INSIDE Nick Collison tries to answer what Russell Westbrook will do.
Nick Collison was in Oklahoma City on Friday to sign his contract with the Thunder. It’s his first as a free agent.
The other times Collison signed with the Thunder in his 15-year NBA career were extensions. Like Collison, Russell Westbrook has only signed extensions with the Thunder since becoming a pro, but Westbrook has the opportunity to become an unrestricted free agent for the first time in 2018 if he declines his player option.
Westbrook could also sign a Designated Veteran Player Exception before the start of the season which could pay him more than $235 million over six seasons.
While the two have played together for nine seasons, Collison doesn’t know what Westbrook’s decision will be.
“He’s gonna do what he wants to do. There’s nobody that’s gonna talk him into anything,” Collison told The Oklahoman of Westbrook potentially signing an extension. “Similar to me, he knows he’s been treated really well here and things have gone really well here. It’s up to him. He’s gonna make whatever decision he’s gonna make.
“Whether he does it or not, he’s gonna come into the season the same way ready to go, ready to compete and play.”
Thunder signs French center
The Thunder has agreed to a contract with French center Yannis Morin, The Oklahoman confirmed Friday.
The 23-year-old Morin (6-foot-11, 210 pounds), played on the Thunder’s summer league team in Orlando, averaging 2.2 points and 4.0 rebounds in five games. He averaged 3.6 points and 2.0 rebounds per game for Cholet Basket of the LNB Pro A league of France in 2014-15.
Morin will be a training camp invite on a non-guaranteed contract. With the Thunder’s roster currently at 16 players (including unsigned rookie Terrance Ferguson), Morin could end up playing for the G-League Oklahoma City Blue this season.
Morin’s agreement was first announced by BeBasket.
More Dakari Johnson questions
Dakari Johnson is moving up from the Blue to the Thunder. But what does it mean?
Oklahoma City’s 2015 second-round pick from Kentucky has spent the past two seasons in what then was the D-League and now is the G-League.
And when The Vertical broke the news on Thursday that he’ll sign a two-year guaranteed contract with the Thunder, fans had a lot of questions.
Thursday’s Oklahoman explained a lot about the Johnson situation, including what it means for Semaj Christon and the Thunder’s roster spot, but there are some lingering questions.
Here’s an effort to answer some of the most common ones:
Did Johnson agree to one of these two-way contracts I keep hearing about?
No, this will be an NBA contract.
NBA teams are allowed two two-way players this year who can spend up to 45 days with the club and the rest of the time in the G-League. The Thunder could sign a player to one of those ( Daniel Hamilton, for example, could be a candidate), but Johnson’s deal is to join the big club.
Does adding Johnson mean Enes Kanter is about to be traded, and Johnson is his replacement?
No. That’s not to say the Thunder won’t explore a Kanter trade at some point. It could. But Johnson doesn’t necessarily portend a move. Johnson will join the NBA team and practice a lot with the Thunder. He might get a few minutes here and there. But he’ll be a rookie, and he’s still a developing player. He’s not a short-term replacement for Kanter.
Because the Thunder traded Domantas Sabonis Indiana in the deal that landed Paul George, OKC is without a young big man on the roster. Kanter has two years remaining on his contract, and the second is a player option. If Kanter opts out — and he might not, given that he’s unlikely in the current market to get anything close to the $18.6 million he’s owed in 2018-19 — Johnson is a backup-center insurance policy for next season. But it’s unlikely he’d be a much of an on-court factor this season. to
How will Billy Donovan even use Johnson as a third center?
I got this question a lot. He probably won’t. Think about Josh Huestis last season. He played sparingly with the Thunder and a lot with the Blue. He practiced with both teams. Johnson probably will fill a similar role.
Remember, though an NBA team can carry 15 players on its roster, only 13 are active on any given night. That means every game, two of a team’s 15 players aren’t even eligible to play. Barring a surprise, Johnson won’t play much.
So why sign Johnson at all?
He’s been in the system for two years, and Johnson has gotten a lot better. He was first-team All-NBA D League last season. He got buckets at Summer League. He’s a good, improving player and it’s time for the Thunder to let him try to take the next step in his development. That means working more directly with the big club, practicing with the Thunder players and coaches.
Also, Johnson is the leastexpensive available option as a 15th man. His zero years of NBA experience mean he can be paid as little as $815,615 in his first season.
BRETT DAWSON AND ERIK HORNE, STAFF WRITERS