The Oklahoma City Thunder have the makings of one of the greatest dynasties in NBA history, and they wouldn’t have been able to do it without Sam Presti pushing to make sure he acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the Paul George trade back in 2019.
It was this kind of foresight that became the difference between the Thunder being a contender in the 2020s and them becoming one of the greatest teams this league has ever seen. Oklahoma City’s rebuild from 2020 to 2023 (if you want to say getting back to the playoffs in 2024 marked the end of it) was of course sparked when the organization dealt away Paul George.
In the 2018-19 season, George was one of the best players in the Association. The Los Angeles Clippers knew they needed to acquire PG, since getting Kawhi Leonard to play for them was conditional upon them doing so. As a result, the Thunder gained a bit of unintentional leverage due to the Clippers’ desperation.
LA’s front office was going to be willing to cave to more requests than usual due to the opportunity they had on their hands. As a result, they ended up giving the Thunder Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, four unprotected first-round picks, two first-round pick swaps, and a protected first-rounder.
Sam Presti made sure the Thunder got Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
At the time, it was considered a crazy trade, and that perception has only increased with time. It’s now rightfully looked at as one of the wildest trades in NBA history. And at the same time, it’s still understandable why the Clippers did it.
That’s not to say that if they had a time machine they’d go back and do it again. Far from it. But when it was 2019 and you had the opportunity to add the reigning Finals MVP along with another top 10-level player, you would of course take that chance every time.
And in the end, it was the stubbornness of Sam Presti to make sure that Gilgeous-Alexander got included in the trade that led to Oklahoma City being in the position they’re currently in. Perhaps the Thunder could still have built an impressive roster and won a lot of games without their MVP, but they wouldn’t have won a championship or been anywhere close to as dominant as they are without him.
In hindsight, everything traces back to that single moment of insistence. Presti’s refusal to make the deal without Shai gave OKC the superstar their entire identity now rests on. Great General Managers in this league have strong visions for the future and refuse to compromise on them. Presti doubling down and insisting the team got Gilgeous-Alexander ultimately shaped the entire direction of the franchise and set the foundation for a championship core that never would have existed without him.