June 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m. CT
As one of the longest-tenured NBA GMs, Sam Presti has seen his fair share of other colleagues reaching out for his advice. When you’re the top decision maker at the same spot for nearly two decades, you gotta be doing something right in such a results-oriented industry.
Presti was the archetype behind one NBA championship, two title contenders, four MVP winners, consistent playoff runs and a bundle of future Hall-of-Famers who’ve suited up for the Thunder. Since their relocation in 2008, OKC has been basketball royalty that has seen a half-century’s worth of work in 19 years.
That’s why it shouldn’t be a shocker that the folks who seek Presti’s advice transcend the NBA world. Others in similar positions across other sports have also asked for universal thoughts. One of those recently being Cleveland Browns GM Andrew Barry.
Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer recently reported that Berry texted Presti for advice on his eventual NFL blockbuster deal that sent Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams. In a move that signaled a rebuild, the Browns sent the NFL superstar pass rusher to the NFC contender for the superstar pass rusher for Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 second-round pick and a conditional 2029 third-round pick.
Presti ‘affirmed’ Berry’s desire for getting a young player in Verse instead of just solely draft capital. Ala, when the Thunder acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a throw-in in the 2019 blockbuster deal that sent Paul George to the LA Clippers for a treasure trove of draft picks that eventually propelled OKC to an NBA championship.
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In his 2025-26 end-of-season press conference, Presti talked about his relationship with Berry. The cross-sport dynamic has some similarities on the surface level, but the NBA and NFL operate on different stratospheres. That said, it doesn’t mean that they can’t brainstorm. Sometimes, the best ideas are conjured up from outside of your typical circle.
“I have a personal relationship with Andrew for several years now, but he’s not calling me for advice. I thought that was hilarious. He’s not calling me for advice,” Presti said. “But I value my relationships with a lot of different people in sports, and I’ve done it long enough now where I’ve met a lot of different people and I’ve developed friendships with these people. It’s probably the same thing for you guys. When you do the same thing or you have the same line of work, those people can kinda understand a little bit like certain things about your job or things that. It’s no different than anything else. We all share in that.”
Always cool to see anecdotes like these surface in the public sphere. We get a sneak peek at the rapport in the front-office world — whether it’s in the NBA, NFL, collegiate level or elsewhere. Presti has seen about everything you can as an NBA GM through his two decades in OKC.