Feb 6, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) handles the ball against Golden State Warriors center Andris Biedrins (15) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder starting center Kendrick Perkins has often been thought of as the weak link on the Thunder roster.

Perkins came to OKC with the reputation of being some kind of defensive anchor. He could defend Dwight Howard one-on-one better than anyone in the league and he was going to be the missing piece for the Thunder in their quest for an NBA title.

Then last year happened and the Thunder made it to the NBA Finals and Perkins was one of – if not the – reasons the Thunder lost in five games to the Miami Heat.

Yesterday, Perkins was linked to a trade rumor with the Phoenix Suns. The potential deal would have sent Perkins, Eric Maynor, Jeremy Lamb and a first-round pick to the Suns for Marcin Gortat and P.J. Tucker.

Shortly after the rumor, it was announced that Perkins would miss the game against the Houston Rockets with a sprained right knee. After being off for the last five days mind you.

The rumor felt like it would come true if you were reading between the lines, and everyone was. Then a source came out saying it was nothing more than a rumor and the original source that started the whole thing said it was a “league rumor” and that the Thunder and Suns actually hadn’t discussed this trade.

Too bad for the Thunder.

Ridding themselves of Perkins and gaining Gortat to replace him would have been monumental. Gortat isn’t anywhere near the defender that Perkins is but offensively he is far superior. Gortat can actually score from the post too and is great at rolling to the rim in the pick-and-roll. He would have been something the Thunder offense – which is the best in the league – has never had.

The loss of Perkins defensively would not be a big deal either. With the decline of the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies, Perkins has less value as a great defender of post-up players. The Thunder don’t really need that so much anymore and can easily survive without it.

What OKC needs the most is more scoring in the paint. Whenever they lose, it’s usually because they are shooting too many jumpers and not getting enough easy looks. There is not a ton of balance in where the Thunder offense can hurt you as it is mostly from the outside.

Gortat would change that overnight.

So the question isn’t just “Should the Thunder trade Perkins?” It depends on what they can get. If acquiring Gortat to replace him is possible, they need to do it. If Kevin Garnett is a possibility, do that too.

The Thunder know this and they would never let him go for nothing. They probably value him more than any other team in the league.

The trade deadline is later today at 3 p.m. EST. We will know soon enough of Perkins is on the way out or not.

Feb. 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins reacts after being called for a technical foul in the second quarter against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder weren’t expected to be very active at the trade deadline this year. They have the second best record in the NBA and there aren’t many holes in their roster.

Reports have surfaced today that the Thunder are considering a trade with the Phoenix Suns that would send starting center Kendrick Perkins to Phoenix in exchange for Marcin Gortat, according to the Arizona Republic.

The Thunder would also send Eric Maynor, rookie Jeremy Lamb and a first-round pick to the Suns and receive P.J. Tucker in return as well.

The Thunder would owe Perkins over $17 million the next two seasons if they keep him. Gortat has another year left on his contract worth $7.72 million.

It would be a pretty big surprise if the Thunder part ways with Perkins this season because they’ve never said before they are looking to trade him.

With the decline of the Los Angeles Lakers and Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference the Thunder may not see Perkins as such a big need anymore.

Receiving Tucker as part of the deal would be sneaky good too. Tucker is one of the premiere hustle guys in the league right now as a defender and offensive rebounder. He would actually be a decent option for the Thunder to have defend LeBron James too.

We’ve already heard Maynor’s name linked to a few trade rumors and there have been reports that the Thunder are aggressively shopping him.

Lamb seems like a trade chip at best in the Thunder’s eyes since he has hardly played at all this season.

This is just the beginning hearing about this trade. The Thunder and the rest of the league have until tomorrow afternoon at 3 pm EST to make any deals.

Update: It looks like this was nothing more than a rumor…

I mentioned All-Star break talk of a Perkins/Lamb/pick-Gortat/Tucker swap. Apparently, that was a league rumor but not actual team talks.

— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) February 20, 2013

February 9, 2013; Sacramento, CA, USA; Utah Jazz power forward Paul Millsap (24) and center Al Jefferson (25) react after being called for a foul as Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins (15) looks on during the third quarter at Sleep Train Arena. The Kings defeated the Jazz 120-109. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns have not had a very good season at all and are looking to be major players at the trade deadline.

The Arizona Republic is reporting that the Suns have engaged in trade talks with the Utah Jazz and New York Knicks regarding Al Jefferson, Gordon Hayward and Iman Shumpert.

Jefferson has had his name linked with trade rumors all season and most recently with the San Antonio Spurs when it was rumored they may be targeting him. The Jazz have plenty of big man and are looking to unload at least one of them whether it be Jefferson or Paul Millsap.

The Suns have been interested in Shumpert for awhile too as they tried to trade for him last summer in a deal that would have sent Steve Nash to the New York Knicks.

Phoenix would look to include Jared Dudley and Marcin Gortat in trades for any of these players.

If the Suns can acquire Jefferson or Shumpert they will still more than likely miss the playoffs and the affect in the Western Conference balance of power will be minimal. The Suns currently have the worst record in the conference.

Carmelo Anthony came out today and said he hopes that the Knicks don’t make any trades.

The real news here is that if the Suns are the team that acquires Jefferson, then the Spurs are not.

If the Spurs were to get Big Al it would surely give them a boost this season and possibly make them the favorites to be the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the Thunder just wrapped up their season series with the Suns beating them all four times.

Utah is currently the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and would play the Thunder in the first round if the playoffs started today. You can’t imagine them getting any better by losing Jefferson and replacing him with a Gortat or Dudley.

The Jazz were very unlikely to have any kind of chance on the road in the first round of the playoffs this year anyway.

These potential trades are a good deal away from going down. What we know for sure is that the Suns are really interested in making a trade by the deadline and the Jazz are too.

The trade deadline is Feb. 21.

Feb. 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) drives to the basket against Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat (4) in the first quarter at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their fourth straight game Sunday night 97-69 against the Phoenix Suns on the road. The win brings the Thunder’s record to 39-12 on the season, just a half game behind the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the NBA.

The Thunder tied a franchise-record allowing just 69 points in the game. The Suns shot 31 percent through three quarters and ended the game at just 33 percent from the field.

The Thunder were without sixth man Kevin Martin but the starters picked up the slack accounting for 71 of the team’s 74 points through three quarters. The starters got to sit out the entire fourth quarter for the fourth straight game.

The Thunder will be on the road again for their next game Tuesday night when they take on the Utah Jazz.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 29 minutes, 18 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists – B

It really felt like Durant didn’t do much at all last night and that’s mainly because he didn’t need to. He made 6-of-11 shots from the field and didn’t make any threes. The only suffering from these last four games for OKC is Durant’s scoring average since he hasn’t been needed to play many minutes.

Russell Westbrook – 28 minutes, 24 points, 6 assists, 1 rebound – A

Westbrook has been taking advantage of the Suns this year and their inability to match up with him. He shot over 50 percent from the field for the game including a dagger three to end the first half at the buzzer. Westbrook was a menace on the defensive end as well and ended up with four steals.

Serge Ibaka – 27 minutes, 12 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks – B

It was another solid game from Ibaka. He was making his jumper finishing 5-for-11 from the field for the game. Like Durant, the Thunder didn’t need much from Ibaka to get past Phoenix.

Kendrick Perkins – 26 minutes, 0 points, 4 rebounds, 3 blocks – C+

Perkins was the only starter not to score and this was coming off a 17-point outing in the Thunder’s last game which was also against the Suns. Perkins did other things as usual to make an impact. He had three blocks, three steals and two assists and held Marcin Gortat to just six points.

Thabo Sefolosha – 34 minutes, 20 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists – A+

After scoring 18 points against the Suns two nights prior, Sefolosha goes for 20 last night including making a career-high five three-pointers. It’s not often Sefolosha outscores Durant but he was very aggressive all game long and put together one of his best games of the year. He would also come up with three steals and the Thunder were plus-38 with him on the floor.

Nick Collison – 14 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – B

Collison didn’t play a lot of minutes last night. He just showed up to work and did his job.

Reggie Jackson – 20 minutes, 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists – A

This was one of Jackson’s best games of the year if not his best. He is starting to look more and more like a point guard with every game and that’s because he keeps getting more comfortable in the offense. The rebounds are always a plus but it’s really the assists and scoring that you want to see from Jackson and he brought it last night.

Hasheem Thabeet – 11 minutes, 2 points, 1 rebounds, 1 block – C

Nothing too special from Thabeet last night. He always finds away to get a block no matter how little he plays and had a nice dunk as well off a Jackson feed.

DeAndre Liggins – 22 minutes, 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

Even though Liggins was 0-for-3 from the field and didn’t score he still did a lot of things and fit in well with the team. He got more minutes with Martin missing the game too. Liggins will start to get even more minutes if he can start knocking down threes but he didn’t do that last night.

Perry Jones, III – 10 minutes, 2 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist – C

Jones has been getting a lot of burn in these last four games and isn’t exactly taking advantage of it. He went just 1-of-6 from the field last night and mostly took jumpers. He does seem to be getting more comfortable in the offense and thus more aggressive but he’s still a long way from having a shot at cracking the rotation.

Eric Maynor – 10 minutes, 5 points, 2 assists – B

Maynor is another guy who has finally been getting some minutes lately because of all these blowouts. He looked good last night with a couple of dimes and knocked down a three as well.

Daniel Orton – 8 minutes, 5 points, 1 rebound – B

Orton is a big body and has a decent touch around the rim. He could possibly become a nice backup center in the future for OKC.

Feb. 10, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook (0) steals the ball from Phoenix Suns guard Goran Dragic (1) in the first quarter at the US Airways Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder trounced the Phoenix Suns on Sunday, obliterating them 97-69 on the heels of blowing out the Suns 127-96 on Friday, at Chesapeake Arena.

