Guitarsoup said:

---

West Texan said:

---

Carter Bryant defense is something else man pic.twitter.com/gsnkfapDXB

— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) July 9, 2025

Really impressive defensive sequence. Just locks him up and doesn't let him go anywhere.

---

6'8 [in shoes] with 7' wingspan and 215lbs and 40" vertical is elite. Same standing reach as Cooper Flagg.

He's gonna get a lot more minutes than people think this year.

---

I'd tap the brakes a little bit. He's got a lot of work to do on the offensive end before he's ready to contribute regular minutes. His off ball movement is very good so far and the shot looks really good. Once the ball hits his hands and he's not able to just catch and shoot, he really struggles. His processing is a tick slow right now. He's got to learn to keep the ball moving off of drives or knowing where the next action is. I think he'll get there, but I don't think he's automatically going to be in the second unit this season.

West Texan said:

---

Guitarsoup said:

---

West Texan said:

---

Carter Bryant defense is something else man pic.twitter.com/gsnkfapDXB

— Tom Petrini (@RealTomPetrini) July 9, 2025

Really impressive defensive sequence. Just locks him up and doesn't let him go anywhere.

---

6'8 [in shoes] with 7' wingspan and 215lbs and 40" vertical is elite. Same standing reach as Cooper Flagg.

He's gonna get a lot more minutes than people think this year.

---

I'd tap the brakes a little bit. He's got a lot of work to do on the offensive end before he's ready to contribute regular minutes. His off ball movement is very good so far and the shot looks really good. Once the ball hits his hands and he's not able to just catch and shoot, he really struggles. His processing is a tick slow right now. He's got to learn to keep the ball moving off of drives or knowing where the next action is. I think he'll get there, but I don't think he's automatically going to be in the second unit this season.

---

Yeah, we aren't counting on him to do anything but shoot open threes and play defense. I still think he will get more minutes than people expect. It will be more 3rd team early in the season. How many minutes he gets will depend on how well his shot falls. But I think they are going to want him to learn at the Rock rather than Austin for most of the season.

I'm a big Carter Bryant believer but I think y'all are naive if you think Keldon isn't going to continue to soak up significant minutes this year.

Started at 23s to avoid annoying ad

Breaking: Oklahoma City Thunder star and NBA champion Chet Holmgren has agreed to a fully guaranteed five-year maximum rookie contract extension that could reach $250 million, agent Bill Duffy of WME Basketball told ESPN. pic.twitter.com/PsdxZq275C

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 9, 2025

Fantastic news. OKC giving Chet the full max. Need JDub to get the full max, too.

Chet is a dang good player and would take him on the spurs any day of the week, but he is not a max player imo

Thought the same thing when watching the game. I don't want to overreact to game 2, but he looked a bit slow. Whether that's physical ability, indecision, or just being lost idk

AA said:

---

Chet is a dang good player and would take him on the spurs any day of the week, but he is not a max player imo

---

I agree. He's a great rim protector and an off-ball shooter that needs to be fed by someone. Plus he has missed over half his NBA games in three years.

I think he is a guy you want to pay like Jrue Holiday or Derrick White in the new CBA: 18-21% of the cap, not 25-30% of the cap.

JDub is WAY more valuable to the Thunder, so you have to give JDub the max, too.

I would expect them to trade Hartenstein after this season and hope that Sorber is ready to take his place.

Guitarsoup said:

---

Keldon minutes will drop for the 4th straight year. He will still get change of pace rotation minutes, but he's going to be the 9th or 10th guy in minutes next year.

---

Correct. He might not even be on the team at the end of this season depending on how the river winds this season

Guitarsoup said:

---

AA said:

---

Chet is a dang good player and would take him on the spurs any day of the week, but he is not a max player imo

---

I agree. He's a great rim protector and an off-ball shooter that needs to be fed by someone. Plus he has missed over half his NBA games in three years.

