Thunder GM Glows on Golden State Warriors’ Continuity

Few teams in basketball history, or really sport in general, have put more importance on continuity than the Golden State Warriors.

Not only were the team’s stars in Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green mainstays on the roster, the organization employed plenty of gluey, impactful players long-term that helped to usher in four championships in eight seasons.

In their heyday, the Dubs took read-and-react to a whole new level. Both offense and defense was synergistic, with each player knowing how the other would react due to years of playing alongside one another.

Green could anticipate the off-ball movement of Curry and Thompson. Kevon Looney knew where each player wanted their screens down to the inch and millisecond. Defensively, the unit was a powerhouse with Andre Iguodala and Green vocally in charge.

While the team was simply more talented in a few of its title wins, there’s little doubt they would’ve left with all four championships had it not been for their seasoned and continual rosters.

Via his preseason press conference on Thursday, Thunder General Manager Sam Presti took some time out to highlight the Warriors’ success in that area.

Sam Presti on the Thunder’s approach to 2025-26 as defending champions:

“We’re not chasing an outcome. We’re trying to repeat a process. We are trying to improve. And that’s really how we’ve gotten to where we are. I think we have to have a discipline to stay with that” pic.twitter.com/c4arp93sPa
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) September 25, 2025

“I see way more upside than I see negatives,” Presti said of roster stability and continuity. “Basketball is a game that is played instinctively, and when it's at it's best it's played improvisationally — the other people playing with you have to be able to anticipate what it is you're about to do or react effectively to those choices,

“I really think the Warriors are an incredible example of this. They're one of the most successful franchises in the last 10 years probably. But they play through lulls at different times, and they're remarkable. I have so much respect for them. They find a way to get themselves through tough patches and out to optimal levels.”

In speaking on the Warriors’ success, it was clear Presti has a similar vision for the modern Thunder. And he’s well on his way to doing just that in inking the team’s star trio to long-term deals this offseason.

“That will be a passage for us when we get to that, when we have to work through those things. I think continuity will help that.”

The Thunder bring back every single player from their own championship roster last season — save for Dillon Jones, a then-rookie who saw little playing time on the season. Several on the team have already been rostered in OKC for years, pushing the team one step closer to a seasoned, stable and contiual Thunder roster.

OKC opens up their preseason with a bout against the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 5.