Jenni Carlson: Thunder better off waiting to re-sign Jeff Green

Now?

Silence.

Even though free agency remains open, all's quiet on the Thunder front. There's little talk of trades. The same goes for roster moves and contract negotiations.

It should stay that way.

The best thing the Thunder can do now is nothing — and that includes not signing Jeff Green.

The Thunder could offer him a contract extension this summer just like it did with Durant. Green is going into his fourth season, and before becoming a restricted free agent next summer, the Thunder has the option to do a deal with him.

Without a contract extension, Green will be able to field offers from other teams next summer.

Then, the Thunder will have a decision — match the highest offer or say goodbye.

Make no mistake. It is a risk not re-signing Green this summer. He could have a monster season, and the price of his services could skyrocket. The Thunder could be priced right out of his services.

Then again, that could happen even without the monster season. There are teams out there that will pay crazy money for players who don't deserve it. Dallas gave Brendan Haywood a six-year deal worth $55 million. Toronto gave Amir Johnson a five-year, $35 million deal.

Heck, even Darko Milicic got some serious coin — $16 million over four years.

Who knows what someone might offer for Green?

It's a chance the Thunder has to take. The risk of overpaying Green is much worse than the risk of losing him.

I'll be the first to say that I'd hate to see Green go. He is rock steady. Good versatility. Solid defender. Clutch performer. The Thunder won 50 games last season with him as the starting power forward; that counts for something.

But overpaying Green would set a precedent that the Thunder can't afford.

No, really. The team couldn't afford it.

Paying too much for Green would likely mean paying too much for Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka and James Harden and on and on and on. A small-market team like the Thunder would be unable to manage that. It couldn't charge enough for tickets and sponsorships to pay its salaries. It doesn't have a revenue stream deep enough to supply such spending.

Even with all these things that could go horribly wrong, I have a feeling that everything is going to work out with Green, that he is going to eventually sign a long-term contract with the Thunder, that he is going to get a good deal and the team is going to avoid financial ruin.

Everything else has been going right for the Thunder, why not this?

Not so long ago everyone said it would take years and years for the Thunder to build a winner. A 50-win season and a playoff appearance changed that timeline.

Everyone said Durant would get out of Oklahoma City as soon as possible, too. A maxed-out, five-year deal changed that belief.

Maybe it's crazy to think the Thunder could actually keep its nucleus together. But the franchise has continued to make all the right moves and reap all the grand benefits.

The Thunder has a great chance to keep Green and its young core, but the best way to do that is to do nothing right now.

Silence is golden.