March 19, 2026, 7:00 p.m. CT
In the NBA, the professional sports league is an ever-evolving business. You can’t rest on your laurels, expecting the same formula to work every time. That’s how you fall behind. One believer in that philosophy are the Oklahoma City Thunder. Another is Rich Paul.
Appearing alongside Max Kellerman in their ‘Game Over’ podcast, Paul broke down how the NBA has transformed from a league where top-heavy star power was enough to guarantee success to now needing even more nuanced ways of thinking to fill out a roster.
A decade ago, an NBA star trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh won back-to-back NBA championships. Nowadays, it’s about how deep your team is. The NBA super agent broke down the modern-day triumvirate that goes beyond an MVP candidate.
“Today’s Big 3 is President/GM, coach, star player in the NBA. That’s where the Big 3 is focused,” Paul said. “When you have that, it spreads throughout the rest of the team.”
The Thunder fit the definition pretty well. We know about Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He’s proven to be a walking 60-win machine. Back-to-back MVP trophies will soon prove that. But the other two big pieces are OKC GM Sam Presti and head coach Mark Daigneault.
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Everybody knows about Presti. He’s been at the helm for nearly two decades. The Thunder GM is regarded as one of the best in his profession. Building up two title contenders will do that. Constructing an NBA champion with just one top-five pick on the roster changes your perception forever.
And then there’s Daigneault. He’s proven to be the rare rebuild coach who not only survived but thrived on a title contender. Learning on the job, he’s one of the sharpest defensive-minded coaches who squeezes every drop of talent out of his roster year by year.
“OKC is OKC IQ. They have 12 guys that know how to play. More importantly, they play the right way,” Paul said. “I saw Jaylin Williams making plays, Hartenstein making plays. They’re not trying to score the ball. They’re getting the ball, looking to make the play. The right play.”
Cool to see Paul praise the Thunder. He’s one of the biggest NBA figures out there. Backed up his client James, Klutch Sports has turned into an NBA agency empire. Considering how close he is to James, he knows what it takes to create greatness. From a thousand feet away, he can see that in OKC, as it hopes to be back-to-back champions.
“This team that has it all figured out wants to even more so figure it out,” Paul said. “That’s like an honor student. You don’t get a 100 on a test when you’re an honor student. You get a 105.”