Kendrick Perkins shares how Sam Presti struck gold by signing Thunder stars to multi-year deals – “All of those guys are low maintenance” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
In an NBA era structured to prevent super teams from overpowering the competition, the Oklahoma City Thunder has established itself as a perennial title contender, defying the league’s competitive balance.
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Not long after they won the Larry O’Brien trophy in June with a Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 NBA Finals, Thunder general manager Sam Presti immediately broke out his checkbook and signed his three best players to lucrative deals that should keep their core together until the 2030-2031 season.
Former OKC big man and now popular commentator Kendrick Perkins lauded Presti’s bold move, saying he’s established the Thunder as a force to be reckoned with for many years to come.
Learned his lesson
This isn’t Presti’s first rodeo with a young and talented trio. In the early 2010s, the Thunder had all the makings of a team poised to rule over the NBA, thanks to the presence of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. They soon proved their potential when they made it to the 2012 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
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Despite losing that series in five games, many believed the Thunder would return year after year, with their young core leading the way. However, in a shocking move, Presti traded away Harden to the Houston Rockets before the 2012-2013 season started. A few seasons later, KD bolted for Golden State, leaving Russ alone to carry the franchise.
This time around, Presti made sure not to let history repeat itself as SGA received a four-year, $285 million supermax extension. J-Dub got a five-year, $287 million contract extension, and a few days later, it was announced that Chet got a $250 million extension.
When questioned whether the developments stemmed from Presti’s desire to avoid past mistakes, Perk suggested it was less about correcting errors and more about recognizing that he already had the core players needed to build a team that could win more titles.
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“I don’t think he learned. I don’t think I want to put it as if he learned the lesson. I feel like he finally got what he wanted,” Perk responded. “And what I mean by that — one, he got his championship. But two, he got three guys that are franchise guys that actually match — not just what they bring on the floor — they match his character, right?”
Kendrick furthered that Sam comes from the Gregg Popovich tree, where not only talent is valued, but also the character of individuals. And since they all share the same values and work ethic, it was a natural fit for Presti to extend their contracts and solidify them as the core of the team.
“We know James was in Club LIV during the NBA Finals,” Perk said, referring to one of Miami’s most popular nightclubs. “You ain’t got to worry about Chet or SGA or J-Dub.”
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Nick Collison-type players
Perkins described the Thunder’s identity as embodying the spirit of an unsung hero whose legacy is immortalized in the rafters of the Paycom Center: Nick Collison. A 6’10” forward who the Seattle SuperSonics selected 12th in the 2003 NBA Draft, Collison never attained any individual accolades in his 14-year NBA career, all of which he spent with the franchise that drafted him.
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Despite that, he is known as Mr. Thunder and his jersey hangs in the rafters, retired by the team in recognition of his contributions to the organization. Collison was a leader both on and off the court, known for his selflessness, hard work, and dedication to the team. Perkins shared that he sees those qualities in the Thunder’s current core players.
“I know SGA is taking it over or whatever, but it’s like all of those guys are low maintenance,” he continued. “They only give a f—k about playing basketball. They’re not coming in there, coming in ruffling feathers.”
With SGA, J-Dub, and Chet financially secure for the rest of their careers, the path is wide open for them to elevate their games to new heights — taking the Thunder to greater success along the way.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared.