OKC Thunder Voted Top Front Office By League Executives

For as long as Sam Presti has been in charge, Oklahoma City has had a highly respected front office. It’s evident in his NBA tree, as staffers and coaches have gone on to lead other teams around the association after stops with the Thunder. It’s one of the most respected organizations the NBA has to offer.

In a new poll of reportedly 40 executives around the NBA conducted by The Athletic's Sam Amick, John Hollinger and Mike Vorkunov, the Thunder’s front office was voted as the league's best with 354 total points. It was a landslide decision, too, as the Celtics came in second with 250 total points.

“The Thunder's victory in the poll is hardly shocking, nor is the fact they did it in overwhelming fashion,” Bleacher Report concluded from the poll. “They appeared on 39 of 40 ballots and received 29 first-place votes. The Celtics (nine) and Heat (seven) were the only other teams that garnered at least five first-place votes.”

Of course, Oklahoma City’s front office should get the credit for the roster leading the Western Conference. Acquiring Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso this summer has paid off in a big way, and each deal looks better and better with each passing day. It was good business by the Thunder, too, using cap space and giving up minimal assets in the process.

It’s no surprise to see the Thunder get credit now, but part of the credit deserves to go to the full-on rebuild that Presti and co embarked on. The front office traded for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander while acquiring a record-setting amount of draft picks. The team found a way to bring in unbelievable young talent and provide them with a runway to progress. Oklahoma City’s development program has been one of the NBA’s best, and it’s credit to the team’s management for finding under-the-radar players and hiring the coaches to develop them.

The roster is a perfect blend of high draft picks, development success stories, and outside acquisitions. Oklahoma City’s front office has put together a championship contending roster, which is never easy to do in a market like the Thunder’s.

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