Mark

Daigneault

The Thunder promoted Daigneault to head coach in November of 2020 after Billy Donovan left for Chicago, and he has guided them through their rebuild. He’ll now get a chance to help them win games and be a playoff team. The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, so the length of the extension isn’t clear, but he earned at least a few more years of being their head coach.

While Denver’s coaching staff is focused on Game 4, the front office is still wheeling and dealing. They only had to give up one future first to get two second rounders and a first rounder over the next two drafts. They should be able to add some young talent to a team that has a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals. The Thunder are now down to “only” three first round picks next season. It may seem like they gave up a lot to get a pick they won’t make for six years, but with the amount of draft capital they have, they shouldn’t miss what they gave up.

Chet’s injury will allow the Thunder to sign a free agent for up to $4.95 million without a cap hit. While the Thunder will likely be in the tank race, they can still sign a veteran as a locker room presence. Whoever they end up signing, it’s unlikely that it’s a player that impacts fantasy hoops, but we’ll have to see who it ends up being.

The Thunder went 1-4 without Daigneault on the sidelines. Their sole win was a 95-80 victory over the Knicks. He’ll return to the sidelines to help try and guide his team to a victory over the Timberwolves.

Daigneault will be replaced on the sideline by Mike Wilks against the Kings. He joins five Thunder players in protocols, including Josh Giddey, who entered this morning.

This was the last head coach opening in the NBA and it comes roughly two months after Billy Donovan moved on. Thunder GM Sam Presti is a big fan of Daigneault, saying that his ability to connect with the players and knowledge of the game will help them during their rebuild. It sounds like the Thunder will be dealing Chris Paul in the near future, so player development will be the focus in OKC and that bodes well for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort and Darius Bazley.