NBA
Adams, Oladipo Reportedly Sign Extensions With OKC
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated10 Aug 2022
The Oklahoma City Thunder have reportedly reached agreements on rookie contract extensions with center Steven Adams (four years, $100 million) and guard Victor Oladipo (four years, $84 million), league sources told The Vertical.
Today at midnight ET is the deadline for players of the 2013 NBA Draft class to sign a rookie-contract extension in order to avoid becoming free agents at the end of the season. With Adams continuing to impress following a breakout playoff stretch last season and Oladipo already appearing to be a nice fit alongside teammate Russell Westbrook, the deals come as no surprise.
Adams is averaging 13 points, nine rebounds and 2.3 steals per contest in the early going, and he provides interior toughness and rim protection. There are nights where you get the feeling the 7’0 Kiwi is just scratching the surface of what his offensive game might continue to develop into, but one of the more refreshing things about Adams is he rarely plays outside of himself or beyond his abilities. He knows his role and fills it perfectly.
Oladipo already appears to provide balance to their attack on both sides of the court. Averaging 17 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per contest while shooting 34 percent from the field, 25 percent from three-point range and 84.6 percent from the free throw line, Oladipo’s raw numbers don’t necessarily tell the full tale of his impact. While shooting and ball security continue to be areas of emphasis for the young guard, he is a true disruptor on the defensive end, rebounds well for his size and can get into the paint to create in traffic or finish at the rim.
After such a sudden shift in direction following the offseason, it makes sense to lock the 23-year-old big man and 24-year-old guard. General manager Sam Presti continues to solidify OKC’s new foundation.
