The Oklahoma City Thunder are facing a fork in the road — again.
For all the well-deserved adulation heaped upon the San Antonio Spurs during their unexpected run to the NBA Finals, the Thunder's fall from Western Conference grace helped pave their way. Russell Westbrook went down with a devastating meniscus tear in his right knee in the second game of the playoffs, and the team that had already retooled by trading James Harden to the Houston Rockets in October had diminished firepower again en route to a second-round end against the Memphis Grizzlies.
And now, there's this: Their third-leading scorer and the unofficial replacement for Harden, shooting guard Kevin Martin, is a free agent who is seriously considering leaving town. Martin told USA TODAY Sports that he has an interest in returning to the Thunder, but it's clear he's looking around and well aware of how unlikely it is that they'll offer the sort of contract he's looking for. The list of teams who are known to have an interest in him is long and intriguing, including the Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, New Orleans Pelicans, Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies.
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The Thunder have a payroll that currently stands at about $67 million and will increase quickly if they delve too deep into the league's luxury tax, expected to be near the $72 million mark. Because Oklahoma City has Martin's Bird rights, the league rules stipulate that they can offer him a contract up to maximum salary. Yet as the situation with Harden showed, the Thunder have no plans to go the way of the Brooklyn Nets and wind up with one of the league's most expensive teams. The combination of those two factors means Martin likely will move on.
"I know they have tough decisions based on their salary cap and I have tough decisions because I'm 30 years old and I still feel like I'm ... the top shooting guard, actually starting shooting guard, in this free agency," Martin said by phone. "Both sides have positions, and I think we'll face them in the upcoming week and just see how the whole process plays out. As (Thunder general manager) Sam (Presti) told me, I deserve to be in this process."
Martin is among the top perimeter talents available as unrestricted free agents. Andre Iguodala (who plays shooting guard and small forward) went looking for long-term certainty by opting out of the final year of his contract with the Denver Nuggets that was worth $16 million, and the Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Pistons, Sacramento Kings, Mavericks and Pelicans, are among the most serious suitors for him. Former Bucks shooting guard Monta Ellis walked away from the final season on his contract (worth $11 million) with the hopes of joining a contender. And O.J. Mayo is drawing plenty of interest after his productive season in Dallas, with the Utah Jazz, Bucks, Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Blazers, Charlotte Bobcats and Chicago Bulls interested. The Grizzlies are expected to make re-signing shooting guard Tony Allen a priority, and other shooting guard free agents include J.R. Smith of the New York Knicks and Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs.
For many accomplished veterans, true free agency doesn't arrive until deep into a career. A player's rookie contract, including two seasons of team options, lasts four years. But players typically become restricted free agents thereafter, meaning the incumbent team has significant advantages in terms of signing said player to another deal. For Martin, that means he's enjoying this rare chance to survey the league's landscape and find the right fit for his services.
"The first nine years of my career, and I'm just now being able to really feel out the league and how teams work and things like that," said Martin, who signed a five-year deal worth $55 million with the Sacramento Kings and later played parts of three seasons in Houston after he was traded. "Also, (the Thunder) deserve to be in this situation as a championship-caliber team, to see all their options and what can work outside of Kevin and Russ as another scorer. But myself, I feel like there was nobody else better in the league who could have been more efficient playing that role with Kevin and Russ. I actually enjoyed it, and I'm always open to an opportunity to return there."
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While Martin and Harden are very different players, Martin was a good fit with Kevin Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder. Their offense was even more potent with Martin than with his predecessor, and the team-wide defense improved by a small margin. The Thunder finished the regular season at 60-22 and with a higher winning percentage than the prior campaign (.732 compared to .712).
Yet the longer Martin talked in the interview, the more it became apparent that he wants to be a starter again. He was a starter from midway through his second season in Sacramento until he came to Oklahoma City, and averaged 23.6 points per game while with the Rockets in the 2010-11 campaign.
"You're definitely reading me right in the sense that, if things don't work out with OKC, then I think there's no other option than me being back in a starting shooting (guard) role," he said. "I feel like as a two-guard, I didn't even show it this year (because of) playing with Kevin and Russ — which I enjoyed — but I can still wake up and score 20, 21 (points per game) in my sleep.
"I'm working this summer like I've always worked in the past, being that No. 1 guy. So if it doesn't work out with OKC, I feel like there's no other (team where he wouldn't start), unless I went to a Miami with D-Wade or the Lakers behind Kobe…I'm only 30, still in the middle of my prime."
Martin met with Presti recently to discuss his situation, and said both sides remain open to the possibility of his unlikely return.
"He told me that he would definitely love to have me back, and I think he realizes that I accepted that role after being a starter the last seven years in the league and being able to swallow that pride and play with Kevin and Russ as the third guy," he said. "He definitely appreciated what I gave up, and how I adapted to their culture.
"It was definitely a positive experience and a positive meeting with Sam. But this is the NBA, and especially with the new CBA, everybody has tough decisions to make, and there will be no hard feelings at the end of the day. But I think we all (understand) what will make each other happy."
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