With free agency on the horizon for Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant, general manager Sam Presti is under more pressure than ever to put together a championship-caliber team. According to reports, that means coach Scott Brooks is on the hot seat and guard Reggie Jackson is a priority to get re-signed.
Durant becomes a free agent in 2016, but the speculation of where he might go has already started. He has yet to commit to staying in Oklahoma City beyond his current contract, which puts the pressure on Presti to field a team that can - at the very least - take Durant back to the finals.
Despite the consistently high expectations of the team, Oklahoma City hasn't been back to the finals since the 2011-12 season. If the Thunder fall short again, Brooks could become the scape goat.
"Two things have to be said at the top: Scott Brooks is an excellent coach whose team and players adore him. That said, the clock is ticking," Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler wrote Tuesday. "There is no question that the Thunder are on the clock, especially with star forward Kevin Durant inching closer to free agency in the summer of 2016.
"The Thunder have preached a message of continuity and instituted a strong development program, and that has paid dividends in OKC, but failing to reach the NBA Finals again before Durant's free agency could spell disaster for the Thunder as the outside voices creep into the discussion and try to lure Durant out of OKC."
The other side to keeping Durant is having a competitive roster in place. Part of that appears to be keeping Jackson, who becomes a restricted free agent in July. Jackson shined as the team's point guard while incumbent starter Russell Westbrook was sidelined for a stretch with a knee injury, and he proved deserving a starting job.
Presti told reporters this week he viewed Jackson as a "core member" of the team, and he indicated he would do whatever he could to re-sign or extend Jackson and prevent a James Harden-like situation.
One expected change this season is playing Jackson at point and moving Westbrook into more of a 2-guard role, as they experimented with at times last season.
