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The Oklahoma City Thunder are a very special team in the NBA.
What started as a rough rebuild from losing Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden has blossomed into the first-seed in the Western Conference and an NBA Finals favorite. OKC is currently on a league-high ten-game winning streak and has the league's best record at 63-12.
For as amazing as the Thunder are, they wouldn't be there without Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey. Giddey was drafted by OKC in 2021 as the 6th overall pick in the draft. His time with the team is one he remembers fondly.
“This is where it all started," Giddey said. "The relationships I built with the players, the strength staff, the coaches, the front office is something I hold for the rest of my life."
Josh Giddey on what’s on his mind in his return:
— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) March 31, 2025
“This is where it all started. The relationships I built with the players, the strength staff, the coaches, the front office is something I hold for the rest of my life.
“It’s a bit weird coming back here as an opposing team.… pic.twitter.com/cgKJ3Nugaq
“It’s a bit weird coming back here as an opposing team," Giddey said. " I loved it here. Very grateful for everything these guys did for me.”
Giddey still wears the love for his Oklahoma City Thunder teammates proudly on his shoulders. He even went as far as to call them the best team in the NBA, even better than the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
“I don’t ever sit here watching these guys hoping they lose or hoping they’re not the best team in the league. I’m genuinely happy for them," Giddey said. "I’m very grateful to be a part of building something here.”
Giddey called OKC the “best team in the league.”
— Joel Lorenzi (@JoelXLorenzi) March 31, 2025
“I don’t ever sit here watching these guys hoping they lose or hoping they’re not the best team in the league. I’m genuinely happy for them. … I’m very grateful to be a part of building something here.” pic.twitter.com/cVsWP65QBZ
Regardless of how much love Giddey has for the Thunder, that didn't make his former teammates take it easy on him. On Monday night, the Oklahoma City Thunder decimated the Chicago Bulls 145-117.
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East Team’s Potential Decision Could Escalate Jonathan Kuminga Drama With Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are still awaiting a decision by restricted free agent Jonathan Kuminga as the NBA offseason is nearing August. Of course, Kuminga has a major decision to make regarding the next step of his career and it appears likely that it will not be in Golden State but rather with another franchise. This comes after the young forward fell out of Steve Kerr’s rotation last season after the Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat at the trade deadline. While it appears Kuminga’s time in Golden State is nearing an end, the Warriors still have a major say in his next team as they will likely have to agree to a sign-and-trade deal. Despite this, ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel recently reported that one Eastern Conference team could escalate the situation between Kuminga and the Warriors by making a major decision this offseason. “Other teams with rumored interest in Kuminga are the Chicago Bulls, Phoenix Suns, and Brooklyn Nets. Then again, the Nets, who have plenty of cap space, have yet to express serious interest in Kuminga,” Siegel wrote. “If they wanted to, Brooklyn could sign Kuminga to an offer sheet right now and escalate this situation.” This is a massive report by Siegel as the Nets do have enough cap space to sign Kuminga to an offer sheet which would tie the Warriors’ hands. Of course, this is unlikely to happen as the Nets are also dealing with their own restricted free agent problems with Cam Thomas as they are not wanting to offer the young guard the contract that he wants. While that may be the case, if the Nets end up moving on from Thomas in a sign-and-trade deal with another team they could shift their focus on Kuminga, who they have been linked to over the past two seasons. This would be the worst-case scenario for Golden State and one that would extremely hurt them heading into next season, especially with their lack of moves thus far this offseason.
