原文網址：http://goo.gl/ktiMn4
As the NBA’s playoff races wind down, those teams who have long abandoned
postseason hopes have only the future to look forward to. SN’s Sean Deveney
is looking at the state of those teams and how their offseasons will shape
up, one by one.
隨著NBA季後賽名次的卡位戰逐漸明朗，提早放暑假的球隊們只能展望下一季。SPORTING
NEWS的Sean Deveney將逐一推測這些球隊在休賽季時會有哪些舉動。
Assets資產
Keeping their primary asset — star forward Kevin Durant — in place will be
the focal point of all things Thunder in the coming year. Durant is heading
into the final year of his contract (at $21 million) and is playing for a
team that is either A) stuck in a post-James Harden rut from which they will
not escape, or B) dynamically remaking itself ahead of a dominant 2015-16
season. Which view Durant has now and will have at this time next year is
crucial to the future of the organization because there will no shortage cap
space available when new TV money causes the lid to be blown off salary-cap
restraints. Durant will have his pick of the league.
留住隊上主要的資產-明星前鋒Kevin Durant是雷霆隊接下來幾年的焦點。Durant即將進
入合約的最後一年(2100萬鎂)，他目前正效力於一支(A)在James Harden離隊之後，位置
空缺一直無法填滿；或是(B)提前為15-16年賽季重塑的一支球隊。由於新的電視轉播合約
將會提高薪資上限空間，前述的兩個要點會是現在而且明年Durant用來評估這個球團未來
性的標準。
Thus the Thunder moved quickly to make a coaching change, dumping
vanilla-but-successful Scott Brooks for presumptive successor Billy Donovan
of Florida. Beyond Donovan’s inexperience, the only real question mark
looming over the Thunder is health. That starts with Durant, who played only
27 games this year because he needed surgery (twice) on his foot, an injury
that raises some long-term red flags on his health. But Russell Westbrook
missed 15 games, and Serge Ibaka missed 18. Those are Durant’s old friends
in the starting five, and they’re the remainder of the Thunder’s Big Three
on the salary scale, with Westbrook lined up for two more years at $34
million and Ibaka for two years, $24.5 million.
也因此雷霆隊很快的做出教練的更替，拋棄樸實無趣卻成功的Scott Brooks，迎來暫定的
繼位者-來自佛羅里達的Billy Donovan。撇開Donovan沒有NBA執教經驗以外，雷霆需要打
上問號只有球員健康。由於腳掌的兩次手術，Durant今年只打了27場比賽，他的健康狀態
長期亮起了紅燈。此外，Russell Westbrook(2Y/3400萬鎂)和Serge Ibaka(2Y/2450萬鎂)
分別缺席了15場與18場比賽。他們和Durant都是先發名單上的熟面孔，也都是雷霆隊薪水
前三高的球員。
It’s two new guys, shooting guard Dion Waiters and center Enes Kanter (a
restricted free agent), who probably will have much to say about how the
Thunder progress next year. The team has five dangerous offensive options on
hand and is deep on the bench, too. Steven Adams had been the starter and
will push Kanter for the job because of his defense and rebounding, and
rookie Mitch McGary showed in limited floor times that he has a bright NBA
future, if he can stay healthy. Veteran guards Anthony Morrow and D.J.
Augustin are reliable backups who will combine to make just $6.4 million next
year.
隊上兩名新面孔，得分後衛Dion Waiters和中鋒Enes Kanter(受限制自由球員)，在雷霆
明年的計畫中或許會占有一席之地。雷霆隊現在手上有著5名危險的攻擊選擇，同樣的，
板凳的深度也很深。
原本先發的Steven Adams，因為Kanter的防守和籃板能力，會讓Kanter站上先發。菜鳥
Mitch McGary保持健康的話，也多次展現出他在NBA將有明亮的未來。老將後衛Anthony
Morrow和D.J. Augustin都是可靠的替補，而這兩名球員明年薪資加起來也不過只有640萬
鎂。
Sources say消息
Might Kanter go the Greg Monroe route this summer? That’s a possibility, but
OKC has put out signs that it will be willing to pay Kanter to keep him
aboard. Last summer, with the Pistons unwilling to offer a max contract,
Monroe decided to wait out Detroit, accept a qualifying offer and become an
unrestricted free agent this summer. One reason the Jazz were willing to give
away Kanter at the trade deadline was that they felt he was overvaluing
himself. Kanter put up outstanding numbers for the Thunder (18.7 points, 11.0
rebounds, 56.6 percent shooting) but is not much of a defender and plays for
a team loaded with offensive weapons when healthy. Do the Thunder need Kanter
’s scoring more than they need Adams’ defense? Maybe so. But the Thunder’s
logic in signing Kanter as a restricted free agent this summer is sound: Any
deal under current economic conditions will be much cheaper in the long run
than a similar onel in the summer of 2016, if Kanter were an unrestricted
free agent.
去年夏天，由於活塞隊沒有意願提供大份的合約，Monroe決定等待活塞，同意一份報價並
在今年夏天成為非限制自由球員。
今夏Kanter會不會步上Greg Monroe的後塵呢?這很有可能，但是雷霆隊已經流露出將續留
Kanter的徵兆。
爵士在交易期限前決定送走Kanter的其中一個原因，就是覺得Kanter太高估自己了。加盟
雷霆後，Kanter為球隊打出優秀的成績(18.7分/11.0顆籃板/56.6%投籃命中率)，但是以
一個防守者來說，又效力於一個有很多攻擊武器(健康的時候)的球隊，這樣是不夠的。雷
霆隊真的需要Kanter的得分能力多於Adam的防守能力?也許如此。但是雷霆簽下受限制自
由球員的Kanter的邏輯是，長遠來看，在目前球隊經濟狀況下，以任何一份合約簽下
Kanter都會比2016年，如果Kanter成為非受限自由球員來的便宜。
Draft outlook選秀展望
Last year, the Thunder took a gamble with the No. 29 pick, taking forward
Josh Huestis under the agreement that he would spend the year remaking his
game in the NBA Development League without signing a rookie contract.
Oklahoma City probably will need to sign Huestis, who did improve in the
minors, this year, but by virtue of missing the playoffs, the Thunder will
not need to make a gimmick pick at No. 14 overall. Their depth gives them the
ability to select the best available player (or to make a trade) but given
Westbrook’s recent health issues, adding a good, young backup point guard
makes sense for the bench.
去年，雷霆隊在第29順位睹了一把，在協議下選了前鋒Josh Huestis