Thabo Sefalosha led the furious assault that rained down on the Suns, completely dousing their light and making them look hapless instead. He made a career-high 5 of 7 three-pointers and finished with 20 points. Russell Westbrook blisteringly scored 24 points in 28 minutes, while Kevin Durant helped out with 18 of his own.

The Phoenix Suns for the second time in three days, have been absolutely thunder struck: not only did they get blown out in consecutive games, but they have not won against OKC in 10 games, the longest active streak against Phoenix.

For the lowly Suns, only one player–Markieff Morris–scored in double digits, with 12. The effort was all the more embarrassing because of the fact that a tip-in with under eight seconds to go by Wesley Johnson was required to prevent Phoenix from setting a franchise scoring low that has stood for more than 30 years, a 68-point effort at Kansas City on March 8, 1981.

Durant was unusually cold in the first half, hitting just 1 of 5 in the first quarter. Despite this, Oklahoma City led 27-16. The Thunder then scored the last eight in the quarter, including a pair of tres by Sefolosha. Sefolosha made another one to start the second quarter, to extend OKC’s run to 11-0 and put the team up 30-16

To Phoenix’s credit, they crawled back into during the second quarter to cut it 35-32, but the Thunder scored the next nine points and with them squashed any hopes that the Suns may have had of making this a game.

After the half, Sefolosha ushered back action by scoring, followed by Durant slamming down a With the score at 55-34, the rout was on and the Thunder never looked back.

With the win, Oklahoma City have now won four straight and advance to 16-9 on the road, winning by 21, 21, 32 and 38 points in those matches.

Overall, the team boasts a 39-12 record, and will challenge the Utah Jazz next, on Tues. Feb. 12.

Feb 8, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Shannon Brown (26) attempts a shot against Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) and Thunder forward Serge Ibaka (9) during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will play the Phoenix Suns for the second straight time tonight at Phoenix at 8 p.m. EST.

The Thunder played the Suns in their last game back at home on Friday night and beat them 127-96.

Kevin Durant had 21 points in the game and Russell Westbrook had 17. The big surprise was Kendrick Perkins scoring 17 points and grabbing nine rebounds and Thabo Seoflosha going for 18 points.

The Thunder bench was fantastic in the win too. They accounted for 45 points with Kevin Martin leading the way with 16. Martin made three three-pointers for the fifth straight game Friday night.

The only one who really had anything going for the Suns was Michael Beasley who scored 25 points off the bench.

The Thunder outscored the Suns 72-46 in the second half.

The Thunder will look to sweep their season series with the Suns tonight having beaten them in each of the first three meetings.

The Thunder are a tough matchup for everyone but in particular the Suns who are just overwhelmed so much by the athletes on OKC to muster much of a challenge.

It’s more a question of which Thunder player will go off tonight that whether the Thunder will win or not.

With this one on the road, expect it to be Durant or Westbrook. The rest of the team really drops off away from home while those two are studs no matter where they lace them up.

It’s an interesting dynamic playing a team twice in a row. Usually, you could see the script reversing in the second meeting but the Thunder won so easily on Friday night, you still have to think they win this one too.

The Thunder finished their three-game home stand Friday night scoring 119.3 points per game and allowing just 95.0 points per game.

The Thunder are just a half game back of the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the league headed into tonight. San Antonio will also play tonight as they travel to play the Brooklyn Nets also at 8 p.m. EST.

Feb 8, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dunks the ball against Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris (11) during the first half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their third straight game last night beating the Phoenix Suns at Chesapeake Energy Arena 127-96 to improve to 38-12 on the year.

This was the third time this season that the Thunder topped the Suns. OKC committed just eight turnovers last night. Back on New Year’s Eve against Phoenix, they had a franchise-low five turnovers.

The Thunder used a 21-0 run in the third quarter to pull away in this one. They would outscore the Suns 72-46 in the second half.

The Thunder will play the Suns again for their next game Sunday night in Phoenix.

Here are the Game Grades:

Kevin Durant – 31 minutes, 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists – B+

Durant started the game off scorching hot making all four of his three-point attempts in the first quarter. He would only take one more three the rest of the game and didn’t need to do much else for the Thunder to come out on top. He was playing more of the distributor role allowing his teammates to do more scoring than usual. Durant had a big highlight in the second quarter dunking all over Markieff Morris.

Russell Westbrook – 25 minutes, 17 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds – B+

Westbrook got in a little foul trouble early on and ended up not playing that many minutes. In the second half he started putting on a show with a couple of authoritative dunks. He was really efficient from the field shooting 8-for-14 overall.

Serge Ibaka – 28 minutes, 9 points, 5 rebounds, 3 blocks – B

Ibaka matched his career-high of four assists for the second straight game. Developing as a passer is the next step in his game and he has shown in these last two games that he can do it. He hit another three as well and blocked three shots.

Kevin Martin – 21 minutes, 16 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal – B+

Martin made it five straight games with three three-pointers made as he went 3-for-5 from distance last night. He has looked fantastic lately and if he keeps it up will make a push for Sixth Man of the Year.

Kendrick Perkins – 27 minutes, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks – A+

This isn’t a misprint. Perkins scored the most he ever has in a Thunder uniform last night on 8-of-9 shooting. This was clearly his best game of the year. Perkins has really been shooting well lately and it makes the Thunder that much better when they can get any kind of offense out of him.

Thabo Sefolosha – 26 minutes, 18 points, 2 rebounds, 2 blocks – A+

Sefolosha also scored a season-high last night thanks to a career-high four three-pointers out of six attempts. When Perkins and Sefolosha combine for 35, the Thunder never lose. Sefolosha has been aggressive shooting threes lately and last night finally hit a bunch of them.

Nick Collison – 17 minutes, 4 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists – B+

Collison is becoming so crucial as a passer on the Thunder second unit. He ends up with five dimes last night as the Thunder’s ability to knock down outside shots was a huge reason for this.

Reggie Jackson – 17 minutes, 2 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound – C+

Jackson only took two shots and didn’t get many rebounds. His assists have been climbing lately which is a good sign for the Thunder.

Hasheem Thabeet – 17 minutes, 4 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist – C+

Thabeet’s two buckets were both nice dunks inside. He uncharacteristically didn’t block any shots but was still solid inside.

DeAndre Liggins – 12 minutes, 3 points – C+

Liggins knocked down a three which is good to see and he was all over the place on defense as usual.

Perry Jones, III – 7 minutes, 6 points, 1 rebound – B+

Jones kept getting wide open when he came in and it resulted in three very nice dunks by him. His athleticism is off the charts and maybe a few more games like this could set him free.

Eric Maynor – 7 minutes, 6 points, 2 assists, 1 steal – A

You can’t do much more than Maynor did in seven minutes. He made all three of his field goal attempts and had a few nice dimes.

Daniel Orton – 5 minutes, 4 points, 3 rebounds – B+

There was another Orton sighting last night. He scored twice and two of his rebounds came on the offensive end. He moves really well for his size and looks like he could develop into a solid backup big one day.

Feb 6, 2013; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts to play by his teammates in action the Golden State Warriors during the second half at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to win their third straight game tonight as they host the Phoenix Suns at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

The Thunder have already beaten the Suns twice this season. They won 114-96 back on Dec. 31 in OKC then 102-90 in Phoenix on Jan. 14.

In the first meeting it was Russell Westbrook who went off for 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Kevin Durant added 30.

Durant went for 41 in the second game and Westbrook 36.

When you allow both Durant and Westbrook to go off like that, it’s usually not a good sign. The Suns simply don’t have the fire power to keep up with the elite talent that OKC has.

The Suns haven’t been able to force the Thunder into anything so far this season. OKC had just five turnovers against them in the first meeting and 14 in the second. The Thunder basically get to do whatever they want.

The Thunder come into this game coming off two emphatic wins at home against the Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. The likelihood of them not carrying this momentum into tonight is very slim.

The Thunder have been clicking on all cylinders of late. Serge Ibaka is getting back to scoring in double-figures on a nightly basis and Kevin Martin has made three three-pointers in each of the last three games.

The game will tip tonight at 8 p.m. EST.

Dec. 12, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA: Phoenix Suns center Jermaine O

The Oklahoma City Thunder don’t have many holes in their roster. They currently have the second best record in the NBA with the most efficient offense and seventh best defense.

The NBA trade deadline is coming up right after the All-Star Break on Feb. 21. The Thunder don’t have to make any moves but one Thunder beat writer suggests they go after a big man in Phoenix.

[Jermaine] O’Neal, 34, is at the tail end of his career. But he still could be a fantastic fit for the rest of the year. Now in his 17th season, O’Neal is averaging 6.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocked shots in 16 minutes per game. He could slide right in behind Kendrick Perkins as the backup center and be an immediate upgrade over the incumbent Hasheem Thabeet, who’s averaging just 4 1/2 minutes fewer than O’Neal.

Most importantly, O’Neal wouldn’t ruin the future financial state of the franchise, or force the Thunder to part with one or more of its promising young players — two things OKC refuses to even entertain. O’Neal is making the veteran minimum, or roughly $1.35 million. But only about $850,000 of that is paid for by the Suns and therefore used for trading purposes (the league reimburses a fixed amount to teams signing veterans like O’Neal to one-year deals). It all leads to the perfect proposition for OKC. O’Neal is making minimal money, on an expiring contract and still has talent in the tank.

Via Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman

At first glance, O’Neal doesn’t jump out as someone who would dramatically make the Thunder better. Thabeet has had some good moments this season and upgrading him to O’Neal won’t account for much.

Head coach Scott Brooks loves Kendrick Perkins too so acquiring O’Neal wouldn’t mean something like having a new crunch time center. The Thunder go small a lot at the end of games anyway with Kevin Durant at the four and either Perkins, Serge Ibaka or Nick Collison at the five.

