The 2018–19 Oklahoma City Thunder season was the 11th season of the franchise in Oklahoma City and the 53rd in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nick Collison (who had been with the franchise since it was based in Seattle), retired in May 2018 and was not on the roster for the first time since the 2002–03 season. The only remaining former SuperSonics' active players are Jeff Green and Kevin Durant, both of whom played their rookie seasons with the team in Seattle. Collison's retirement also left Russell Westbrook as the longest tenured Thunder player and last remaining player on the roster from the 2011–12 season in which they won the Western Conference and went to the NBA Finals. On March 20, 2019, the Thunder retired Collison's No. 4 jersey, becoming the first Thunder player and the last former Sonic player to have their jersey retired. The Thunder had the fourth best team defensive rating in the NBA.[1]
| 2018–19 Oklahoma City Thunder season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Billy Donovan |
| General manager | Sam Presti |
| Owners | Professional Basketball Club LLC |
| Arena | Chesapeake Energy Arena |
| Results | |
| Record | 49–33 (.598) |
| Place | Division: 4th (Northwest) Conference: 6th (Western) |
| Playoff finish | First Round (lost to Trail Blazers 1–4) |
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
| Local media | |
| Television | Fox Sports Oklahoma |
| Radio | |
Despite speculation that Paul George would sign with his hometown team, the Los Angeles Lakers, in the off-season, George instead re-signed with the Thunder on June 30, 2018, exactly a year after he was traded to the team from the Indiana Pacers. The Thunder then clinched another playoff season due to the Kings loss to the Rockets on March 30.
In the playoffs, the Thunder were eliminated by the Portland Trail Blazers in the First Round thanks to a Damian Lillard series-clinching three pointer over Paul George in Game 5. This marked the third consecutive season the Thunder was eliminated in the First Round, and they are 0–9 in road playoff games since Durant's departure from the team. After 11 years, this season also marked the end of an era as Russell Westbrook was traded to the Houston Rockets following this season, and reunited him with former Thunder teammate James Harden, whom had played for the team from the 2009 to 2012 seasons.
Previous season
The Thunder finished the 2017–18 season 48–34 to finish in second place in the Northwest Division, fourth in the Western Conference and qualified for the playoffs. Last season featured the acquisitions of Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to a form a "Big Three" with reigning MVP Russell Westbrook. The Thunder however fell in the first round to the Utah Jazz in six games.
Offseason
Draft picks
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| Round | Pick | Player | Position | Nationality | College/Club team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 53 | Devon Hall | SG |  United States | Virginia |
| 2 | 57 | Kevin Hervey | PF | United States | Texas-Arlington |
| Hamidou Diallo was later traded to the Thunder via Charlotte Hornets | |||||
The Thunder had two second-round picks entering the draft.[2] The Thunder traded their 2018 first-round pick in the Enes Kanter trade to the Utah Jazz back in 2015 which was later traded by the Jazz to the Minnesota Timberwolves.[3] The Thunder's other second-round pick was originally acquired from the Boston Celtics as a result of the Perry Jones trade in 2015.[4]
On draft night, the Thunder traded a 2019 second-round pick and cash considerations to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for the draft rights to Hamidou Diallo, the forty-fifth pick. The trade was later finalized on July 6.[5]
The Thunder, after the 2018 NBA draft night and the conclusion of player acquisitions and transactions, ended with Kentucky guard Hamidou Diallo, Virginia guard Devon Hall and Texas-Arlington forward Kevin Hervey.[6]
Trades
On July 20, the Thunder traded Dakari Johnson and cash considerations to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Rodney Purvis in an effort for payroll relief.[7] By trading Johnson's guaranteed contract for Purvis's non-guaranteed contract, the Thunder saved nearly $6.6 million in luxury tax savings.[8] On July 23, the Thunder then traded Rodney Purvis to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Abdel Nader and cash considerations.[9]
On July 25, the Thunder traded Carmelo Anthony and a 2022 protected first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in a three team trade, for Dennis Schröder from Atlanta and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot from Philadelphia.[10] Coming off his lowest scoring season, Anthony saw his role and playing time dwindle during the season and playoffs. After the season ended, Anthony rejected the idea of coming off the bench, saying it was "out of the question", while preferring to play with the ball in his hands more. Following the Thunder's defeat against the Utah Jazz, Anthony was the focal point of trade talks in order to save on the luxury tax bill for next season.[11]
I want to take this opportunity to thank Carmelo Anthony and acknowledge his professionalism and contributions during his time with the Thunder. Although his tenure was only one year, the fact that Melo is a part of our history is important to us. We appreciate Carmelo and his agent Leon Rose for their collaboration and communication as we worked to resolve the situation in a fashion that was suitable to everyone. We wish Melo and his family nothing but the best in the future.[12]
— Sam Presti
In exchange for Anthony, the Thunder received Dennis Schröder and Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot. Schröder came off the 2017-18 season as the leading scorer for the Hawks, averaging 19.4 points. The past two seasons, Schröder had developed into a starter leading the Hawks to a playoff appearance in 2017. Luwawu-Cabarrot came to the Thunder after two seasons with the 76ers since being selected 24th overall in the 2016 NBA draft.
