Q&A: Steve Novak

Courtesy of Anthony Slater

Did you have any idea around deadline time you’d be thrown in a trade?

Honestly, no. I hadn’t heard anything about the possibilities to be honest. It’s the trade deadline, so I know it’s possible for everyone, but I didn’t think it at all. I just got a text, was playing Legos with my son and practice was supposed to be at 2 and it got bumped back to 6, so I thought great I’ll just play with my kids. Was playing Legos and got a text from my friend that said ‘Congrats on your new team.’ And I looked and it was literally two minutes before the trade deadline. Typed my name into Twitter and saw the deal.

When you hear it’s the Thunder, you excited about getting inserted into a playoff race?

You obviously feel a lot of things at first. You know you can be traded, but you don’t really live that way. You have relationships and friends and you’ve invested yourself in that team. So your initial thoughts are about leaving Utah and your friends and your teammates and that kind of thing. So it was tough. But then you think about where you’re going and obviously coming to a team like this is what you play for. You want to contend and play for a ring. That side of it is extremely exciting, but the whole thing is bittersweet.

Enes (Kanter) was a guy who obviously wanted the trade, so I’m sure he’s embraced it. But you’ve been on a lot of teams. Do you give him any advice about switching teams, things like that?

Nah, I just told him he needed to apologize to my family because he was the one going to the media causing all the problems and next thing you know, my wife’s crying and it’s his fault (laughs). No, no. I know it was something that he’s been vocal about wanting to change places and obviously to get a call from OKC is much more than he would have asked.

You know Enes better than we do. A little scouting report on his game?

If I were you, I’d ask his agent. Because I heard he was saying he’s one of the best players of this generation (laughs). But, no, to be honest he’s an elite offensive player in terms of his ability to shoot the ball and post up. Such a strong guy. Young. So I think we’ve really seen this year glimpses of him at his best really scoring the ball and really running hard. I think he’s going to get a lot better.

Your best seasons individually were in New York alongside Carmelo Anthony. Do you see that possibility coming here playing alongside KD, alongside Westbrook, getting open shots?

Yeah, I mean I fully understand that we have two of the best guys playing basketball on the planet right now. And my strength to help them is to spread the floor and give them space to operate. When they want me to make a shot, I’ll make a shot every once in a while. But my job is to give them space and let the best guys in the world do what they do.