OKC's Offseason Continues to be Misunderstood After Earning C+ Grade
As the Oklahoma City Thunder enter the next stage of their rebuild, Sam Presti’s decision making at the top is bound to come under fire.
On Tuesday, Sports Illustrated’s Michael Pina rolled out new offseason grades for the NBA franchises in the Western Conference, and the Oklahoma City Thunder were given a C+.
The crux of Pina’s critique was that he believed Presti’s decision making over the summer wasn’t consistent all the way throughout.
While dealing Al Horford for Kemba Walker, gaining another first-round pick in the process, was considered a fine move to gain first-round picks, Pina was critical of the Thunder’s decision to then deal that No. 16-overall pick for two future firsts, ostensibly passing up the chance to draft Alperen Sengun at pick 16.
Sengun had a nice Summer League, one so good that Pina said it was the caliber of a potentially “franchise-changing big man”, but it also was just five games of Summer League basketball.
Regardless of how Sengun’s career turns out, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s continual link to him is a bit puzzling.
On draft night, Presti was clear about the decision to deal the No. 16-overall pick.
“It’s very unusual to get offered two future firsts that far out,” Presti said on draft night. “We obviously are looking at the value and just the overall valuation of the pick, and then the other team tells us who we want to pick. So we traded 16 to get two really solid future first-round picks.”
The trade had nothing to do with Sengun on the Thunder’s part, Presti was just happy to get back unique value for the 16th pick. Had the Thunder stayed pat, Presti said they clearly had their eyes on one guy.
“We really liked Tre Mann and felt like we’d be able to get him a little bit later at 18,” Presti said. “So it was just, it was evaluation of the asset.”
If Sengun truly goes on to be a franchise-altering piece, then people can question Oklahoma City’s evaluation of the Turkish big, but that criticism should also fall on every GM in front of Presti who passed on Sengun too. Presti just happened to be the guy who was able to flip his 2021 first into a pair of future firsts.
Pina then brought up the Walker contract buyout as a move that seemingly contradicted the precedent Presti had set earlier in the offseason.
But all indications are that the Thunder worked hard to move Walker. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on draft night that Walker had been made available to other teams who wish to work him out if they still had injury questions about the veteran point guard.
Unable to get a deal done, Presti bought out Walker to not only allow him to continue on his career in New York, but clear the path for OKC’s young back court to have as many minutes as needed over the 2021-22 season to develop on their own.
The journey the Thunder are on may not be sexy, but it’s the only path forward for OKC. After missing out on a top four pick in the 2021 NBA Draft Lottery, Presti pulled the trigger on Josh Giddey and Mann in the first-round.
Now, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander extended and under contract for the foreseeable future in Oklahoma City, all anyone can do is wait until the season tips to see what the Thunder truly have in Giddey and Mann.
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