Free agency
For this offseason, free agency began on July 1, 2018, while the July moratorium ended on July 6. Corey Brewer, Nick Collison, Raymond Felton, P.J. Dozier, Paul George, Jerami Grant, Daniel Hamilton and Josh Huestis were set to hit unrestricted free agency. On May 10, Nick Collison announced his retirement after 15 years with the Thunder dating back to the Seattle SuperSonics. Collison appeared in 910 games and 91 playoff games with career averages of 5.9 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists.[13]
For the Thunder, Nick Collison was one of those players. Nick has helped define the standards we work by on a day-to-day basis, on and off the court and has become synonymous with the Thunder shield. He is a craftsman; tough, selfless and humble. He brought the best of himself his entire career each day he walked through the door. As result of his consistency and longevity, his contributions to our culture and community will have a lasting effect. That is rare in any industry, but especially professional sports. Many thanks to Nick and his wonderful family for being such an important part to writing our history and helping to set the course. In doing so, he has set the standards for professionalism and consistency for the years ahead and therefore, will always be part of the Thunder.[14]
— Sam Presti
On June 30, it was reported that Paul George agreed to a four-year, $137 million deal to stay with the Thunder, which he later signed on July 6.[15][16] After informing the Indiana Pacers that he would not re-sign with them, opting to join the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency, the Thunder spent the year recruiting George to sign long-term after trading for him. Since the 2017-18 season ended, the Thunder convinced George to stay, hinging his trust on Sam Presti and his strong relationship with Russell Westbrook.[17]
Here they have made a huge risk in trading for me, knowing I have one year on my deal. But I felt I didn't finish as strong as I could have. Just knowing you left something on the table, even to this point now, it weighs on me.[18]
— Paul George
The same night on June 30, it was reported that Jerami Grant agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal to stay with the Thunder, which he later signed on July 7.[19][20] On July 3, it was reported that Raymond Felton agreed to a new contract to stay with the Thunder, which he later signed on July 12.[21][22] Brewer, Dozier, Hamilton and Huestis, who were not re-signed, joined the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks and the Austin Spurs of the NBA G League respectively.
On July 2, it was reported that Nerlens Noel agreed to a two-year, minimum deal with the Thunder, which he later signed on July 6.[23][24][25] Noel spent the 2017-18 season with the Dallas Mavericks. On July 7, Deonte Burton signed a two-way contract with the Thunder. Burton spent the 2017-18 season with the Wonju DB Promy in the Korean Basketball League before playing for the Thunder in the 2018 NBA Summer League.[26] To fill in the other slot, Tyler Davis signed a two-way contract with the Thunder on August 13. Davis came undrafted out of Texas A&M.[27]
On August 31, Kyle Singler was waived by the Thunder with the stretch provision.[28] By waiving Singler, the Thunder saved more than $20 million in luxury taxes.[29]
Front office and coaching changes
On August 20, the Thunder announced Bob Beyer as an assistant coach. Beyer joins the Thunder after serving as an assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons with most recently being the associate head coach for the last two seasons.[30]
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Roster |
Salaries
| Player | Salary |
|---|---|
| Russell Westbrook | $35,654,150 |
| Paul George | $30,560,700 |
| Steven Adams | $24,157,304 |
| Dennis Schroder | $15,500,000 |
| Andre Roberson | $10,000,000 |
| Jerami Grant | $8,653,847 |
| Patrick Patterson | $5,451,600 |
| Alex Abrines ‡ | $3,575,183 |
| Raymond Felton | $2,393,887 |
| Terrance Ferguson | $2,118,840 |
| Nerlens Noel | $1,757,429 |
| Abdel Nader | $1,378,242 |
| Kyle Singler ‡ | $999,200 |
| Hamidou Diallo | $838,464 |
| Markieff Morris | $573,295 |
| Deonte Burton | $151,587 |
| Scotty Hopson ‡ | $85,458 |
| Richard Solomon ‡ | $47,371 |
| Total | $134,896,557 |
All 2018-19 salaries.[31]
‡ Waived with guaranteed money
Standings
Division
| Northwest Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Denver Nuggets | 54 | 28 | .659 | – | 34–7 | 20–21 | 12–4 | 82 |