The Thunder would have to trade Eric Maynor to the Suns to make this deal possible. Whether or not the Suns would accept, would the Thunder really want to get rid of Maynor to upgrade their backup center position?

Maynor will become a restricted free agent this summer and likely this is his last season with the Thunder. He lost the backup point guard job to second-year man Reggie Jackson in December too.

But Maynor still could have some value to this team. It’s a valuable thing to have good depth at the backup point guard position and Maynor still remains the best passer on this Thunder roster. The Thunder would probably rather be deeper at point guard than center right now.

The best thing that Mayberry suggests in this hypothetical trade is the Thunder trying to get P.J. Tucker in this trade as well.

The real lack of depth on the Thunder roster right now is with defensive-minded wings. If OKC gets to the NBA Finals again and finds the Miami Heat waiting for them, only Kevin Durant and Thabo Sefolosha can even try to defend LeBron James.

Tucker is someone the Thunder could throw on him. He’s one of the best energy guys in the league right now and actually makes it pretty unlikely that the Suns would unload him for basically nothing.

The Thunder will take on the Suns tonight at Chesapeake Energy Arena at 8 p.m. EST.

Kevin Liles-USA TODAY Sports

The Phoenix Suns are the latest team tied to Josh Smith trade rumors, according to Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld.

The Suns were considering making a trade for Rudy Gay until the Memphis Grizzlies dealt him to the Toronto Raptors in a three-team deal a few days ago.

Now the Suns are targeting the Atlanta Hawks forward and looking to put together a package highlighted by Marcin Gortat.

Phoenix has attractive assets, particularly Marcin Gortat, who could play alongside Al Horford and give the Hawks one of the best frontcourts in the Eastern Conference. They also have Jared Dudley and Michael Beasley as well as the expiring contracts of Wes Johnson, Shannon Brown (whose 2013-14 salary is non-guaranteed), Sebastian Telfair and Jermaine O’Neal. Phoenix also has several first-round picks – their own pick and two additional first-round picks that they acquired in the Nash trade with the Los Angeles Lakers and the Johnson trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Luis Scola could also be involved in the trade, but only if the deal is a sign-and-trade since he can’t be traded until July 1 due to the fact that he was signed by the Suns after being amnestied by the Houston Rockets.

Via HoopsWorld

The Suns are hoping that if they get a player like Smith and re-sign him over the summer, it will help them to also sign another big name free agent like maybe even Dwight Howard.

The Suns aren’t the only team interested in Smith right now. The Houston Rockets, Charlotte Bobcats and Dallas Mavericks have also shown interest.

The rumors of Smith possibly going to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a Pau Gasol swap are still out there as well. That’s the one trade that could really shake up the Western Conference if it happens and works out.

The Lakers could still make the playoffs this year and a trade for Smith might make them an actual threat even against a top-seeded team from the West in the first round.

If Smith goes elsewhere like Phoenix, it won’t have much impact on this season.

Jan. 14, 2013; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) dunks the ball over Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat (4) in the second half at US Airways Center. The Thunder defeated the Suns 102-90. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder won their fourth straight game on Monday night when they beat the Phoenix Suns 102-90. In doing so, they became the first team in the NBA to get to 30 wins this season.

For the Thunder, Kevin Durant recorded his fourth 40-point game this year when he dropped 41 on the Suns. Partner in crime Russell Westbrook put up 36, as well as eight rebounds and five assists. Serge Ibaka did not play again on Monday, as he is still out with a chest contusion.

Shannon Brown scored 21 for Phoenix, while Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 15 points. Gortat played well, but will be remembered in this game not for his stats but for being the victim of a vicious posterization.

OKC has been incredibly dominant on the road as of late, as they had already won two consecutive games away from Chesapeake Arena. At Phoenix, things would be no different.

Durant scored 27 of his 41 points in the second half, including an astounding 19 points in the 4th quarter alone. He began shooting the lights out with a fastbreak layup, drained another from 19 feet away, then followed with a 3-pointer to put the Thunder up 79-72. Later, he sank another one beyond the arc, another 19-footer, and then a final layup. But the grand finale came on OKC’s next possession when Durant powered through the lane and slammed it down in Phoenix’s Gortat’s face. Gortat fouled him on the play and Durant made the free throw to put the Thunder up 97-81 with just over two minutes left.

To their credit, the Suns stuck it to the Thunder in the 3rd quarter, going on a 14-4 run that brought the score within four, 72-68. They did not have enough in the tank to sustain the surge, and the Thunder, aided by Durant’s late burst, would go on to win.

The Thunder now are the sole proprietors of the best record in the NBA, at 30-8. They return home next to face the Denver Nuggest on Wed., Jan. 16, at Chesapeake Arena.

Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder will look to win their fourth straight game tonight on the road against a struggling Phoenix Suns team that has lost 11 of its last 13 games.

This is the second of four meetings between the Thunder and Suns this season. The Thunder beat them in Oklahoma City back on Dec. 31 114-96.

Kevin Durant had 30 points in that game and Russell Westbrook had 24 points, nine assists and seven rebounds.

The Suns aren’t exactly the kind of team with a good chance to beat the Thunder but they may have an added advantage tonight with the status of starters Serge Ibaka and Thabo Sefolosha up in the air.

Ibaka and Seflosha each missed their first game of the season last night while the Thunder won in Portland 87-83. Ibaka was out with a chest contusion and Sefolosha a sore neck. Both will be game-time decisions tonight.

The Thunder are also playing on the road for the second night in a row which is never easy to do in the NBA. The Thunder are 5-2 this season on zero days rest. The biggest drop off the Thunder have experienced when playing the second game of a back-to-back is with 3-point shooting.

The Thunder started out the season shooting lights out from beyond the arc but have since cooled off. Kevin Martin especially has been struggling. Last night he went 1-of-8 from the field and 0-for-5 from three. Against Phoenix earlier this year, Martin was 2-for-12 from the field and 1-for-6 from three.

Durant’s spectacular play of late has made up for Martin’s struggles though. Durant had 33 last night and 42 the game before against the Los Angeles Lakers. Durant has been doing more handling of the ball in the pick-and-roll lately and it has resulted in very good things for OKC.

Phoenix shot the ball well against the Thunder in the first meeting but they allowed OKC to shoot over 50 percent from the field. The Suns are not a great defensive team and will struggle to keep OKC from putting up 100-plus points.

Road back-to-backs are never easy in the NBA but if there is a team who can deal with it the best, that team would be the Thunder. The Suns do not match up well with them so expect the Thunder to become the first team to 30 wins this season after tonight.

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder go back home tonight to host the Phoenix Suns at 8 p.m. EST on New Year’s Eve.

This has to be one of the easiest games for the Thunder on paper.

OKC comes into the game as the most efficient offense in the NBA while Phoenix’s defense is ranked 26th in the league.

Meanwhile, the Suns don’t have a lot of fire power on offense themselves and the Thunder should have no trouble staying with them in their individual matchups.

The Thunder have struggled defending the pick-and-roll lately though and a trio of Goran Dragic-Luis Scola-Marcin Gortat could do some damage against them.

The Suns are led by Dragic who is averaging 14.2 points and 6.4 assists per game this season and won’t be at 100 percent for this game as he has a sore hip.

Shannon Brown is their second-leading scorer while Scola and Jared Dudley are each capable of scoring a lot with each having 30-point games in the past week.

The Thunder have played the Suns well in recent history but that had a lot to do with James Harden. Harden scored a career-high 40 points against the Suns last year on April 18 after he set his first career-high of 30 points against them on March 7.

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook shouldn’t have any trouble making up for that loss tonight especially at home where the Thunder are looking for their 12th straight win.

A big key for the Suns will be not turning the ball over. They are currently 4th best in the NBA in turnover percentage but the Thunder are coming off their last game vs. Houston where they made a season-high 16 steals as a team.

Another positive from the Houston game for OKC was Westbrook’s shooting. For only the second time in December, he shot 50 percent or better from the field as he made 11-of-22 shots and scored 28 points.

The Thunder are one game back of the Los Angeles Clippers for the best record in the NBA right now. The Clippers won again last night to finish the month of December with a perfect 16-0 record.

If the Thunder win tonight, they’ll be a half game back of the Clippers and finish the month with a record of 11-2.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

The Oklahoma City Thunder were preparing for the worst when it came to James Harden and his contract situation. While Thunder fans were trying to stay optimistic about Harden’s chances of signing an extension, GM Sam Presti was seeing what he could get back for Harden if he had to trade him.

The Thunder eventually traded Harden to the Houston Rockets last Saturday night but that wasn’t the only team OKC had trade talks with over Harden.

The Phoenix Suns were apparently contacted and interested in making a play for Harden.

“We were engaged in discussions on numerous occasions,” Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby told the Arizona Republic. “We most recently met in person when we played them (in Tulsa, Okla., on Oct. 19). At the end of the day, there wasn’t a deal that was workable for both sides.”

The Suns had draft picks to offer OKC but they could not put together a package that the Thunder liked enough.

OKC got an expiring contract and great scorer in Kevin Martin from Houston as well as rookie Jeremy Lamb and three good draft picks. The best player Phoenix could have possibly offered might have been Marcin Gortat or Luis Scola, but both have at least two years left on their contracts and Phoenix didn’t have a young prospect to help sweeten the deal either.

Houston had the best package to offer the Thunder, that is for sure, and they made out okay. Really the only case you could make regarding the Thunder getting a better deal is if they had decided to pay Harden $6 million more and keep him.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Phoenix Suns Team Overview

The Steve Nash era is now finally over in Phoenix. Nash played the last eight seasons in Phoenix, was the MVP in the first two and made the Suns title contenders for all but the last two.

