How a Conversation About Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Helped the Browns Seal Myles Garrett Trade

Albert Breer shared new details of the Browns’ decision to trade Myles Garrett to the Rams, which involved Cleveland GM Andrew Berry talking to Thunder GM Sam Presti. | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

The Rams loaded up this offseason by trading for star pass-rusher Myles Garrett, a blockbuster deal that was months in the making according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

In a new report on the Garrett negotiations, Breer included an excerpt about how Browns general manager Andrew Berry had a conversation with a fellow GM leading up to the massive trade—only it was an exec in the NBA.

For the most part, Berry kept trade talks close to his chest in-house in Cleveland, but he also reached out to a few people outside of his circle, one of whom was Thunder GM Sam Presti. Berry already had a “three-point framework” in his mind for a potential Garrett deal, per Breer’s reporting. The Browns would have to benefit both short- and long-term, receive a young star “at a premium position on a cost-controlled contract” and receive premium draft capital along with the player.

Berry’s conversation with Presti didn’t change anything regarding his plans for a Garrett trade, but it did validate one of his non-negotiables: Getting a young player in return. That player turned out to be former Rams defensive star Jared Verse.

Here’s that excerpt from Breer’s article:

Presti affirmed Berry’s resolve to prioritize getting a player and not just picks, taking him through the Paul George trade of 2019. Most folks on the outside focused on the four first-round picks and two additional first-round pick swaps Presti landed in the deal. But the reality was that OKC viewed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a player they were higher on than most, as the key. SGA has since won two MVPs and was the best player on a title team.

The 25-year-old Verse, who had two years and a fifth-year option remaining on his rookie deal with the Rams, became somewhat of a sticking point in negotiations as Los Angeles initially hesitated parting ways with the two-time Pro Bowler, per Breer. Eventually, they gave in, and the deal was sealed: the Browns shipped out Garrett in exchange for Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a ‘28 second-round pick and a ‘29 third-round pick.

Revisiting the Thunder’s Paul George trade with the Clippers in 2019

Back in July 2019, Thunder GM Sam Presti made a trade that shook up the NBA landscape and irrevocably changed the course of the franchise for the years to come. After Kawhi Leonard requested that the Clippers acquire Paul George, OKC and L.A. came together for a blockbuster deal that involved Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who was then coming off a promising rookie season with the Clippers.

Here’s what each team received in the George trade:

Clippers’ return

• Paul George

Thunder’s return

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
• Danilo Gallinari
• Five first-round picks and two pick swaps (Thunder acquired Tre Mann, Jalen Williams, Dillon Jones, Nikola Topić and a No. 11 pick in the 2026 draft, among others)

Both Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams are high-level starters for the Thunder, who won their first NBA championship in 2025 since relocating to OKC. Following another dominant season in ‘26 (64-18 record, No. 1 seed in the West), the Thunder got knocked out of this year’s playoffs by the Spurs in the Western Conference finals.

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