They can't pay him. So they'd rather get 80 or 90 cents on the dollar now then risk losing him next year. It will hurt them this year, but having those extra picks will help keep their pipeline going to keep building behind Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka. It's unfortunate that the Thunder become the first casualty of the new luxury tax system. Hopefully the rules against sign and trades by luxury tax teams and other similar rules that go into place next season will start slowing down the big markets as well. Would the luxury tax penalties have been that onerous over the life of the contract? I thought I read somewhere that, though, high, they were well within OKC's ability to pay.