OKC Thunder’s Aggressive Offseason Last Summer Paid Off

Oklahoma City has been one of the most consistent teams in terms of continuity and over the last few years. As the Thunder rose to the top, the roster stuck together and grew together.

It was clear that Oklahoma City had found their core group of guys. After the team made the play-in during the 2022-23 season, the basketball world knew how bright the future was for this roster. The Thunder’s unusually large stash of draft picks led people to believe early on that one day, when the timing was right, the team would trade for a superstar to take them to the next level. But the very next season after the play-in appearance, it was very evident that a superstar wasn’t needed.

And honestly, there was a compelling case that nothing else at all was needed. Oklahoma City won 57 games, secured the No. 1 seed in a loaded Western Conference, and ran into a battle tested, superstar led Dallas Mavericks team in the postseason. Considering how young the Thunder were, and how much better they’d continue to get over the offseason, it made all the sense in the world to simply run it back.

But Sam Presti’s forward thinking ended up being one of the most impactful decisions in the Thunder’s franchise history. In the modern NBA with so many things changing, you can’t get complacent. You also can’t be afraid to try new, unconventional things.

Adding Isaiah Hartenstein when the team had a terrific young center that they spent premier draft capital on could’ve been viewed as risky. Sometimes double-big lineups can be clunky, and it’s not for every team. The same way as adding another defensive-minded guard for small-ball lineups could be viewed. Oklahoma City does so many things that are unconventional, though. They’re different, and that’s what makes them great.

“I go back to the (Chet) Holmgren decision with bringing Hart on board,” Presti said at his preseason press conference. “We had a heck of a year. Every reason in the world to be like, don't touch that. But we want to be every year coming in figuring out how the team can improve and get better and not just get tied down to what has worked, because the league is too good.

“I think the league has become much more improvisational than it has been maybe when I first started where it was a little bit more system oriented, which really highlights the talents of the players differently in my opinion and why different players are more valued today than they might have been in the past.”

Presti has given Mark Daigneault room to operate outside of a system. And Daigneault has trusted his players in response. A lot of what Oklahoma City does overall is improvisational. Daigneault improvises lineups, tries unconventional things, and plays so many different styles that nobody seems to be able to replicate.

The Thunder’s aggressive outlook paid off, and the improvisational style from the front office transformed the franchise as we know it. And there’s no reason to stop now, either.