Nash shocked the basketball world when he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers upon his request. There he will join Kobe Bryant, Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol as he looks to capture the elusive NBA championship now in the twilight of his career.

The Suns are starting over now. They were a solid 33-33 last year which is amazing given the roster they had.

Grant Hill, Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick, Josh Childress and Ronnie Price will be departing from last year’s team. The new additions include Goran Dragic, Luis Scola, Michael Beasley, Wesley Johnson, Kendall Marshall and P.J. Tucker.

They have a roster with some talent but it is tough to see how it will exactly all fit together. They could actually use someone like Nash to make sure everyone gets their touches, but then again couldn’t we all.

Last year

The Oklahoma City Thunder played the Suns three times last year and beat them each time.

They beat them on Dec. 31 in OKC first 107-97. Kevin Durant played only 26 minutes and had just 12 points. Russell Westbrook had 18 and James Harden had 10 off the bench. The real story for OKC was Daequan Cook hitting four threes off the bench as the Thunder easily rolled to the win, leading by 22 after three.

The Thunder beat the Suns again at home on March 7 115-104. Harden scored a then career-high 30 off the bench on 8-of-12 shooting. Durant had 30 and Westbrook had 31. Serge Ibaka had 18 and the only other points scored in the game by the Thunder were the six that Kendrick Perkins had.

Nash had 12 points and 13 assists while Marcin Gortat torched the Thunder with 28 points and 11 boards.

In their final meeting in Phoenix on April 18, it was Harden who again stole the show reaching a career-high again with 40 as the Thunder won 109-97. Harden was efficient again going 12-for-17 from the field. Durant had 29 and Westbrook had 15.

The matchup

The Suns had an impressive offense last year led by Nash and were 6th in the league overall in terms of points per possession.

The Suns were 2nd best in the league on pick-and-roll plays and 7th best in transition. They were 14th on spot-up plays and 7th in the post.

The Thunder were not the best vs. the pick-and-roll at just 11th vs. those plays but they were able to do a better job in their games vs. Phoenix during the season.

The Suns had just the 18th best defense though and the Thunder offense would have an advantage vs. them on any kind of play. The Suns were 9th best vs. isolation plays but ranked just 24th vs. pick-and-roll plays.

Next year

The Suns will look different next year without Nash and despite adding some more talent in his absence, they will probably take a step back in the standings. Playoffs would be a long shot for this team.

The Thunder will play the Suns four times first on Dec. 31 in OKC, then Jan. 14 in Phoenix, then Feb. 8 in OKC and finally Feb. 10 back in Phoenix.

An interesting wrinkle to this matchup is Phoenix’s openly being interested in Harden should he become a restricted free agent next summer. The Suns would love to make Harden the same max contract offer sheet they made with Eric Gordon this summer. The Thunder have until Oct. 31 to sign Harden to an extension to avoid this situation next summer.

Harden played some of the best basketball of the season last year against the Suns and Phoenix would love nothing more than to see those performances in their jersey instead.

Harden will be worthy of a max deal next summer if he becomes a restricted free agent and doesn’t sign an extension with the Thunder beforehand. The Phoenix Suns are one team already expressing interest in signing him.

The amount of the deal, $48 million, will make it trickier for the Thunder to secure James Harden, who could command a maximum contract as a restricted free agent after the 2012-13 season. That could open the door for the Suns, who have maintained $15 million in cap space for next summer’s free-agency period and who have expressed interest in Harden behind the scenes.

Much will hinge on what becomes important to Harden. No one could fault him for chasing the money if a max deal (roughly $60 million over four years) is offered. But would the appeal of sticking it out with his Thunder teammates make him willing to stay for say, $52 million?

Harden’s mom lives in the Valley and the player has said he still has great affection for the area.

via Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic

It’s beginning to be very clear that Harden will have to take significantly less money to stay in OKC. That is the common theme around the team though as Ibaka could have easily sought out a larger contract next summer and Russell Westbrook also took less money when he signed his extension last season.

Harden went to college at Arizona State and even said earlier this summer he would consider signing with the Suns if presented the situation. Harden didn’t imply he wanted to leave OKC by any means and stressed his No. 1 goal is to remain with the Thunder, but if he does become a RFA, the Suns may very well be a likely landing spot for him.

Harden was particularly great vs. the Suns last season too. The Thunder played the Suns three times last season, and Harden set career-highs in points in each of the last two meetings.

On March 7 at home, the Thunder beat the Suns 115-104 while Harden scored 30 points and went 8-of-12 from the field, 4-for-7 from three and 10-for-11 from the line. Then on April 18 in Phoenix, the Thunder won 109-97 as Harden scored 40 points, went 12-for-17 from the field, 5-of-8 from three and 11-for-11 from the line.

The Thunder’s actions have made it clear though that they absolutely intend to reach an agreement with Harden on an extension. When Presti got Westbrook and then Ibaka to sign extensions for less, the reason was so that the Thunder could keep Harden as well.

Harden wants to remain a part of the Thunder and that’s probably the most important part of all of this. He seems the type who would be willing to sacrifice some cash to stay with his “brothers” in OKC.

It looks like he’s been having a good time lately too.

Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

James Harden is entering the final season of his contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder next season. The Thunder are working toward signing Harden to an extension otherwise he would become a restricted free agent next summer.

Harden would receive a max-contract offer sheet from any number of teams next summer if he is on the market, a price the Thunder would rather not keep him at. Harden played two seasons in college at Arizona State and was asked if he would consider signing with the Phoenix Suns next season.

“Yeah,” Harden told the Arizona Republic. “Of course. I love it there. My mom lives there still. So that’s definitely my second home as far as my comfort level and going to school there. But obviously, I’m with the Thunder right now and what we have is special.”

Harden is just being realistic with these comments and isn’t trying to say he’d rather play for any team besides the Thunder. Harden went on to say how much he loves it in OKC.

“The kind of support we have in Oklahoma City, it’s the best in the NBA,” Harden said. “Phenomenal. Beards in the crowd, the whole nine (yards). The city is really something special.”

The Thunder would obviously like to extend Harden before next summer when he becomes a restricted free agent and that means likely asking him to take a pay cut. Harden talked about sacrifice at the end of the season and about how important it was to him playing with this core of guys in Oklahoma City.

Phoenix signed Eric Gordon to a 4-year, $58 million offer sheet this summer before the New Orleans Hornets matched the offer. If Harden is out there next summer, they’d surely offer him the same deal.

The Thunder have Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook locked up through 2016. They signed Westbrook to a 5-year, $80 million extension this past season.

The Thunder had a chance to trade Harden earlier this year around the time of the NBA Draft. The Charlotte Bobcats were shopping their No. 2 overall pick and were reportedly interested in acquiring Harden for it, while the Thunder and GM Sam Presti were interested in draft prospect Bradley Beal.

The Thunder did not pull the trigger on the potential trade sending a clear message that they are devoted to this core of players and Harden in particular. It will not be easy to keep Harden and Serge Ibaka and avoid luxury tax but the Thunder are committed to seeing how far this roster can take them.

The Thunder are one of seven teams to never pay the luxury tax since it came into existence nine years ago. That is likely going to change if they extend Harden and especially if they extend Ibaka too.

They can do both and the thing that would make a team like OKC unwilling to pay the luxury tax is the harsher penalties for being over the tax line for multiple seasons in a row. By extending Harden and Ibaka, the Thunder could enter the luxury tax and for a season or two and then trade someone to get back out of it.

Harden along with Durant and Westbrook will be representing the United States in the London Olympics for the next two weeks so contract negotiations will likely be on hold until after then.

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

Grant Hill is interested in playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat or Oklahoma City Thunder next season, according to David Aldridge of NBA.com.

Hill has been linked with the Lakers ever since Steve Nash was traded there. Nash has been recruiting Hill to join him in L.A.

Hill was rumored to be considering the Heat dating back to last season as well before electing to remain in Phoenix. The Heat have signed Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis now this summer which may make it more unlikely for Hill to choose them.

The Thunder have one last spot open on their roster and Hill would surely be a nice fit. Oklahoma City does not have a lot of money to offer anyone and would likely only be able to offer Hill the veteran’s minimum.

Hill might be taking a little less money to play in OKC but the idea would be chasing a championship and he could really help the Thunder in that department.

A backup small forward for Kevin Durant is a need for this team. Daequan Cook pretty much plays that role now and James Harden plays the three with the smaller second unit.

Hill could give the Thunder another option at that spot and more versatility on offense and defense. Hill wouldn’t be asked to score much but is used to playing without the ball after a few seasons with Nash and has become a reliable corner, 3-point spot-up man.

Hill averaged 10.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season and shot .264 percent from three. Hill shot .395 and .438 percent from three in the two prior seasons however.

Hill would give the most value to OKC with his defense. The Thunder did not have someone to spell Durant when covering LeBron James in the NBA Finals and Hill could do exactly that.

Using Hill in some closeout lineups alongside Westbrook-Harden-Durant-Ibaka would be an upgrade from either Thabo Sefolosha, Derek Fisher or Kendrick Perkins.

The likelihood that Hill will sign with the Thunder is probably less than the Lakers right now. It is promising though for Thunder fans to see a name like Hill’s linked with their team in free agency.

Jennifer Stewart-US PRESSWIRE.

Steve Nash was unexpectedly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers last night in a sign-and-trade with the Phoenix Suns for four draft picks and cash.

Nash was expected earlier that day to be closer to signing with the New York Knicks and a few days before that, the Toronto Raptors were the frontrunner for the former back-to-back MVP winner.

But as fate would have it, the Lakers swooped in and grabbed one of their former rivals. Nash in a Lakers jersey was unthinkable until yesterday. The Suns were even rumored to have turned down a deal to L.A. because they couldn’t stomach the idea of Nash playing there.