| x – Portland Trail Blazers | 53 | 29 | .646 | 1.0 | 32–9 | 21–20 | 6–10 | 82 |
| x – Utah Jazz | 50 | 32 | .610 | 4.0 | 29–12 | 21–20 | 8–8 | 82 |
| x – Oklahoma City Thunder | 49 | 33 | .598 | 5.0 | 27–14 | 22–19 | 9–7 | 82 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 36 | 46 | .439 | 18.0 | 25–16 | 11–30 | 5–11 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2018 preseason game log Total: 3–1 (home: 2–1; road: 1–0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Preseason: 3–1 (home: 2–1; road: 1–0)
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–19 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
Playoffs
| 2019 playoff game log | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
First Round: 1–4 (home: 1–1; road: 0–3)
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019 playoff schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Abrines ‡ | 31 | 2 | 19.0 | 35.7% | 32.3% | 92.3% | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 5.3 |
| Steven Adams | 80 | 80 | 33.4 | 59.5% | 0.0% | 50.0% | 9.5 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 13.9 |
| Deonte Burton | 32 | 0 | 7.5 | 40.2% | 29.6% | 66.7% | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 2.6 |
| Tyler Davis ‡ | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0% | - | - | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Hamidou Diallo | 51 | 3 | 10.3 | 45.5% | 16.7% | 61.0% | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 0.2 | 3.7 |
| Jawun Evans ≠ | 1 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0% | 0.0% | - | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Raymond Felton | 33 | 0 | 11.5 | 40.7% | 32.8% | 92.3% | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 4.3 |
| Terrance Ferguson | 74 | 74 | 26.1 | 42.9% | 36.6% | 72.5% | 1.9 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 6.9 |
| Paul George | 77 | 77 | 36.9 | 43.8% | 38.6% | 83.9% | 8.2 | 4.1 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 28.0 |
| Jerami Grant | 80 | 77 | 32.7 | 49.7% | 39.2% | 71.0% | 5.2 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 13.6 |
| Donte Grantham ≠ | 3 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.0% | 0.0% | - | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot † | 21 | 1 | 5.9 | 30.2% | 22.7% | 66.7% | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.7 |
| Markieff Morris ≠ | 24 | 1 | 16.1 | 39.1% | 33.9% | 73.7% | 3.8 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 6.5 |
| Abdel Nader | 61 | 1 | 11.4 | 42.3% | 32.0% | 75.0% | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 4.0 |
| Nerlens Noel | 77 | 2 | 13.7 | 58.7% | - | 68.4% | 4.2 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 4.9 |
| Patrick Patterson | 63 | 5 | 13.7 | 37.4% | 33.6% | 63.3% | 2.3 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 3.6 |
| André Roberson | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Dennis Schröder | 79 | 14 | 29.3 | 41.4% | 34.1% | 81.9% | 3.6 | 4.1 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 15.5 |
| Russell Westbrook | 73 | 73 | 36.0 | 42.8% | 29.0% | 65.6% | 11.1 | 10.7 | 1.9 | 0.5 | 22.9 |
- Led team in statistic
After all games.[32]
‡ Waived during the season
† Traded during the season
≠ Acquired during the season
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steven Adams | 5 | 5 | 31.8 | 66.7% | 0.0% | 37.5% | 7.2 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 11.8 |
| Deonte Burton | 3 | 0 | 1.3 | 20.0% | 0.0% | - | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
| Raymond Felton | 5 | 0 | 11.4 | 30.8% | 25.0% | 50.0% | 0.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 2.2 |
| Terrance Ferguson | 5 | 5 | 25.6 | 36.0% | 38.9% | - | 2.4 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 5.0 |
| Paul George | 5 | 5 | 40.8 | 43.6% | 31.9% | 81.6% | 8.6 | 3.6 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 28.6 |
| Jerami Grant | 5 | 5 | 35.2 | 50.0% | 45.0% | 69.2% | 5.6 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 2.0 | 11.6 |
| Markieff Morris | 5 | 0 | 11.8 | 31.3% | 28.6% | 77.8% | 2.6 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 3.8 |
| Abdel Nader | 3 | 0 | 1.7 | 50.0% | - | - | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 0.7 |
| Nerlens Noel | 5 | 0 | 12.0 | 60.0% | - | 0.0% | 3.8 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 4.8 |
| Dennis Schröder | 5 | 0 | 30.2 | 45.5% | 30.0% | 72.2% | 3.2 | 3.4 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 13.8 |
