The Oklahoma City Thunder have an established core of Kevin Durant, Serge Ibaka and Russell Westbrook. Beyond that starring trio, it’s uncertain where the rest of the Thunder players lie in the team’s plans. Enes Kanter sports a shiny new contract, but if he doesn’t improve on the defensive end, the Thunder could still move him. Steven Adams and Mitch McGary are two young and talented forwards, but how much playing time will they receive in an already crowded frontcourt? Then there’s Dion Waiters, the man who, according to Dion Waiters, is always open.
The Thunder traded for Waiters last season, but did he perform well enough for the Thunder to keep him around long-term? Apparently so, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Guard Dion Waiters and the Oklahoma City Thunder are actively exploring a contract extension with the Nov. 2 deadline looming, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Waiters, 23, has been enthusiastic about working toward a deal with the Thunder, eager to compete on a contender and comfortable with his growth in a strong atmosphere for player development.
As part of the NBA’s 2012 draft class, Waiters is eligible to extend his deal. Waiters’ agent, Rob Pelinka, and Thunder general manager Sam Presti have met and had ongoing discussions on the deal over the past several weeks, league sources said.
Of course Waiters wants to stay with the Thunder – any young guard, hell, any player for that matter would want to stay with a team considered a championship favorite for the near future (if Durant doesn’t bolt in free agency, that is). The question is, how much money does Waiters want, and how much are the Thunder willing to give him?
He hasn’t exactly proven himself to be a starting-caliber guard yet. He’s plagued by inconsistency, lapses of judgement and a tendency to hog the ball. Yet, he’s just 23, still talented and still full of potential. At his best, he could be a very good 3-and-D player who could also initiate the offense. If the Thunder feel they can get him to that point – and judging by their excellent track record with developing players, that’s perhaps a safe bet – then there would be no harm in giving Waiters something approaching $10 million a year, as long as they don’t strap themselves into too long of a deal.
But if Waiters wants more, or thinks he’s worth more, the Thunder should think very hard about meeting his demands. They’ve already committed to one young player with as much talent as he has limitations; committing to another might be too much for the organization to handle.
