Thunder forward Kevin Durant has come second in the draft and MVP votings, but nobody in the NBA can touch him nowadays when it comes to pitching products - whether it's shoes, video games or soft drinks. He leads our Commercials Rankings and No. 2 (Kobe Bryant) is not even close.
Nike clearly leads the pack in terms of NBA endorsers, but Chinese brands like Li Ning and Peak are emerging powers.
It will be an interesting offseason in Los Angeles following the early exit from the playoffs. Check the news and tweets coming from La-La Land.
Best transaction: Selected guard Jason Terry (10th overall pick) in the 1999 NBA Draft
Worst transaction: Traded guard Steve Smith to the Portland Trail Blazers for guard Isaiah Rider and forward Jim Jackson on August 2, 1999
Executive of the Year: Never
TRANSACTIONS:
SEASON 2002-03
April 2 2003 Relieved of duties as vice president/general manager. March 24 2003 Signed forward Mikki Moore to a second 10-day contract. March 3 2003 Signed guard Brandon Williams to a second 10-day contract. February 21 2003 Signed guard Jermaine Jackson for the remainder of the season and guard Brandon Williams to a 10-day contract. February 11 2003 Released guard Corey Benjamin. February 10 2003 Signed guard Jermaine Jackson to a second 10-day contract. February 2 2003 Signed guard Corey Benjamin to a second 10-day contract. January 30 2003 Signed guard Jermaine Jackson to a 10-day contract. January 22 2003 Signed guard Corey Benjamin to a 10-day contract. January 20 2003 Signed guard Mike Wilks to a second 10-day contract. January 9 2003 Signed guard Mike Wilks and forward-center Paul Shirley to 10-day contracts. January 7 2003 Signed guard Matt Maloney. January 3 2003 Waived guard Matt Maloney. December 26 2002 Fired coach Lon Kruger and assistant Gar Heard and named Terry Stotts interim coach. December 24 2002 Signed guard Mike Wilks. December 10 2002 Waived center Amal McCaskill. November 21 2002 Signed guard Matt Maloney. November 9 2002 Released center Antonio Harvey. October 31 2002 Signed center Amal McCaskill. September 17 2002 Signed forward Darvin Ham. September 11 2002 Signed forward Ira Newble. August 2 2002 Traded forwards Toni Kukoc, Leon Smith and a 2003 first-round pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for Glenn Robinson. July 11 2002 Signed first-round pick Dan Dickau, acquired in a draft-day trade with the Sacramento Kings. Draft 2002 Selected forward David Andersen (37th overall pick). Traded a future draft pick to the Sacramento Kings for the draft rights to guard Dan Dickau.
SEASON 2001-02
March 6 2002 Signed center Leon Smith. February 11 2002 Signed forward Ira Newble for the remainder of the season. January 29 2002 Signed forward Mark Strickland for the remainder of the season. January 24 2002 Signed forward Leon Smith to a second 10-day contract. January 14 2002 Signed center Leon Smith to a 10-day contract. January 9 2002 Signed forward Mark Strickland to a 10-day contract. December 13 2001 Signed forward Reggie Slater. November 14 2001 Signed forward Dickey Simpkins. November 13 2001 Signed forward Mark Strickland. July 19 2001 Re-signed free agent center Nazr Mohammed to a multi-year contract. Draft 2001 Selected forward Pau Gasol (3rd overall pick) and Terence Morris (34th overall pick). Traded center Lorenzen Wright, guard Brevin Knight and the draft rights to forward Pau Gasol to the Memphis Grizzlies for forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim; traded the draft rights to forward Terence Morris to the Houston Rockets for a future first-round pick.
SEASON 2000-01
February 22 2001 Traded center Dikembe Mutombo and forward Roshown McLeod to the Philadelphia 76ers for Toni Kukoc, centers Theo Ratliff and Nazr Mohammed and guard Pepe Sanchez; released guards Larry Robinson and Ira Bowman from their 10-day contracts. February 16 2001 Signed guard Ira Bowman to a 10-day contract. February 15 2001 Signed guard Larry Robinson to a 10-day contract. January 25 2001 Signed guard Tony Smith to a 10-day contract; waived guard Sean Colson. January 18 2001 Signed guard Sean Colson to a 10-day contract. January 13 2001 Waived forward Andy Panko. January 5 2001 Signed forward Andy Panko to a 10-day contract. January 2 2001 Traded guards Anthony Johnson and Larry Robinson and forward Jim Jackson to the Cleveland Cavaliers for guard Brevin Knight. November 8 2000 Waived forward Anthony Miller. October 25 2000 Signed forward Stephen Howard. October 8 2000 Released guard Michael Hawkins and forwards Jason Sasser and Pete Chilcutt. Draft 2000 Selected forward DerMarr Johnson (6th overall pick), forward Hanno Mottola (40th overall pick) and guard Scoonie Penn (57th overall pick). May 24 2000 Named Lon Kruger coach. April 24 2000 Announced the resignation of coach Lenny Wilkens.