I think he is a guy you want to pay like Jrue Holiday or Derrick White in the new CBA: 18-21% of the cap, not 25-30% of the cap.

JDub is WAY more valuable to the Thunder, so you have to give JDub the max, too.

I would expect them to trade Hartenstein after this season and hope that Sorber is ready to take his place.

---

As long as their big 3 are together, i would make the argument that Chet is a max player on that Thunder team. He might not be on another team but he puts the Thunder on a different level defensively, as annoying as he is.

AA said:

---

Thought the same thing when watching the game. I don't want to overreact to game 2, but he looked a bit slow. Whether that's physical ability, indecision, or just being lost idk

---

There's certainly no reason to overreact to his second game in the summer league. He's going to get better, it's just a matter of how long it takes him. As far as what's making him slow on the offensive end, it's processing leading to indecisiveness. You can see the athleticism on defense, where he's very confident and is able to stay with guys (or lock them up completely like last night). For him to be able to get on the floor he's got to be able to quickly attack close outs and then make the right decision from there. He doesn't have to be a guy that we're running lots of ball screens for, just be competent enough to not be a ball stopper.

Having a new coaching staff actually makes me feel a little better about having a guy like Keldon still on the team. Pop wouldn't be able to help himself. Would probably still play the guy 20mpg+

The starting lineup debate will be interesting. Doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things but it will be interesting to see what they go with there. Fox and Castle in the SL together does put a lot more pressure on the defense but Sochan does help on the glass.

OKC has a pile of picks over the next several years.

My guess is Presti's plan is to keep that core three, and use those picks to cycle through the role players and supporting pieces to keep things competitive. Just like he ran it in SA.

I have to admit that I have never really been a fan of Olynyk but I think he is going to be a major upgrade in this role and he brings another veteran presence to the team.
Really looking forward to this season.

jteagle said:

---

I have to admit that I have never really been a fan of Olynyk but I think he is going to be a major upgrade in this role and he brings another veteran presence to the team.
Really looking forward to this season.

---

We need ass kickers and he is one.

Really interested in who the last 2-3 guys are. Spurs have been pretty interesting in the off season. Turning over over half the roster in 6mo and upgrading at basically every position of need.

FTAG 2000 said:

---

OKC has a pile of picks over the next several years.

My guess is Presti's plan is to keep that core three, and use those picks to cycle through the role players and supporting pieces to keep things competitive. Just like he ran it in SA.

---

Yeah for sure, but you aren't getting rookies that can do what Lu Dort does. Takes years of practice to be that much of an asshat.

Their 76ers pick next year might be nice. It is top 4 protected.

I was thinking this new CBA would lead to teams being a little more stingy about giving out max deals to everyone. Maybe not.

Ag Natural said:

---

I was thinking this new CBA would lead to teams being a little more stingy about giving out max deals to everyone. Maybe not.

---

Yeah i think dumb franchises are still going to do dumb things, maxxing out folks who have no business getting maxxed or signing away other (smart) team's 2nd/3rd/4th guys to max deals. Gotta win now. Let the piper come calling after I get fired. Big swings, baby.

We got two of the three best teams in the West

Guitarsoup said:

---

We got two of the three best teams in the West

---

The pillowfight to win West-B will be adorable, tho

CC09LawAg said:

---

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

---

Guitarsoup said:

---

We got two of the three best teams in the West

---

The pillowfight to win West-B will be adorable, tho

---

What is that monstrosity in between the Mavericks and the Lakers? A beehive?

---

It is a modern cruise ship with a hull painted like a basketball with inside a C.

A Clipper was a 3-masted ship in the 1800s.

Brian Wright has been a very busy guy since Wemby's rookie year👀 pic.twitter.com/50zxQIp0aB

— Silver & Black Coffee Hour (@SlvrBlkCoffeeHr) July 9, 2025

CC09LawAg said:

---

Obi Wan Ginobili said:

---

Guitarsoup said:

---

We got two of the three best teams in the West

---

The pillowfight to win West-B will be adorable, tho

---

What is that monstrosity in between the Mavericks and the Lakers? A beehive?