| Russell Westbrook | 5 | 5 | 39.4 | 36.0% | 32.4% | 88.5% | 8.8 | 10.6 | 1.0 | 0.6 | 22.8 |
- Led team in statistic
After all games.[33]
Individual game highs
| Category | Player | Statistic |
|---|---|---|
| Field Goals Made | Russell Westbrook | 18 vs Pelicans on February 14, 2019 |
| Threes Made | Paul George | 10 vs Heat on February 1, 2019 |
| Free Throws Made | Paul George | 17 vs Trail Blazers on March 7, 2019 |
| Double-Doubles | Russell Westbrook | 57 |
| Triple-Doubles | Russell Westbrook | 34 |
Transactions
Overview
| Players Added Via trade Via free agency | Players Lost Via trade Via free agency Via retirement Waived |
Trades
| July 6, 2018[34] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Draft rights to Hamidou Diallo | To Charlotte Hornets 2019 second-round pick Cash considerations |
| July 20, 2018[35] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Rodney Purvis | To Orlando Magic Dakari Johnson Cash considerations |
| July 23, 2018[36] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Abdel Nader Cash considerations | To Boston Celtics Rodney Purvis |
| July 25, 2018[37] | To Oklahoma City Thunder Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot via PHI Dennis Schröder via ATL | To Atlanta Hawks Justin Anderson via PHI Carmelo Anthony via OKC 2022 first-round pick via OKC |
| To Philadelphia 76ers Mike Muscala via ATL | ||
| February 1, 2019[38] | To Oklahoma City Thunder 2020 protected second-round pick | To Chicago Bulls Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot Cash considerations |
Free agency
Re-signed
| Date | Player | Contract | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 6, 2018 | Paul George[39] | Multi-Year | |||
| July 7, 2018 | Jerami Grant[40] | Multi-Year | |||
| July 12, 2018 | Raymond Felton[41] | Standard | |||
| In-Season Re-Signings | |||||
| March 10, 2019 | Deonte Burton[42] | Multi-Year | |||
Additions
| Date | Player | Contract | Former team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 6, 2018 | Nerlens Noel[43] | Standard | Dallas Mavericks | ||
| July 7, 2018 | Deonte Burton[44] | Two-Way |  Wonju DB Promy | ||
| August 13, 2018 | Tyler Davis[45] | Two-Way |  Texas A&M (NCAA) | ||
| In-Season Additions | |||||
| December 28, 2018 | Donte Grantham[46] | Two-Way | Oklahoma City Blue (G League) | ||
| February 14, 2019 | Scotty Hopson[47] | 10-Day | Oklahoma City Blue (G League) | ||
| February 14, 2019 | Richard Solomon[48] | 10-Day | Oklahoma City Blue (G League) | ||
| February 20, 2019 | Markieff Morris[49] | Standard | Washington Wizards | ||
| March 25, 2019 | Jawun Evans[50] | Two-Way | Phoenix Suns | ||
Subtractions
| Date | Player | Reason left | New team | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 2018 | Nick Collison[51] | Retired | N/A | ||
| August 20, 2018 | Daniel Hamilton[52] | Free Agent | Atlanta Hawks | ||
| August 21, 2018 | PJ Dozier[53] | Free Agent | Boston Celtics | ||
| August 31, 2018 | Kyle Singler[54] | Waived |  Obradoiro CAB | ||
| October 22, 2018 | Josh Huestis[55] | Free Agent | Austin Spurs (G League) | ||
| January 15, 2019 | Corey Brewer[56] | Free Agent | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| In-Season Subtractions | |||||
| December 27, 2018 | Tyler Davis[57] | Waived |  Xinjiang Flying Tigers | ||
| February 9, 2019 | Alex Abrines[58] | Waived | FC Barcelona | ||
Awards, records and milestones
Awards
| Player | Award | Date awarded | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russell Westbrook | Western Conference Player of the Week | November 5, 2018 | [59] |
| Paul George | Western Conference Player of the Week | December 24, 2018 | [60] |
| Paul George | NBA All-Star starter (6th appearance) | January 24, 2019 | [61] |
| Paul George | Western Conference Player of the Week | January 28, 2019 | [62] |
| Russell Westbrook | NBA All-Star reserve (8th appearance) | January 31, 2019 | [63] |
| Paul George | Western Conference Player of the Week | February 11, 2019 | [64] |
| Hamidou Diallo | NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion | February 16, 2019 | [65] |
| Paul George | Western Conference Player of the Month (February) | March 1, 2019 | [66] |
| Russell Westbrook | Western Conference Player of the Week | April 8, 2019 | [67] |
| Paul George | NBA steals leader | April 10, 2019 | [68] |
| Russell Westbrook | NBA assists leader (2nd time) | April 10, 2019 | [69] |
| Paul George | All-Defensive First Team | May 23, 2019 | [70] |
| Paul George | All-NBA First Team | May 23, 2019 | [71] |
| Russell Westbrook | All-NBA Third Team | May 23, 2019 | [72] |