SEASON 1999-00
February 24 2000 Traded guard Anthony Johnson to the Orlando Magic for a future second-round pick. December 22 1999 Waived guard Brandon Williams. December 14 1999 Signed guard Brandon Williams. August 10 1999 Re-signed free agent forward Chris Crawford to a multi-year contract. August 2 1999 Traded guard Steve Smith to the Portland Trail Blazers for guard Isaiah Rider and forward Jim Jackson. July 14 1999 Signed Jason Terry and Cal Bowdler, two of their three 1999 first-round picks. Draft 1999 Selected guard Jason Terry (10th overall pick), forward Cal Bowdler (17th overall pick), guard Dion Glover (20th overall pick), forward Jumaine Jones (27th overall pick). Traded the draft rights to forward Jumaine Jones to the Philadelphia 76ers for a future first-round pick. June 29 1999 Traded guard Mookie Blaylock and the 21st overall pick to the Golden State Warriors for the 10th overall pick, guard Bimbo Coles and forward Duane Ferrell.
SEASON 1998-99
March 29 1999 Signed guard Jeff Sheppard to a second 10-day contract. March 19 1999 Signed guard Jeff Sheppard to a 10-day contract. March 4 1999 Waived guard Jeff Sheppard. February 22 1999 Signed guard Jeff Sheppard. February 19 1999 Waived forward-center Scot Pollard and guard Shammond Williams. February 2 1999 Waived forward Kebu Stewart. February 1 1999 Signed free agent forward Grant Long, who had been with the Detroit Pistons. January 30 1999 Signed free agent forward LaPhonso Ellis, who had been with the Denver Nuggets. January 25 1999 Waived guards Mitch Henderson and Brian Oliver and center Jason Lawson. January 22 1999 Re-signed forward Christian Laettner and traded him to the Detroit Pistons for center Scot Pollard and a conditional first-round pick; signed guards Mitch Henderson and Bakari Hendrix. January 21 1999 Signed free agent guard Anthony Johnson, who had been with the Sacramento Kings, and free agent forward Mark West, who had been with the Indiana Pacers; signed forward Roshown McLeod, their first-round pick, to a three-year contract; signed guard Shammond Williams. Draft 1998 Selected forwards Roshown McLeod (20th overall pick) and guard Cory Carr (49th overall pick).
SEASON 1997-98
February 16 1998 Released guard Lloyd Daniels. February 13 1998 Signed forward Lloyd Daniels to a 10-day contract. January 20 1998 Signed guard Drew Barry to a 10-day contract. January 10 1998 Signed guard Randy Livingston to a 10-day contract. December 19 1997 Released guard Randy Livingston. December 9 1997 Re-signed guard Randy Livingston. November 7 1997 Waived guard Donald Whiteside and signed guard Randy Livingston. October 30 1997 Released forward Ken Norman. October 28 1997 Waived guard Matt Steigenga. October 19 1997 Waived guards Drew Barry and Walter Bond. October 8 1997 Waived forward Chris King. October 3 1997 Signed forwards Greg Anderson, Chucky Brown and Chris King and guard Matt Steigenga. October 2 1997 Signed guard Walter Bond. September 29 1997 Traded the draft rights to forward Efthimios Rentzias to the Denver Nuggets for center Priest Lauderdale. September 26 1997 Signed forwards Tyrone Corbin and Anthony Miller and guards Donald Whiteside and guard Drew Barry. September 12 1997 Re-signed guard Eldridge Recasner. August 29 1997 Re-signed guard Mookie Blaylock. July 30 1997 Signed forward Chris Crawford. June 27 1997 Signed guard Ed Gray. Draft 1997 Selected guard Ed Gray (22nd overall pick), guard Alain Digbeu (50th overall pick) and forward Chris Crawford (51st overall pick).
SEASON 1996-97
March 25 1997 Signed guard Darrin Hancock for the rest of the season. March 15 1997 Signed guard Darrin Hancock to a second 10-day contract. March 5 1997 Signed guard Darrin Hancock to a 10-day contract. March 4 1997 Waived forward Donnie Boyce. January 7 1997 Waived guard Darrin Hancock and forward Willie Burton. December 20 1996 Signed forward Henry James. November 15 1996 Signed forward Anthony Miller. November 4 1996 Signed guard Willlie Burton. October 9 1996 Released forward Pat Durham. September 27 1996 Signed free agent guard Eldridge Recasner, who had been with the Houston Rockets. September 12 1996 Signed free agent forwards Tyrone Corbin and Willie Burton. September 9 1996 Signed center Priest Lauderdale, their first-round draft pick, to a three-year contract. September 5 1996 Named Stan Albeck assistant coach. August 13 1996 Signed free agent guard Jon Barry, who had been with the Golden State Warriors, to a one-year contract. Draft 1996 Selected center Priest Lauderdale (28th overall pick).
SEASON 1995-96
March 10 1996 Signed guard Reggie Jordan to a 10-day contract. March 6 1996 Released guard Howard Nathan. January 18 1996 Signed forward Ronnie Grandison to a 10-day contract. January 17 1996 Signed forward Ronnie Grandison to a 10-day contract. December 15 1995 Signed free agent forward-center Tim Kempton; waived guard Howard Nathan. October 31 1995 Cut forward Troy Brown and guards Gaylon Nickerson and Cuonzo Martin. October 10 1995 Signed forward Stacey Augmon to a five-year contract; signed forward Troy Brown. Draft 1995 Selected forward Alan Henderson (16th overall pick), guard Donnie Boyce (42nd overall pick), forward Troy Brown (45th overall pick) and guard Cuonzo Martin (57th overall pick).
Traded forwards Toni Kukoc, Leon Smith and a 2003 first-round pick to the Milwaukee Bucks for Glenn Robinson.
