Scott Brooks, Thunder Not Close To Contract Agreement

By Tony Hoops | Published June 30, 2012

While the focus as of Sunday will be on free-agent NBA players, the Oklahoma City Thunder are still hoping to keep their coach, Scott Brooks, from entering the same waters.

As of Friday, the only certainty is that for the tale of the Thunder’s feel-good rise to continue, general manager Sam Presti and agent Warren LeGarie have to find a middle ground. Soon.

“We’re not close,” a source familiar with the negotiations said, “and the clock is ticking.”

It’s a sign of the times that the Thunder and Brooks have not been able to work out an extension, considering how much success they’ve had together. Since Brooks succeeded P.J. Carlesimo after a 1-12 start to the former Seattle franchise’s first season (2008-09) in Oklahoma City, the Thunder’s trajectory has been nothing but skyward. In his first full year as coach, they qualified for the 2010 playoffs. The next year, they reached the 2011 Western Conference finals. Now, of course, they’re coming off a trip to the Finals, where they lost to the Miami Heat in five games.

(Via ESPN)