---

It's a tiny little image of the cartilage left in Kawhi's knee. He's penciled in for 38 games this season.

https://andscape.com/features/rookie-guard-dylan-harper-ready-for-nba-education-with-san-antonio-spurs/

Harper interview where he talks about learning from Manu, interacting with Pop and Tim.

Quote:

---

"I met Pop the first day I was there and Tim. Pop was there getting treatment and doing exercises. That is not regular in any NBA gym. You see a Hall of Fame coach, a Hall of Fame player walking around the gym. And they are there like every day. I can pick their brain and ask questions."

---

Quote:

---

"For me to be in this organization, it's every kid's dream. It's a dream come true," Harper said. "They really care for everyone whether you're in the G League, two-way (Exhibit 10), star player, role player, bench guy. It doesn't matter. They are going to care for you the exact same way. With the culture and family atmosphere they have, you have to work hard every day. We are going to do everything together. That's what I've taken most out of it so far; ain't no better place to land than San Antonio in my eyes.

"I'm not going to be perfect, but I just want to learn every day from the vets and the guys around me, like De'Aaron Fox, Harrison Barnes. Even a guy like Wemby, Steph Castle. Just learn as much as I can from everyone. I'm new. I'm going to be that guy with full energy, running around the gym and just trying to understand the game better. And as I'm getting better every day, that would be a pretty successful rookie year. I want to just go out there and show I belong."

---

Quote:

---

But Harper said he has spent considerable time receiving words of wisdom from Ginobili, an Argentinean who works for the Spurs as a special advisor and has his No. 20 jersey retired with the franchise.

"I talk to him the most," Harper said of Ginobili. "More about just the game and the speed and just how he adapted to it from a FIBA standpoint to coming over here. What was his biggest changes being a player and being professional outside of basketball? What kept you locked in? Just all little things I think that every NBA player goes through. …
"I've hung out with Ginobili every day since I've been here. I'm just picking his brain and just asking him questions. From past players to coaches, everyone is involved in it. Everyone comes back."

---

Free agent guard Jordan McLaughlin has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal to return to the San Antonio Spurs, agent Greg Lawrence of Wasserman told ESPN. McLaughlin split last season with the Spurs and Kings, and now enters his seventh NBA campaign as a reserve guard. pic.twitter.com/DzyvaSP5cb

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 10, 2025

$3m out of the 8.4M left.

$5.4Mm left below the tax.

Have to sign one more roster spot. Can sign two more.

Guitarsoup said:

---

Free agent guard Jordan McLaughlin has agreed to a one-year, $3 million deal to return to the San Antonio Spurs, agent Greg Lawrence of Wasserman told ESPN. McLaughlin split last season with the Spurs and Kings, and now enters his seventh NBA campaign as a reserve guard. pic.twitter.com/DzyvaSP5cb

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 10, 2025

$3m out of the 8.4M left.

$5.4Mm left below the tax.

Have to sign one more roster spot. Can sign two more.

---

Did not see this coming. That's some expensive insurance.

Only have 4 guards on the roster. Need someone and since the Spurs had a prolonged interview, he must be a good guy.

Need someone like that at big, too.

Just a vet min or thereabout.

To continue beating a dead horse, we could have also used 38 on someone just to eat a roster spot. 3 million for McLaughlin seems steep for a guy who won't hopefully play any meaningful minutes. Could have easily taken another swing at hitting the jackpot with a 2nd rounder.

AggieEP said:

---

To continue beating a dead horse, we could have also used 38 on someone just to eat a roster spot. 3 million for McLaughlin seems steep for a guy who won't hopefully play any meaningful minutes. Could have easily taken another swing at hitting the jackpot with a 2nd rounder.

---

The second rounder probably isn't as good for teaching the young guys as the veteran, though.