Q. Can you kind of walk us through your off-season and getting the news you were coming here and how that has evolved? I know you've probably had some contact with Mark and Sam and what your expectations heading into the season.
DERRICK FAVORS: I was actually in Vegas when I heard the news. I think it was like at 11:00, 12:00 at night. I was out in Vegas just having fun, and my agent gave me a call and said, You've just been involved in a trade, and I was like, oh, wow. I guess that's when the news broke that I got traded to Oklahoma City, and I was just like, okay, well, I guess I'm going to Oklahoma City.
I talked to Sam and to Coach, and we just had a good conversation about what's expected and how I'm going to fit in and what the future holds. We had a good conversation.
Q. Do you feel good about what you heard from them?
DERRICK FAVORS: Yeah, I feel good about it. I'm happy to be here. I'm happy to be a part of this team, be a part of this organization. You know, whatever happens happens. It's a business, but I'm excited to be here.
Q. How are you approaching that coming from the Jazz, where you guys were one of the top teams in the league, to a clear rebuilding situation where you're one of a few veterans on the roster? I know it's probably not an ideal situation at this point in your career, but how are you approaching that?
DERRICK FAVORS: I mean, at first it was kind of a tough thing to deal with, but right now I'm all in on it. I want to be around younger guys because they kind of -- they have fun. They kind of keep me young. At the same time, with trends and music and all that kind of stuff, it's fun.
I just want to help them out as much as I can, for however long I'm here. I just want to help those guys out as much as I can and be that leader, that voice for them that they need whenever they need to ask questions or going through a long season there's a lot of ups and downs, and sometimes players need somebody to talk to that they can relate to, and just be that for them.
Q. When you were having those conversations with Sam and the front office, was there any point this off-season where you weren't sure if you were actually going to report to Oklahoma City or be a member of the Thunder?
DERRICK FAVORS: No, I don't think so. I mean, when the trade went down, the only thing that was on my mind was are they going to keep me or am I going to be involved in another trade? But it was never anything where I was like, I'm not reporting. Those thoughts went through my head, but I didn't want to be that type of person. So I said, no, I'm going to go down and report there, I'm going to be in training camp, I'm going to be with the team, the organization, and whatever happens happens. If I'm here, I'm here. If I get traded, it's just part of the business. But I'm locked in here.
Q. When you look at Shai and Lu Dort and Bazley and this young talent pool, what do you think of that young group and what you can add to that?
DERRICK FAVORS: They're talented. They're talented, they're just young. You've got to go through the learning pains and growing pains, and something I can add to that is just experience because I was in their shoes years ago when I was on a team and we was rebuilding, wasn't winning many games, but we was talented.
I share with them my experiences and how I kept an even keel mindset, never too high, never too low, just kind of understanding the process and just learning how to win games, how to be a professional, how to carry myself because you're not only playing for the organization, you're playing for 29 other teams, also, so it was all about how you approached the game, too.
I was in their shoes once, so I understand, and I just share my experience, as well.
Q. Were you always in this kind of leadership role? Is this something you learned during your years in the league?
DERRICK FAVORS: Something I've learned. I was once the young player on the team and I had vets around me that helped me out, and throughout the years as I've got older, there's always younger players coming in, then as an older player you kind of gravitate towards the younger guy, help them out.
It's kind of something that I haven't been put in this position before, but it's kind of something that I'm excited about.
Q. I wonder what the -- coming to Oklahoma City, they've started to build something of a track record with veterans and how well they treat veterans, whether it was Chris a couple years ago, just trying to do right by guys. Does that word get out around the league? Is that something that maybe you and your agent discussed, that hey, they treat guys that are veterans pretty well there? What's sort of your -- what was sort of the noise as it relates to that, you being a veteran in Oklahoma City?
DERRICK FAVORS: Yeah, I think you can just see it. Like you said, with Chris Paul and obviously like Al Horford last year, I think if you come into a situation like this and you do right by the team, by the organization, you be a professional, you do the right stuff, then I think they'll help you out, also, as you can see by Al Horford and Chris Paul, obviously.
You just do right. Come in, do your job, be a professional, be a good teammate, be a good player. When you're out there on the court, just try to be a positive, not a negative out there, and good things will happen for you.
Q. I know that you were a teammate of Enes Kanter over in Utah; did you maybe call him or ask him about anything about Oklahoma City before you came to town?
DERRICK FAVORS: No, I haven't asked Enes anything right now. I'm pretty sure he's busy. He's got a lot of stuff going on himself. Enes is my guy, though. That's my guy. I love him. But he's probably got some stuff going on himself. When I meet up with him, whenever we play -- I think he's in Boston now. I'll talk to him.
Q. You and Kenrich Williams spent time together with the Pelicans. He really came into his own here last season with the Thunder and kind of emerged. Do you have any good stories about Kenrich from your one year in New Orleans or the growth you may have seen from him?
DERRICK FAVORS: Yeah, K-rich, man, he's a good player, a good young player. He works hard. He plays hard, as you all can see. The only thing I'd say about K-rich is he's going to find a way to get an offensive rebound. No matter where he's at on the floor he's going to get an offensive rebound. That's something he brings to the team, that intensity level, just playing hard and just being the player that you can rely on, whether he's starting off coming off the bench. You know exactly what you're going to get from him on the defensive end, on the offensive end, on the effort level. He's just a consistent player, and like I say, he's going to find a way to get an offensive rebound.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports