Eric

Maynor

Maynor tore his ACL in January, causing the Thunder to scramble for a primary backup PG and eventually to sign veteran Derek Fisher. It sounds as though Maynor is doing well, as his daily routine includes “soft-tissue work for 30-45 minutes every morning, followed by an hour in the weight room, some shooting, observing practice and ice treatments twice a day.”

Maynor injured his knee on a non-contact play and hit the ground in a heap of pain. It didn’t look good when it happened, and we should have a more firm diagnosis within the next 24 hours. Royal Ivey and rookie Reggie Jackson are behind Maynor on the depth chart.

Maynor was averaging 15 minutes this season as Russell Westbrook’s primary backup, and this is a sad day for the 24-year-old. It sounds like OKC will give the bulk of his minutes to Reggie Jackson, not Royal Ivey, and we may see James Harden leading the offense more often. Hopefully Maynor can return at full strength for the start of 2012-13.

Maynor immediately crumpled to the court, screaming in pain, and this doesn’t look good at all. He is the primary backup for Russell Westbrook and if he misses any games Daequan Cook (and possibly Royal Ivey) will likely step into a bigger role.

The backup PG was averaging 4.2 points and 2.4 assists prior to getting injured, and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2012-13 season.

Maynor played just nine games in 2011-12 before tearing his ACL, and he’s expected to resume his traditional role behind Russell Westbrook this season. However, with Serge Ibaka freshly extended and James Harden’s contract next on GM Sam Presti’s to-do list, there may not be room for Maynor to also remain with the team. Reggie Jackson’s progression will be key in how negotiations proceed between Maynor and the Thunder moving forward.

Maynor missed the majority of this season due to a torn ACL, but he’s been working hard and is confident he’ll be ready to go. “I’m not going to be behind, Ill tell you that,” he said. “I’m working hard this summer, I’ve been working hard since I got hurt.” Maynor is expected to remain in OKC while he rehabs, and he is not currently concerned about his contract status. The VCU product is eligible to become a restricted free agent next summer.

“I want to be here,” Maynor said at the end of last season. “It’s very important to me. Whatever we got to do to get it done, we need to make it happen.” It’s understandable that he wants to stay, but the organization is more focused on keeping James Harden right now.

Maynor tore his ACL in early January, but he’s expected to be healthy in time for training camp. The fact that he’s already doing on-court work is a positive step in his recovery, and he should be able to bounce back to full strength following his surgery.

Ibaka’s deal was initially reported as a four-year, $48 million extension, but Ibaka’s deal is actually worth $49 million with the potential to make $51.5 million through incentives. As the report notes, the actual contract will make it even tougher for the team to retain James Harden and Eric Maynor, although we still feel as if GM Sam Presti will exhaust every avenue to retain Harden.