Now that he is there, how does this change the landscape of the Western Conference? Are the Lakers back now as NBA title contenders with Nash?

The Lakers get better with Nash, that’s for sure. Los Angeles has been looking for a point guard for some time now. They traded for Ramon Sessions at the trade deadline last season and that looked like it might work for awhile until Sessions disappeared in the playoffs.

Nash will be 38 years old at the start of next season but is still a productive player. He averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists last season in Phoenix. He also shot .532 percent from the field, .390 from three and .894 from the free throw line.

There is no question that Nash can still produce. The biggest question is how he will fit in with Kobe Bryant.

Kobe has never really played alongside a traditional point guard in his NBA career. Derek Fisher has been the point next to him for most of his days and the Lakers were a triangle offense team that didn’t feature a point.

Because of this, Kobe is used to having the ball in his hands as much if not more than the point guard he’s playing with. If you’ve watched Nash play, you’ll know that he too has the ball in his hands as much as any player in the league on offense.

Both Kobe and Nash will have to adjust. Nash will not be featured like he was in Phoenix. Kobe may want to let Nash patrol the floor with the ball in his hands a little more than he is used to.

Kobe and Nash may not work perfectly but they won’t fail. Nash is too good of a teammate and Kobe cares only about winning and he knows Nash is coming on board to assist in that.

Kobe will probably not benefit dramatically with Nash and get way more open looks. It will be the other players, especially Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, that feel the biggest change with Nash on the floor.

There is one area that Nash does not help at all and maybe even hurts the Lakers: defense. Nash has never been a good defender even back when he was super quick and winning MVP’s he still acted as an open door for guards like Tony Parker to easily drive by.

The greatest competition in the Western Conference for the Lakers will be of course the Oklahoma City Thunder. Just go down the list of their big three and you’ll see why they aren’t totally scared of the Lakers now any more than they were last season. They still can’t guard Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook or James Harden.

But the Lakers weren’t all of a sudden going to be the favorites to come out of the West after signing a 38-year old point guard. They are better though and their potential is a little unknown and possibly greater than we might think.

The other factor now in play with the Lakers signing Nash is Dwight Howard. L.A. didn’t give up much to get Nash so Howard is still technically very much in play with them. After Brooklyn pretty much fell through for Howard, the Lakers seem the most likely suitor for him.

A package involving Bynum is probably the best deal Orlando could get back for trading away the best center in the league. There has been discussion between the two teams with a trade looking like: Bynum and Metta World Peace to the Magic for Howard and Jason Richardson.

If the Lakers could end up with a lineup looking like Nash, Kobe, Gasol and Howard, we can start talking about them as NBA Finals hopefuls. Until then, it’s the Thunder’s league and everybody else is just playing in it.

Nash will go to the Lakers in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers being able to absorb Nash’s contract because of the trade exception they received when they traded Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks last year.

Nash is set to sign with the Lakers for three years in a deal worth around $25 million.

The Lakers will receive four draft picks from Phoenix in the deal, first rounders in 2013 and 2015 and second rounders in 2013 and 2014.

The Lakers’ name came up as a possible destination for Nash Tuesday night but then it was rumored Phoenix would not deal Nash to their old nemesis.

The Knicks emerged as the favorite to get Nash today in what would have been their own sign-and-trade sending Iman Shumpert to the Suns.

The Toronto Raptors also went all in on Nash offering him a 3-year, $36 million deal as well as offering Landry Fields a 3-year, $20 million in an attempt to prevent New York from working out a sign-and-trade with the Suns for Fields.

The storyline surrounding the Lakers for much of last season was that they needed a point guard. When they traded for Ramon Sessions it was a big deal. So trading for Nash now is that much bigger of a deal in L.A.

Nash is 38 years old but played some great basketball last season. It will be interesting to see the dynamic between him and Kobe Bryant but you have to figure they will find a way to make it work.

Here is Nash’s statement regarding the trade via ESPN:

For the last 8 seasons I’ve been blessed to play for a team and a city that has embraced me and that I have come to call home. This is a tough business and the only thing constant in life is change.

After talking with (owner) Robert (Sarver) and (president of basketball operations) Lon (Babby) we’ve agreed that it’s time for both of us to move in new directions. I approached them and asked if they would be willing to do a sign and trade deal with L.A. because it is very important to me to stay near my children and family.

They were very apprehensive and didn’t want to do it. Fortunately for me, they reconsidered. They saw that they were able to get assets for their team that will make them better, assets they would not have otherwise had and it made sense for them to do a deal that helps their team get better.

I couldn’t be more grateful to the organization and Robert in particular. I know how hard this was for him and that fact that he was able to help me and my family in this way … it means a lot and says a lot about his character. I will never forget this gesture. Above and beyond.

The Phoenix Suns are an amazing organization and fans should be excited about their future. I hope the Suns win a championship some day soon for all the amazing fans and wonderful people in the organization.

Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

The New York Knicks may have become the front-runner to land Steve Nash, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.

The Knicks are in the process of working out a deal where Nash and the Phoenix Suns would be a part of a sign-and-trade involving Iman Shumpert. The potential deal for Nash would be three years and worth between $27 million-$30 million.

Nash’s named was linked with the Los Angeles Lakers yesterday but any potential deal between Phoenix and L.A. apparently fell through because the Suns do not want to trade Nash to their old rival.

Phoenix would also receive Toney Douglas and Dan Gadzuric as part of the deal. The Suns were close to drafting Shumpert in last year’s draft which could sweeten the deal for them.

The Knicks would prefer not to trade Shumpert but “will if they have to” to get Nash.

The Toronto Raptors previously seemed like the team most likely to sign Nash. Toronto was prepared to offer Nash a 3-year, $36 million deal and also offered restricted free agent Landry Fields a 3-year, $20 million deal in an attempt to prevent New York from getting Nash.

The dream scenario for the Knicks right now would be the sign-and-trade for Nash as well as re-signing Jeremy Lin, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein. The Knicks would be committing upwards of $82 million to five players in the 2014-15 season if they get Nash and Lin.

The Houston Rockets are meeting with Lin today and are expected to offer him a deal worth around $30 million. The deal would be heavy on the back end with Lin making around $5 million per year in the first two years then around $10 million per in the final two.

The Knicks intend to match any offer sheet Lin signs with another team.

The Raptors were the first team to go all in on Nash and now the Knicks have countered. If New York can snag Nash from the Raptors, the move to sign Fields by Toronto will really look bad.

Nash in New York, reunited with Amare Stoudemire and possibly taming the trigger-happy Carmelo Anthony, would be heaven for Knicks’ fans. It wouldn’t necessarily be enough to call the Knicks contenders to the Miami Heat but it has to be seen as progress.

The New Orleans Hornets are expected to match the offer to Gordon. Gordon is hoping they won’t.

“After visiting the Suns, the impression the organization made on me was incredible,” Gordon said in a statement. “Mr. (Robert) Sarver, Lon Babby, Lance Blanks, the Front Office Staff and Coach (Alvin) Gentry run a first-class organization, and I strongly feel they are the right franchise for me. Phoenix is just where my heart is now.”

Gordon is in the same position right now that Thunder guard James Harden would be in next summer if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Thunder this summer.

If Gordon can get a max offer this year, Harden most certainly can next year. Harden and the Thunder know this and it is no secret now that Harden will have to take less money to stay in Oklahoma City.

Gordon is considered by most one of the best young shooting guards in the NBA. Harden is right there with him.

Gordon and Harden will also be competing for one of the final spots for Team USA Basketball in the Summer Olympics in London.

The Raptors have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with restricted free agent Fields for a 3-year, $20 million deal.

This thwarts any plans the New York Knicks had of pulling off a sign-and-trade with Fields to Phoenix for Nash. The Knicks could still match Toronto’s offer for Fields but the Suns would be much less interested in trading Nash for Fields at that price.

The Raptors, who have offered Nash a 3-year, $36 million deal, are now essentially putting up $56 million to bring Nash in if you include what they’ll pay Fields.

Nash may 38 years old but he had an excellent season last year and will immediately make the Raptors a playoff team in the Eastern Conference. The city will love Nash and the Raptors will become one of the most exciting teams in the conference.

This is what the train of thought is for the Raptors. They know they aren’t winning a title any time soon so why not go all in on Nash and put their team on the map?

The Knicks will now almost definitely re-sign Jeremy Lin or match any offer sheet he signs with someone else. The Knicks were also rumored to possibly consider Raymond Felton is they could not sign Nash.

J.R. Smith is said to be leaning towards re-signing with New York as well.

Nash is 38 years old but still has some good basketball left in him. Last season he averaged 12.5 points and 10.7 assists per game while shooting .532 percent from the field, .390 from three and .894 from the free throw line.

Any contender would love to add him to their roster but it’s not going to be that easy.

The Toronto Raptors have emerged as the front-runner to sign Nash this offseason reportedly offering him a 3-year, $36 million deal that few teams would be able to match.

Nash has expressed the desire to play in Canada and has also made it known that money is still a factor for him. This is Nash’s last chance to make this kind of money in his career. Why would he leave $36 on the table to chase a title in Miami for $4 million?

Nash would immediately make the Raptors one of the most exciting teams in the Eastern Conference and possibly a threat to win a round in the playoffs. We’ve seen the kind of impact Nash has on a team and the Raptors may have enough tools to surround Nash with.

Other possible suitors for Nash are the Mavericks, Nets and Knicks. Neither could offer Nash as much money as Toronto.

The Knicks are exploring the possibility of a sign-and-trade involving Landry Fields to Phoenix that could afford Nash a little more money in a deal but still not as much as Toronto is offering.

If Toronto’s offer of $36 million isn’t enough, they’ve also called in the help of hockey legend Wayne Gretzky to help woo Nash.

