Clever Billboards
2 May 24 Jimm Sallivan

Galveston Fires Back at Charles Barkley With Mysterious Series of Clever Billboards

Galveston, Texas took it on the chin this weekend.

The Gulf of Mexico resort city—minding its own business during the NBA playoffs—suddenly gained notoriety when Hall of Fame forward and TNT analyst Charles Barkley proposed the city as an alternate vacation destination to Cancun for teams after uninspired playoff efforts.

"We're not even gonna send them to Cancun. We're gonna send them to Galveston with that dirty-a-- water," Barkley said after the New Orleans Pelicans lost 106-85 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 of the first round Saturday. "Y'all quit. Drive your a-- down to Galveston."

However, Galveston has struck back. Per TMZ, mysterious billboards taking shots at Barkley have sprung up around the city.

Messages include "Hey Charles, our water is cleaner than your golf swing," "Hey Charles, come on down—the water's fine!" and "Hey Charles, you've never turned down any of our great food."

All are signed, "Love, Galveston."

Who would've guessed a feud between a television personality and a city that has produced two NBA players ever—and a city close to one of Barkley's old teams, the Houston Rockets—would rank among the most compelling rivalries of these NBA playoffs?

Charles Barkley, Houston Rockets, NBA, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns
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