Stay with me for a second: Oklahoma City signed restricted free agent Spencer Jones to a two-year deal for $12 million. Denver had a right to match but only had 48 hours to do so. Shams Charania just reported that the Nuggets did, in fact, match the offer, putting them over the second apron.
Denver isn't in the best spot financially right now. It's why they haven't really added any players to their rotation this summer. OKC's attempt to sign away Jones put pressure on the Nuggets that they likely would have preferred to avoid.
The scenario prompted fans to speculate over how nefarious the whole thing may have been from the beginning. Did the Thunder intentionally sabotage Denver's offseason, approaching it from both sides by saying, "Either lose a valuable player or go into the second apron?" Sam Presti is the most respected general manager in the NBA, so a 3D chess move like that can't be ruled out.
And if he's moving pieces on the board with that level of intention, what has he been doing to sabotage the Spurs?
OKC just traded two players to Atlanta this offseason
It seems crazy to think another team's general manager is moving players around the league to position roadblocks in the way of their rivals. However, Presti has proven himself to be a mad genius. That's why every March and April, fans are made aware of the treasure trove of draft picks OKC has gathered from bad teams.
Every year, you hear the same thing: The Thunder have someone's first-rounder who used to be good and is conveniently bad in the season the draft pick is meant to convey. How did Presti know it'd work out like that? Nobody knows, but it's happened way too often to be a coincidence.
Now consider the fact that San Antonio has Atlanta's 2027 first-round draft pick. ATL has already been better than expected, but every team could use a little extra depth. OKC provided that by trading Lu Dort and Aaron Wiggins to the Hawks less than a month apart.
Are we supposed to believe that Atlanta was the only franchise capable of making those deals? The only ones interested in those players? And it just happens to be a team whose next first-rounder is owned by the Thunder's biggest rival and largest threat? I'm not willing to believe in a coincidence that outlandish.
Add us as a preferred source on Google