Toronto seems like the most likely landing spot for Nash by far right now. Nash would save that team for a year or two too. They wouldn’t be the same Raptors as last season who just added a 38 year old point guard. Nash can still play and play at a very high level for his position.

Free agency begins tonight at midnight and the Heat want to move fast to get Allen, before other teams are more prepared to possibly pursue Allen as well.

“We’ve got five or six guys earmarked (in free agency) so we’ll see how it goes,” Heat president Pat Riley said. “We want to find as much space as we can on the floor for Dwyane, LeBron and for Chris (Bosh) to be able to operate.”

The Heat can only offer Allen a mid-level exception of around $3 million. That is considerably less than what Allen may be able to get from other teams but the Heat are also throwing in possibly the best chance for Allen to win another ring.

Steve Nash will likely be leaving his previous team as well this offseason as the Phoenix Suns. Nash made $11.7 million last season and the Suns are unlikely to offer him a 3-year deal worth more than $10 million per year.

The Suns plan to go after Eric Gordon as well and would look to offer him around $12 million per year but New Orleans should be prepared to match any reasonable offer as Gordon is a restricted free agent.

Nash will be able to get much more money elsewhere starting with Toronto who is rumored to be preparing to offer Nash $12 million per year.

“There’s positives to every situation,” Nash said. “The Raptors would be one of those teams where you’re probably not going there to win a championship in the next three years. For me it’d be going home to Canada, to a great city, and trying to help an organization move forward.

“I’m open to the positives of all of them. It’d be great if four or five contenders came after me and all offered me a deal, but the reality is I might not get that opportunity. So I’m going to look at every opportunity and Toronto will be one that I’ll study as well and look at the opportunity for them to grow in the next three years and what kind of impact I can have on that team. And obviously from a community standpoint, it’s a special place for me.”

via ESPN’s Marc Stein

Nash will also most likely be targeted by Dallas and New York but he’ll be able to make the most money in Toronto. Nash would like to have another chance at winning a ring and that would be hard to imagine in Toronto but he has also said that money is still an important factor for him.

Allen and Nash are both looking for another chance at a ring to close out their careers but they would both have to take a lot less cash to do so. The Heat look like the most likely landing spot for Allen right now and for Nash that place is Toronto.

Here are draft grades for every team:

New Orleans Hornets
No. 1 overall – Anthony Davis, PF, Kentucky
No. 10 overall – Austin Rivers, G, Duke
No. 46 overall – Darius Miller, G/F, Kentucky

The Hornets really couldn’t go wrong possessing the first overall pick in the draft and chance to take Anthony Davis. Davis has a chance to be a franchise changer and playing alongside Eric Gordon in New Orleans is a good start. The Hornets took Rivers 10th overall which is what they wanted to do. The Hornets believe Rivers can play some point for them although he is a scoring guard at heart. Gordon is a good playmaker himself though so the two may be able to share ball handling duties a la Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry. The Darius Miller pick is nice too. He is an athlete that could make it in the NBA and was a teammate of Davis’ at Kentucky.

Grade: A+

Oklahoma City Thunder
No. 28 overall – Perry Jones, III, F, Baylor

To win a championship, sometimes it takes a little luck. The Thunder got the steal of the 2012 NBA Draft with the No. 28 pick. Perry Jones III we knew was going to fall because of concerns mainly surrounding his knee but sliding this far to a franchise that is perfect for him just seems unfair to the rest of the league. It was a Spurs-like snag for OKC and they know it already. Jones III has lottery talent and top-5 pick potential. One knock on him is that he never really stepped up and dominated and was more of a supporting role type of mindset and player. Well, come on down to OKC that sounds just fine!

Grade: A+

Charlotte Bobcats
No. 2 overall – Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, SF, Kentucky
No. 31 overall – Jeffrey Taylor, G/F, Vanderbilt

The Bobcats were supposed to either trade the No. 2 pick or take Thomas Robinson if they couldn’t. Instead, they shocked everyone selecting Michael Kidd-Gilchrist second overall. MKG is a player that will shine no matter where he plays, even in Charlotte. He has the potential to be the second best player in this draft class and it was a wise choice to make here by Michael Jordan. Jeffrey Taylor is a good pick too in the second round. Taylor was projected to go a little earlier in the draft and is a nice value find at 31.

Grade: A

Washington Wizards
No. 3 overall – Bradley Beal, SG, Florida
No. 32 overall – Tomas Satoransky, G, Czech Republic

The Wizards got the man they wanted at No. 3 but had to hold their breath and pray before doing so. As the Bobcats were shopping the No. 2 pick, any team that may have gotten it was probably going to take Bradley Beal second overall. The Wizards desperately wanted an elite shooter and wing to place alongside John Wall and they believe Beal is that guy. Beal measured just under 6-foot-5 so he’s not huge but he is physical and can do a lot of things on a basketball court. Tomas Satoranksy in the second round apparently is friends with Jan Vesely which makes that pick awesome too.

Grade: A

Sacramento Kings
No. 5 overall – Thomas Robinson, PF, Kansas

It was impossible not to fall in love with Thomas Robinson watching him break down after being selected fifth overall by the Kings. He won over a lot of fans with that reaction. Robinson is touted as one of the surest things at the top of this draft. The Kings wanted him bad too at No. 5, more than anybody else. Sacramento was going to pull off a trade with this pick with Houston if Robinson was off the board but obviously that didn’t happen. Robinson and DeMarcus Cousins are going to be able to get a lot of rebounds playing together.

Grade: A

Detroit Pistons
No. 9 overall – Andre Drummond, PF/C, Connecticut
No. 39 overall – Khris Middleton, SF, Texas A&M

The Pistons are extremely happy that Andre Drummond fell to them. Before the draft, they were hoping for this but planning to settle on John Henson. Drummond has as much upside as anyone in this draft. There are questions surrounding him but he is very young. It was the right pick here for Detroit without question. Khris Middleton isn’t someone that jumps out as a great pick here but at No. 39, there’s not a lot to expect.

Grade: A

Milwaukee Bucks
No. 14 overall – John Henson, PF, North Carolina
No. 42 overall – Doron Lamb, SG, Kentucky

The Bucks were pretty happy to see John Henson at No. 14 especially after trading down from 12 with Houston. Henson is the kind of guy Milwaukee wanted and someone who will block a lot of shots and grab some rebounds but really needs to put on some weight first. Doron Lamb is another player they were happy to see at No. 42. He could have gone in the first round and is an irrational confidence guy who can shoot and play some D too.

Grade: B+

Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 4 overall – Dion Waiters, SG, Syracuse
No. 17 overall – Tyler Zeller, C, North Carolina

It wasn’t a huge shocker that Cleveland took Dion Waiters No. 4. They were planning on possibly doing so and after being unable to trade up to No. 2 and take Beal, Waiters was the next guy on their list, probably just ahead of Harrison Barnes. It wasn’t an overly popular pick but Waiters has an NBA-ready body and next to Kyrie Irving should do well. With Tyler Zeller sliding in the draft, the Cavaliers pulled the trigger on a trade with Dallas to get to No. 17 and take the North Carolina center. They gave up three picks for Zeller so they must really like him. Now with a core of Irving, Waiters, Thompson and Zeller, Cleveland’s future looks kind of alright.

Grade: B

Portland Trailblazers
No. 6 overall – Damian Lillard, PG, Weber State
No. 11 overall – Meyers Leonard, C, Illinois
No. 40 overall – Will Barton, SG, Memphis

Before the Draft, Portland was intent on keeping their 6th and 11th picks and they also loved Damian Lillard. Six may sound high for Lillard but Portland did something smart: picking their favorite guy and not caring where they did it. They then filled a need at 11 with Meyers Leonard, the center from Illinois. Portland was projected in some mocks to take Andre Drummond and either Austin Rivers or Jeremy Lamb. That sounds a little better than what they ended up with. They get Will Barton at No. 40 which is another solid value pick as he was projected late-first by many.

Grade: B

Golden State Warriors
No. 7 overall – Harrison Barnes, G/F, North Carolina
No. 30 overall – Festus Ezeli, C, Vanderbilt
No. 35 overall – Draymond Green, F, Michigan State
No. 52 overall – Ognjen Kuzmic, C, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Despite his overall disappointing feeling, many still feel Harrison Barnes can be an All-Star in the NBA. Getting him at No. 7 was a pretty solid pick for the Warriors, who are starting new next year post-Monta Ellis and with Andrew Bogut. Festus Ezeli with the last pick of the first round is understandable too and he is a high-character guy who will work hard for them. Draymond Green is another good pick to get in the second round. The Warriors didn’t have a flashy draft but they made some value picks and that’s always a good strategy.

Grade: B

Houston Rockets
No. 12 overall – Jeremy Lamb, SG, Connecticut
No. 16 overall – Royce White, F, Iowa State
No. 18 overall – Terrence Jones, F, Kentucky

The Rockets were stockpiling draft picks with one thing on their mind: Dwight Howard. That hasn’t happened yet and now feels like it won’t. They were hoping to move up to No. 5 to take Andre Drummond but since Thomas Robinson fell to the Kings there, they weren’t trading that pick. The Rockets will settle for three pretty solid players starting with Jeremy Lamb at No. 12 who has a lot of pro potential as a scorer. When they took Royce White at No. 16, you knew they weren’t trading their picks anymore. White has gotten a lot of buzz this draft as a more athletic Boris Diaw who plays a little like Charles Barkley too. Terrence Jones two picks later is another talented forward that can do a variety of things. You always feel players Daryl Morey drafts are guys who can find a spot in the NBA. The Rockets just had bigger sights for this draft than this.

