A: "He was a scorer in college, but he's more than that. He's a playmaker. He will help our guys get better and help them get easy shots. Defensively, he has long, active hands. I think he can do a good job of pressuring perimeter players."

Q: What are your early impressions of center B.J. Mullens?

A: "The talk is he's a project-type player, but I look at all our guys (that way). I want Kevin Durant to come back a better player and Kyle (Weaver) and Russell (Westbrook) and everyone else. B.J. is no different. He's a guy our coaches will wrap our arms around to help him improve, help him get better."

Q: What role do you see for Mullens this season?

A: "We have a top-notch strength and conditioning and medical team. We will get him in great shape. We feel he really has a chance to help us down the road. I don't know how soon that will be, but we like what we have."

Q: How do you view the upcoming season?

A: "Our guys are working hard this summer. They're getting after it. I was just in Los Angeles (two weeks ago) with Russell (Westbrook). He's spent a lot of time in the gym and is improving. I've been visiting a lot of our guys in their hometowns. All our guys are getting better. We will be a better team. We're still a team that must get better defensively, and we'll focus on that."