Biggest impact of Josh Naylor trade may still be to come
While the Seattle Mariners landed an impact bat on Thursday night, their trade for Josh Naylor has also likely impacted the entire upcoming MLB trade deadline. On Thursday, Seattle sent a pair of top pitching prospects to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Naylor, with left-hander Brandyn Garcia (ranked as Seattle's 13th-best prospect by MLB.com) and right-hander Ashton Izzi (ranked as Seattle's 16th-best prospect by the same rankings) heading to the desert. Knowing what the Diamondbacks received in exchange for Naylor could well set the market for what is to come between now and the conclusion of the 2025 MLB trade deadline, set for 6 p.m. (Eastern) on July 31. The 28-year-old first baseman was ranked by The Athletic as the 17th-best trade candidate likely to be available, but ranked behind just one other first baseman (Baltimore's Ryan O'Hearn, who was slotted in at 16th). If Naylor brought in a pair of pitching prospects, including Garcia, who has appeared in two games this season for Seattle, the Diamondbacks could be salivating over what third baseman Eugenio Suarez and his 36 home runs could bring in return. All MLB teams who will be buying or selling at this year's trade deadline have had the first price bar set for them with the Naylor deal. Now it will be fascinating to see what comes next, especially knowing that Naylor will be a free agent at the end of this season. If Seattle gave up two pitching prospects for a player who could be a late-season rental only, imagine what the Minnesota Twins may be able to recoup for starting pitcher Joe Ryan (under team control through the 2027 season) or the Boston Red Sox might get back for outfielder Jarren Duran, who won't be a free agent until the 2029 campaign. While Naylor may not be the biggest move to come during this span before the trade deadline comes to a close, his deal could be the one that establishes selling prices for the trades that are to come. With so few MLB teams expected to be outright sellers, the price for available talent was expected to be high. We learned on Thursday night with the Naylor swap just how high those prices may go.
Isak transfer drama sparks fresh Saudi interest in Darwin Nunez – report
Liverpool’s next big exit might not be who we expected — and it could be triggered by a transfer battle unfolding in the north east. According to a report from Arriyadiyah, Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal have shifted their attention towards Darwin Nunez after their pursuit of Alexander Isak hit a financial wall. The Newcastle United striker has reportedly demanded an eye-watering £60 million annual salary, plus extras, to consider a move to Saudi Arabia. Saudi interest in Isak has cooled now attention turns to Nunez That’s more than £1.15 million per week, and it’s no surprise that Al-Hilal are now exploring alternatives. One of them, per the same report, is Liverpool’s No.9. The Saudi side’s coach Simone Inzaghi is said to have specifically requested the Uruguayan forward as a top alternative to Isak. The 26-year-old was already the subject of interest from the Gulf state earlier in the window, but now that Isak talks have cooled, the heat is rising again around our £85 million man. Darwin Nunez is viewed as an Alexander Isak alternative It’s another sign that our forward line could be reshaped this summer. Liverpool have already committed to French striker Hugo Ekitike and with Alexander Isak reportedly still on our radar at £130-150 million, a serious bid from Saudi Arabia for Darwin could accelerate a sale — especially given his struggle for form under Arne Slot. The former Benfica striker managed just five Premier League goals last season and the boss no longer appears to trust him in big moments. If Al-Hilal formalise their interest, this could be the end of Nunez’s Anfield journey — and the start of a new era up front. The irony of Darwin Nunez being viewed as an Alexander Isak alternative, as we attempt to sign the Swede, despite buying Ekitike who was Newcastle’s desired replacement for their No.14 – somewhat highlights the craziness of this merry-go-round transfer window.
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Raiders have whiffed on every recent major free-agent signing
The Las Vegas Raiders released defensive lineman Christian Wilkins on Thursday over a dispute regarding his recovery from a foot injury. The move comes just one year after he signed a massive four-year, $110M contract in free agency. Even worse, It continues what has been a disturbing trend of the Raiders completely whiffing on every major free-agent signing they have made since relocating from Oakland to Las Vegas prior to the 2020 season. Of the four highest-paid outside free agents they have made in the five years since that move, only one of them played more than one season with the Raiders before being let go, and none of them played more than two seasons. There is always a risk with free agency because you never truly know how a player is going to fit onto a new team, into a new system and how they will play until they actually put on the pads and start doing it. It's not uncommon for some of those big moves to end in disappointment. The concern for the Raiders is that all of their recent big moves have ended in disappointment, and it's a big part of why the team has had just one winning seasons over the past five seasons. Las Vegas mostly stayed out of the big-ticket free agent game this offseason, but still made some significant moves to change the organization. Along with hiring head coach Pete Carroll, they also acquired quarterback Geno Smith to provide some stability at a position that has been a consistent mess over the past few years. Carroll and the Raiders have big expectations this season, but the roster still has a lot of holes. The release of Wilkins on Thursday only adds another one that they may not have been expecting.
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