Grade: B

Phoenix Suns
No. 13 overall – Kendall Marshall, PG, North Carolina

It’s just about official now that Steve Nash is on his way out in Phoenix. Kendall Marshall is their point guard of the future. Marshall was one of the best assists men in college the past two seasons and has drawn comparisons to Mark Jackson and Andre Miller so yeah, he’s not quick. He’s fun to play with and will make the players around him better. They like that in Phoenix.

Grade: B

Chicago Bulls
No. 29 overall – Marquis Teague, PG, Kentucky

The Bulls were either going backup point here or combo-guard shooter. Marquis Teague is a talented player with this pick and someone who may be able to play alongside Derrick Rose some. It’s nothing special for the Bulls but a good pick nonetheless. Bulls fans were dying for Perry Jones III to slip one more pick into their laps.

Grade: B

Toronto Raptors
No. 8 overall – Terrence Ross, SG, Washington
No. 37 overall – Quincy Acy, PF, Baylor
No. 56 overall – Tomislav Zubcic, PF, Croatia

The Raptors would have loved to see Harrison Barnes fall one more pick into their laps. They would have loved even more to move up and snag Dion Waiters. They settle for Terrence Ross who can do things that will make him have a solid NBA career: shoot threes and defend. Quincy Acy in Round 2 could be a Reggie Evans type which is something this franchise has experience with. Tomislav Zubcic will not come over right away. If Toronto gets Steve Nash, a lot of their problems will appear solved.

Grade: C+

Orlando Magic
No. 19 overall – Andrew Nicholson, PF, St. Bonaventure
No. 49 overall – Kyle O’Quinn, C, Norfolk State

The Magic are in a weird situation and have been ever since Dwight Howard started pouting. Howard ran their head coach and GM out of town and still wants out himself. He hasn’t gotten it yet but it’s really only a matter of time. Orlando’s picks of Andrew Nicholson and Kyle O’Quinn may have been logical, but they won’t make their fans feel better yet

Grade: C+

Boston Celtics
No. 21 overall – Jared Sullinger, PF, Ohio State
No. 22 overall – Fab Melo, C, Syracuse
No. 51 overall – Kris Joseph, SF, Syracuse

We knew Jared Sullinger would drop, we just didn’t know how far. The Celtics are in a rebuilding stage now and looking to bulk up their front court with Sullinger and Fab Melo. The Celtics were hoping for Royce White here or to trade up and take Doc Rivers’ son Austin Rivers in the lottery. The best case scenario for Kris Joseph (taken No. 51 overall) is Gary Forbes, according to DraftExpress.

Grade: C+

Philadelphia 76ers
No. 15 overall – Maurice Harkless, SF, St. John’s
No. 27 overall – Arnett Moultrie, PF/C, Mississippi State

Philadelphia fans are not happy with the decision to take Maurice “don’t call me Moe” Harkless 15th overall. When you draft a guy who plays the same position as your best player at No. 15, it never feels like it makes sense. Harkless came out after just one year at St. John’s and is said to have some pro potential but he’s nothing special. The 76ers traded up with Miami to get Arnett Moultrie at No. 27. It’s just another lateral move here for Philly. Their fans want more than that.

Grade: C

Denver Nuggets
No. 20 overall – Evan Fournier, SG, France
No. 38 overall – Quincy Miller, G/F, Baylor
No. 50 overall – Izzet Turkyilmaz, PF, Turkey

The Nuggets surprisingly went with Evan Fournier at No. 20 despite some talent sitting on the board. Fournier will not come over to the NBA next season but was the highest rated international prospect of the draft. The Nuggets clearly weren’t looking to try and strike gold with late first round picks this year. They’ve already accomplished that with Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried. Their pick at No. 38 felt a little better. Some fans wanted Quincy Miller with the 20th pick so getting him this late is a win in that sense. Miller is young with a ton of potential but has the usual question marks. Denver went with another international product late in the second round that we won’t see in the NBA right away.

Grade: C

Atlanta Hawks
No. 23 overall – John Jenkins, SG, Vanderbilt
No. 43 overall – Mike Scott, F, Virginia

Nothing special here for Atlanta. John Jenkins could be decent but he won’t turn any heads. He can really shoot it though and might get some run for the Hawks where Josh Smith is on the way out. It would have been great if Atlanta had decided to draft Marquis Teague here and run an all-Teague backcourt with his brother Jeff. Love the Mike Scott pick.

Grade: C

Dallas Mavericks
No. 24 overall – Jared Cunningham, G, Oregon State
No. 33 overall – Bernard James, C, Florida State
No. 34 overall – Jae Crowder, F, Marquette

It doesn’t seem like Dallas was trying to do a ton in this draft. They dealt their 17th overall pick to Cleveland probably because there was no one they were in love with. They got three picks back for it and didn’t do anything crazy with them. One of the cooler moments in the draft though was Bernard James having his name called and walking to the podium. The crowd started chanting “U-S-A” because James served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. Dallas’ main priority this offseason is wooing Deron Williams and/or Dwight Howard.

Grade: C

Memphis Grizzlies
No. 25 overall – Tony Wroten, Jr., PG, Washington

The Grizzlies wanted a point guard and a lot of mocks had them going with Marquis Teague but they choose Tony Wroten, Jr. instead. Jay Bilas calls Wroten, Jr. a taller Rajon Rondo. That means he’s a good passer and can’t shoot a lick. Maybe it’s what Memphis needs and there is some upside there.

Grade: C

Utah Jazz
No. 47 overall – Kevin Murphy, SG, Tennessee Tech

Utah has enough young players from the last few drafts that they didn’t care too much about this year. Kevin Murphy is the only player from this draft to score 50 or more points in game last year in college. Why not?

Grade: C

Miami Heat
No. 45 overall – Justin Hamilton, C, LSU

Miami could have had Perry Jones III at No. 27 and it would have been just as scary as OKC getting him if not more so. They just didn’t want to have to pay a first rounder this year. Their cap space will be tight the next few seasons. They trade down here and get a 7-footer which they need. Something tells me we won’t see a ton of Justin Hamilton playing for the defending champs.

Grade: C

San Antonio Spurs
No. 59 overall – Marcus Denmon, G, Missouri

The Spurs drafted him so he’ll be an All-Star in four years. Marcus Denmon feels a little Patty Mills/James Anderson. The Spurs probably aren’t expecting too much from Denmon though.

Grade: C

New York Knicks
No. 48 overall – Kostas Papanikolaou, F, Greece

Not doing anything here. The home crowd really loved this pick at least.

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Clippers
No. 53 overall – Furkan Aldemir, PF, Turkey

Love this pick. He may never play in the NBA but he is a great rebounder and can only score on putbacks, according to Fran Fraschilla. What’s not to love?

Grade: C-

Los Angeles Lakers
No. 55 overall – Darius Johnson-Odom, SG, Marquette
No. 60 overall – Robert Sacre, C, Gonzaga

Darius Johnson-Odom plays the wrong sport. He’d be an awesome football player and used that to his advantage in college for Marquette. He will look a lot smaller in the NBA. If Robert Sacre is playing for the Lakers next season, it won’t be a good thing.

Grade: C-

Brooklyn Nets
No. 41 overall – Tyshawn Taylor, PG, Kansas
No. 54 overall – Tornike Shengelia, PF, Georgia
No. 57 overall – Ilkan Karaman, PF, Turkey

Brooklyn not trying to go crazy here. They are just praying for Deron Williams and Dwight Howard to hookup in their new city. Tyshawn Taylor might make it as a backup point in this league but nothing more. Tornike Shengelia goes by “Toko” and is a 6-foot-9 scorer who is good at attacking and can score around the rim well but has no jumper. Ilkan Karamen has a ton of tattoos and may “never play in the NBA” according to Fran Fraschilla.

Grade: C-

Minnesota Timberwolves
No. 58 overall – Robbie Hummel, SF, Purdue

Kevin Love, Chase Budinger and now Robbie Hummel. Good luck rest of league.

Grade: C-

Indiana Pacers
No. 26 overall – Miles Plumlee, PF, Duke
No. 36 overall – Orlando Johnson, SG, UCSB

This may have been the worst draft pick ever, worse than Sam Bowie. With names like Perry Jones III, Draymond Green and Festus Ezeli on the board, Indiana elects to take the worst Plumlee brother, Miles. If they weren’t Indiana and known for their white hoopsters, this would be an even worse pick. It’s still so horrible though words can’t describe it. There’s nothing that could make this pick ever make sense. They get Orlando Johnson from UCSB in the second round who was a 20-point scorer last year and might do something for them.

Grade: F

Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

James Harden had been struggling of late for the Thunder averaging only 13.0 points per game during a stretch of nine games that the Thunder only won four of.

Harden has really picked up his play in the last two games, scoring a career-high 40 points against Phoenix Wednesday night and then 20 points last night as the Thunder beat Sacramento 103-92.

Harden has been noticeably more aggressive in the last two games averaging 30.0 points, 3.0 assists, 6.5 rebounds and 3.5 steals per game. He’s shooting 62.1 percent from the field and made 7-of-14 threes and all 17 free throw attempts.

This is the Harden the Thunder need come playoff time. Granted, the Thunder haven’t played the strongest opponents the last two nights but it has been noticeable in general how much more Harden is looking to attack.

Russell Westbrook is still not himself averaging 21.3 points per game in the month of April while shooting 40.9 percent from the field.

The question is what would you rather have in the playoffs? Westbrook at his best or Harden?

The Thunder played their best basketball of the season with Westbrook at his best but I believe their ceiling is higher and chances for making a deep playoff run is greater with Harden at his best.

We know Kevin Durant is going to get his. It’s a matter of who gets to step up when Durant needs someone to.

Think of it like this, when Westbrook isn’t at his best he still can give hustle and defense and make athletic plays that are really valuable to the Thunder. When Harden is off, he can turn into more of just a spot-up shooter. The Thunder get more out of Westbrook when he’s off than they do from Harden.

