Another reason why OKC will have to pay big to keep The Beard

[SilverSpur]

... In fact, if you were to go back for as far as ESPN keeps PPS data (1999-2000), Harden has the best single-season Points Per Shot of any NBA guard during the 13-year span, and Chandler’s 1.97 PPS is the best overall PPS in at least the last 13 years. To put Harden’s feat of 1.66 PPS as a guard into even more perspective, neither Michael Jordan nor Steve Nash nor Ray Allen ever broke the 1.5 PPS mark. And while dead-eye assassin Reggie Miller has broken 1.5 several times, he’s never cracked the 1.6 PPS mark.

HoopsHype - Why not Points Per Shot?

[spurduncan21]

There's no way they can afford both him and Ibaka. Ones got to go and the way harden is eating his keep, he'll probably be the one to go. Some team will over him superstar money and OKC already signed Westbrook and Durant to max-type contract extensions

[grizzly_bexar]

They can do it under the CBA. Question is whether they want to pay the tax. As I understand it the guys who own the Thunder are Okies, rich oil guys, and want to win. So they may just do it.

[Jose_TheGenius]

so if he's the best in a 13 year span........does that inflate his stock to $20 mill a year or somethin?

[WILLTHETHRILL]

They can move some guys to make some salary room. They are looking at some tax issues for sure either way.

[frenchfred]

If they win it all this year, the owners might pay to keep the same winning team.

[MichaelWi101]

Originally Posted by frenchfred

If they win it all this year, the owners might pay to keep the same winning team.

But since we all know they're not going to win it all this year, is it worth making him another max contract?

[mckennaspur1]

OKC has had a very fortunate run with its terrific drafts and it's rookie-level payroll. That era is over. Durant and Westbrook are already commanding max-like money. How many more max-like contracts can the Thunder afford?

If the Thunder commit to big money to Harden (and he's bound to get it from someone), then the Spurs should be ready to cherry-pick from the rest of that roster.

[spurduncan21]

Originally Posted by mckennaspur1

OKC has had a very fortunate run with its terrific drafts and it's rookie-level payroll. That era is over. Durant and Westbrook are already commanding max-like money. How many more max-like contracts can the Thunder afford?

If the Thunder commit to big money to Harden (and he's bound to get it from someone), then the Spurs should be ready to cherry-pick from the rest of that roster.

Exactly. Its addition by subtraction, except their really not adding anything. OKC would be like the heat and knicks in that majority of their money would be tied up among three players and the rest of the squad filled out by cheap contracts.