RealGM Basketball

Oklahoma City Wiretap

OKC Purchases Tulsa D-League Team

The National Basketball Association announced today that the Professional Basketball Club, LLC, owner of the Oklahoma City NBA franchise, has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League from Southwest Basketball, LLC. Oklahoma City becomes the third NBA team to purchase an NBA D-League affiliate, joining the Los Angeles Lakers (L.A. D-Fenders) and the San Antonio Spurs (Austin Toros) as sole owners of their affiliates.

“As owners of the Tulsa 66ers, we will be able to oversee the team's business operations and provide a valuable developmental vehicle for some of our young players,” said Clay Bennett, chairman of Professional Basketball Club, LLC. “We have received tremendous support from Tulsa for our NBA team in Oklahoma City and we are excited to be a part of the NBA D-League in the Tulsa area. It’s going to be a great partnership.”

Via Press Release


Oklahoma City Home Opener On October 29

Oklahoma City will officially begin their new era at home on October 29, but the opponent has not yet been revealed, according to a report in The Oklahoman.

The OKC franchise will play 41 home games at the Ford Center, and those dates have been reserved, including New Year's Eve.

The full schedule should be released next week.

Via The Oklahoman


NBA Scheduler Has Extra Work This Season

Matt Winick is in charge of scheduling for the NBA, and he starts the process for the following season in February.

Teams supply at least 50 to 60 available dates, and it takes Winick about six months to chart out all 1,230 games.

Because of the Sonics' uncertain home base, Winick worked with two different schedules the first five months, one for Seattle and one for Oklahoma City. The uncertainty ended July 2 when team chairman Clay Bennett announced the Sonics were relocating to Oklahoma City.

The NBA schedule traditionally is announced the first week of August. Winick said he's about "three or four days behind” his usual pace.

"Oklahoma City is part of it,” Winick said. "Some other arenas have been part of it. But there are a number of factors. Free agency is part of it because it affects some television matchups we have to move around.”

Via Oklahoman


OKC Jul 2008 Archive

  • J.R. Smith In OKC's Sights?

    Having missed out on C.J. Miles, could Sam Presti and Oklahoma City turn their sights to restricted Nugget J.R. Smith for help at shooting guard?

  • Ex-Sonics Owner Says Stern Told Him To Drop Suit

    Former Sonics owner Harold Schultz has declared that NBA Commissioner David Stern warned him that it would be "very expensive" to pursue a lawsuit seeking to return the team to Seattle from Oklahoma City.

  • Jazz Match C.J. Miles Offer

    The Utah Jazz announced today that the team has exercised its first right of refusal on guard C.J. Miles’s contract.

  • NBA Files For Rights To Six OKC Nicknames

    The NBA filed for trademarks for the nicknames Barons, Bison, Energy, Marshalls, Thunder and Wind, one of which the Oklahoma City franchise will adopt.

  • Jazz Match Offer For C.J. Miles

    The Utah Jazz on Friday matched the offer that C.J. Miles signed last week with Oklahoma City.

  • OKC Purchases Performance Sports Center As Practice Facility

    Oklahoma City’s new NBA team has reached an agreement in principle to purchase the Performance Sports Center building in north Oklahoma City to use as its temporary home for practice and basketball operations offices.

  • LeBron Leaves U.S. Practice With Sprained Ankle

    Cavalier superstar LeBron James was forced from practice on Tuesday with a sprained ankle which Team USA officials are labeling as 'minor'.

  • Report: OKC Franchise Nicknamed Thunder

    The new Oklahoma City NBA franchise has nicknamed itself the Thunder.

  • Texas To Retire Durant's #35 Jersey

    The Texas Longhorns will retire the jersey of Oklahoma City forward Kevin Durant.

  • Oklahoma City Signs C.J. Miles To Offer Sheet

    OKC GM Sam Presti announced on Friday that the team has signed restricted free agent guard C.J. Miles to an offer sheet.

  • Five Teams Interested In Elson?

    The possibility of Francisco Elson returning to the Nuggets increased dramatically following the Marcus Camby trade.

  • Seattle Council Terminates Sonics' KeyArena Lease

    The city of Seattle officially terminated the lease for Key Arena on Monday, paving the way for the team formerly known as the SuperSonics to make their way to Oklahoma City.

  • Barkley Calls Sonics Move A 'Travesty'

    Charles Barkley feels bad for both the Sonics and their fans for having to move their operations to Oklahoma City.

  • NBA Seeks To Intervene In Howard Schultz's Suit Against Sonics

    The NBA is trying to intervene in the lawsuit between former Sonics' owner Harold Schultz and the Oklahoma City franchise, saying that the lawsuit could interfere with the stable operation of the franchise.

  • SuperSonics' Name Stripped From Team Website

    The official website for the Oklahoma City team has now had the SuperSonics' name and colors removed.

  • Schultz Sticks With Sonics Suit

    Despite the settlement between the owners of the SuperSonics and the city of Seattle, former owner Harold Schultz is still going ahead with his lawsuit to try to reclaim the team.

  • Oklahoma City Loses Summer League Opener

    Oklahoma City, dressed in black jerseys with white sides, the NBA logo and the words "Oklahoma City" across the chest, started their post-Seattle era with a 95-78 loss to the Indiana Pacers as summer league opened up in Orlando.

  • Oklahoma City Will Be Active In Trade Market

    The yet-to-be-renamed NBA franchise in Oklahoma City will be looking to improve through trades this offseason rather than free agency.

  • Sonics Still Undecided On Practice Facilities

    The Sonics are still undecided about what they will do about a practice facility as they begin their move from Seattle to Oklahoma City.

  • Team To Wear NBA-OKC Jerseys In Summer League

    The soon-to-be-named Oklahoma City team will wear NBA-OKC jerseys during summer league play this week.

  • Sonics Sign Westbrook And White

    General Manager Sam Presti announced Friday that Russell Westbrook and D.J. White have both been signed to multi-year contracts.

  • Earl Watson Undergoes Thumb Surgery

    General Manager Sam Presti announced Friday that guard Earl Watson underwent successful surgery in Los Angeles for a fracture of the right thumb.

  • Current, Former Sonics Upset By The Team's Exit

    For some Sonic players like Kevin Durant and Damien Wilkins, leaving Seattle is painful.

  • Sonics Officially Done In Seattle

    SuperSonics owner Clay Bennett could end up paying $75 million to move the NBA franchise to Oklahoma City this year, and he won't be taking the team's name or colors with him.

  • Sonics' Watson Suffers Broken Thumb

    Sonics' GM Sam Presti announced on Tuesday that guard Earl Watson suffered a fracture of the right thumb while preparing for the upcoming season in a basketball game in Los Angeles.