The Thunder have three games left this regular season with the next one being in Los Angeles against the Lakers tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. EST. The game will be on ABC.

James Harden scored a career-high 40 points Wednesday night as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Phoenix Suns 109-97.

Kevin Durant also had a big game but was kind of shadowed by Harden’s scoring 29 points (20 in the second half) to go with 11 rebounds and five assists.

The Suns came out of the gates hot but cooled down once Harden checked in. Harden scored 19 in the first half as the Thunder led 52-45 at the break.

Harden had only been averaging 13.0 points per game over his last eight but playing against the Suns is something he likes to do scoring his then career-high 30 points the last time these teams played on March 7.

The Thunder did a great job as a team tonight getting to the line. They made 31-of-34 attempts.

Durant led the way in being aggressive once the second half started. He scored just nine points and was 3-of-10 from the field in the first half and really took advantage of poor interior presence by Marcin Gortat by attacking every chance he got.

Russell Westbrook didn’t have the greatest shooting night again going 6-of-16 from the field and scoring 15 points. He also had five assists and three turnovers.

The Thunder and Spurs both won tonight so the Thunder remain a half game back of the first seed in the West. Phoenix drops out of the eighth spot with the loss while Utah slips in.

This was the third game of a five-game road trip for the Thunder. They will be in Sacramento (20-42) for their next game Friday night.

Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

Oklahoma City Thunder (1-game losing streak)
107.2 Offensive Efficiency (2nd)
99.7 Defensive Efficiency (9th)
95.6 Pace (6th)
56.7 True Shooting % (1st)
51.6 Rebound Rate (3rd)

Phoenix Suns (1-game winning streak)
103.9 Offensive Efficiency (7th)
103.3 Defensive Efficiency (20th)
94.8 Pace (8th)
53.7 True Shooting % (6th)
49.0 Rebound Rate (23rd)

The Thunder are coming off a loss in their last game to the Los Angeles Clippers, 92-77, in which Oklahoma City scored the least amount of points they had all season. Tonight the Thunder will be playing their third game of a five-game road trip in Phoenix.

The Suns are currently sitting in the eighth slot in the West standings but the Rockets are right on their heels with the same overall record. The Suns need to finish the season very strongly to make it into the playoffs and they really have been one of the surprises of the season.

Thunder head coach Scott Brooks called Alvin Gentry the Coach of the Year today when asked about it and it is amazing what Phoenix is doing with the cast of players they have surrounding 38-year old Steve Nash.

Nash is second in the NBA in assists this season averaging 10.9 per game and he is shooting an incredible 53.5 percent from the field.

The Thunder and Suns played about five weeks ago with the Thunder winning 115-104. In that game James Harden scored a then career-high 30 points on 8-of-12 shooting.

Harden’s struggles lately have largely influenced the Thunder’s dwindling play (4-5 in their last nine games) and if he can get going tonight with just five games left in the regular season it would be a very good sign for Thunder fans.

Harden wasn’t the only player to score over 30 in that game as Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both did as well with the trio combining for 91 points.

The Suns did a great job early in that game against the Thunder as Nash and Grant Hill essentially were outplaying Durant and Westbrook but the young legs won out in the end.

With the Spurs beating the Lakers last night, Oklahoma City is now a half game back of San Antonio for the one seed in the West. If the Thunder and Suns keep winning the rest of the season we could see them meet in the first round of the playoffs.

In the East, there are only two teams that pose any real threat. In stark contrast, the West boasts at least five teams that can win the conference title, and a handful of others that can make life miserable for those five teams. Navigating this maze of threats won’t be easy for OKC and much of their success will be predicated upon the who, when, and where of the bracket. With that in mind, I have taken the other nine teams currently realistically vying for the post season and ranked them in descending order of the threat they pose to the Thunder’s pursuits.

9. Suns (Threat Level: Green): Their post all-star break run has been very impressive, and I absolutely marvel at Steve Nash and how he has been able to get this hodge-podge of a roster to gel down the stretch. Having said that, they pose no threat whatsoever to Oklahoma City. As you will see farther down the list, teams that are athletic on the wing and/or bruising in the paint give the Thunder the most trouble; Phoenix does not fit that description at all. The Suns would not be able to keep pace or change pace enough for the series to go beyond five games… and I’d suspect the games played in OKC could get ugly.

8. Rockets (Threat Level: Green): Credit Houston for splitting the season series this year with OKC, but this is not a match up that should keep Thunder fans awake at night. Luis Scola poses some match up issues for Ibaka and Perkins, but OKC can counter with Nick Collison, who makes a living forcing guys like Scola out of their comfort zone. The Rockets aren’t a particularly good defensive team and over the span of a seven game series, the dynamic scoring threats from the Thunder would wear them down. Houston could make individual games interesting (more so than Phoenix) but in terms of the series as a whole, I do not see it going six.

7. Jazz (Threat Level: Green): Ranking them as slightly more dangerous than the Suns or Rockets might raise a few eyebrows, but Al Jefferson is the type of big that can wear the Thunder down, as he did several week ago in a game in Salt Lake City. The Jazz are also a tad deeper than the other two teams mentioned. But in the end, Utah poses the same threat as Phoenix and Houston do…none. The goal for OKC should be to get one of these three teams in the first round.

6. Nuggets (Threat Level: Blue): Everyone talks about the tough series OKC waged against Denver in the first round last year, but few seem to remember that it still only went five games and that the Thunder held a commanding 3-0 series lead at one point. The Nuggets are about as deep and athletic in the open floor as any team in the league, and George Karl fits so nicely with this particular group. However, they do not have a go-to scorer and it reared its’ head many times in the series last year as KD took over down the stretch (most notably in the clinching game five). The Nuggets are pesky, annoying, and they will make OKC work for however many games the series might go. But ultimately, the pose a very low level threat to actually win a series.

5. Clippers (Threat Level: Blue): I’m sticking to my guns on the Clippers despite the fact that they’ve made the Thunder look pretty bad twice in the past week now. I do not believe the Clips are a team built for success in the post-season and I will be surprised if they survive the first round. They thrive on an open floor game, and in the playoffs, the floor shrinks and it shrinks fast. Blake Griffin will have less space to maneuver and teams will force him to beat them from outside the paint. They are also short on experience and many of their role players are guys with a history of regular season success not necessarily carrying over into the post season (Mo Williams tops that list). I believe that if push comes to shove and these two teams meet in the playoffs, the Thunder will have a surprisingly easy time getting stops and I would be surprised if it went the full seven games and absolutely shocked if the Clippers won. I’ve been on record as saying that I believe both Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are slightly overrated. My theory would be put to the test should they face OKC sometime in May.

4. Mavericks (Threat Level: Yellow): Perhaps I am giving them too much credit based on last season, but I just don’t see Dallas bowing out quietly this year despite the fact that their regular season has been an unmitigated disaster. They desperately miss Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea, but I still fear Dirk catching fire at opportune (or inopportune as it were) moments. I will never forget that sickening feeling walking out of the arena last year after the game four collapse in the WCF. I am still reeling from that night and it may very well be coloring my perception of a Dallas team that doesn’t really resemble their championship squad at all.

3. Grizzlies (Threat Level: Yellow): Match up nightmare for Durant. No one in the league plays KD better than Tony Allen- and it’s not even close. For whatever reason, he is able to frustrate KD to the point where he is routinely posting up beyond the three point line and taking forced jumpers. In addition to their athleticism on the wing, Memphis has some major beef inside. Marc Gasol isn’t intimidated by Perk and Zach Randolph completely flummoxes Serge…keeps him away from the paint where Ibaka is most effective. The Grizzlies Achilles heel is that they can’t shoot; however OKC brings out the best in their guards and wing players and shots seem to fall more readily. Another scary thought is that Memphis is still a bit of wild card because we’ve seen so little of them with a healthy Randolph and Rudy Gay together. The only reason I don’t raise the Grizz to the next threat level is because unlike Dallas, the Lakers, and Spurs, Memphis does not have a proven go-to scorer they can count on in crunch time. Still, this would have all the markings of another epic series.

2. Lakers (Threat Level: Orange): In many ways, the Lakers might be the one team the Thunder WANT to face in the second round or WCF. They are old, slow, un-athletic and have absolutely no answers for KD or more importantly, Westbrook. OKC has played them twice and ran them off the floor in the second half both times. But playoff basketball is different. The game will slow down and the court will get smaller. Kobe will know when to pounce. Bynum and Gasol are a formidable combo that can wreak havoc on the offensive glass. If the games stay close (which they inevitably would) the Lakers boast the best closer in the league and one of the best of all-time. The best bet for the Thunder would be to run and get Westbrook out in the open as much as possible. If the game breaks down, the advantage is decidedly titled towards to OKC. But if the game is played against the shot clock as it so often is in the playoffs, then the Thunder may find themselves in an uncomfortable spot against a team that has been there, done that.

1. Spurs (Threat Level: Red): The Spurs are just straight salty. Greatly improved on the wings from last year when Memphis completely caught them off-guard with their size and athleticism. You have a PG playing at an MVP level; a dynamic scorer on the outside who when healthy is as dangerous as anyone in the league; one of the best centers of all time who still knows when to pick his spots; an array of veterans and youngsters filling various roles quite nicely; arguably the greatest coach in the history of the game. That is a mouthful. And unless things shift dramatically over the next week, OKC would have to beat this team without the benefit of homecourt advantage due to the Thunder’s recent malaise. As the Thunder coast and swoon heading into late April, the Spurs appear to be honing and sharpening. The best bet for the Thunder is for someone else to take the Spurs out prior to the WCF ala the Grizzlies last year. But I just have a feeling that Pop and his crew will be ready this time around. Any way you slice it, the Spurs are beyond a major threat to keep the Thunder from the NBA Finals.