When Kevin Durant left OKC in summer of 2016 to join the Golden State Warriors, the Thunder looked like a team on the verge of mediocrity. With only Russell Westbrook remaining as the superstar, OKC didn’t have the tools to be considered as a contender anymore. After winning 47 games last season and being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by the Houston Rockets, there were a lot of questions about Sam Presti and the future of the franchise. But in just one offseason, Presti has been able to turn the dust left by the departure of Kevin Durant into real gold for his franchise.
One of the most coveted players on the market this summer was Paul George. The Pacers knew that George wanted out and looked for the best offer out there. But with George having just one year left on his deal and his well-known desire to play for his hometown Los Angeles Lakers, several teams weren’t ready to offer a big package for a player that could have been only a one-season rental.
While many people were expecting Celtics and Lakers to be the most likely landing spots for George, OKC surprised everybody and acquired George sending Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis to the Pacers. Many executives were surprised by this move and the relatively poor return that the Pacers got for George. Also, Dan Gilbert, the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers, expressed his doubts about how the Pacers handled the entire situation. But while we have already analyzed how the Pacers failed to address Paul George’s requests in the right way, it’s time to highlight the great job made by Sam Presti in acquiring two star players without sacrificing key assets.
Yes, two. Because Presti didn’t stop at acquiring Paul George. OKC went after another star who wanted out of his current situation. Of course, we’re talking about Carmelo Anthony, or “Hoodie Melo,” if you prefer.
Hoodie Melo is an icon pic.twitter.com/DnR4etHwlw
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) September 25, 2017
Carmelo and the Knicks were on bad terms for a long time, even after Phil Jackson left the team. The New York franchise has been looking to trade Carmelo and build around Kristaps Porzingis for some time now. At first, it looked like Anthony only wanted to waive his no-trade clause for the Houston Rockets, but with the training camp incoming and the talks between Rockets and Knicks stalling, Melo decided to broaden his preferences to include the Cavs and the Thunder.
At this point, Presti made his move and acquired Carmelo Anthony from the Knicks for Enes Kanter, Doug McDermott and a future second-round pick (via the Chicago Bulls). A really affordable price for a star like Carmelo Anthony, not in his prime anymore but still one of the best scorers in the league and with tons of experience on his shoulders.
Both George and Anthony are on expiring deals, so OKC is betting on themselves to convince the two stars to stay past this season. It’s definitely worth the risk, especially considering that the team didn’t give up any key assets to get them. The fact that Presti acquired both George and Anthony while moving just one starter (Oladipo) and no first-round picks still has yet to fully hit me.
But the wonderful summer of Sam Presti couldn’t be complete without securing the future of Russell Westbrook. Westbrook, just like Anthony and George, was on an expiring deal. At the end of the season, he could have decided to opt out of his contract with OKC and become a free-agent, a risk that Presti didn’t want to re-live after what happened with Kevin Durant. Trading for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony proved to Westbrook that OKC wants to win and wants to do it now, with him at the helm.
Westbrook has always shown loyalty to the franchise, and the idea of him leaving the Thunder never was a real option. So a couple of days ago, when Westbrook and the Thunder reportedly agreed to a five-year max extension the news wasn’t exactly surprising.
Presti worked his magic and has put together a roster that is far better than last year’s while spending very little. He traded for Paul George and Carmelo Anthony to show Westbrook how the team was committed to winning now, and with the Westbrook’s extension and a potential deep playoff run the team will have more power to convince George and Anthony to stay beyond this season. Paul George, in fact, already said that Westbrook’s commitment to the franchise will be a huge factor in his decision this summer. Trading for stars to help keep a star in his place, has Sam Presti begun a never-ending circle in OKC?
Sam Presti used the departure of Kevin Durant to turn the franchise around. After a season in which the team was still able to reach the postseason, in just one summer, the GM of the Thunder traded for two All-Stars and secured the future of Russell Westbrook for the next five years without giving up the future of the rest of the team or any real key players on the roster. Operating in a small market like Oklahoma City, Presti is really making miracles and deserves way more credit than he’s gotten, no matter what will happen this season. For many teams, when a superstar like Kevin Durant leaves for another destination that’s the beginning of the end. For Sam Presti and the Thunder that was the beginning of a new story, perhaps one even better than the previous one.
