Kevin Durant was Sam Presti’s first draft pick.
When the best general manager in the NBA watched his initial version of a potential Oklahoma City dynasty dissolve, back-to-back seasons of at least 50 losses were eventually answered by 68 victories and another NBA MVP for the small-market Thunder.
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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and OKC can take a 3-2 lead in the Finals with a home win in Game 5 on Monday against Tyrese Haliburton’s Indiana Pacers.
Presti has already dominated the 2024-25 season and set up OKC for years to come.
“He is excellent at what he does,” Nick Gallo, TV sideline reporter for the Thunder, exclusively told talkSPORT.
“He has a staff that he empowers and that he leads remarkably. It has been an honor to be a part of the same organization as Sam, because he treats people the right way. He focuses on all of the right things in terms of building an organization and making sure that everything is putting the players in the best position possible to succeed.”
Superstars forming superteams once dictated the NBA.
Presti outmaneuvered the rest of the league after Durant chose the Golden State Warriors’ dynasty, Russell Westbrook was flipped for Chris Paul, and James Harden became one of the best scorers in basketball history with the Houston Rockets.
The 47-year-old also evolved from the second-youngest general manager in NBA history into a highly experienced GM who collected draft picks, swooped in with timely moves, and maintained the Thunder’s fan-and player-friendly culture.
“Shai Gilgeous-Alexander talked about this in his MVP press conference the other day, that when he came into the organization, he recognized that all the players have to do is show up and work, and try to be the best version of themselves,” Gallo said.
“Everything around them is completely catered to and cared for, in terms of putting them in positions to succeed.”
Presti was named NBA Executive of the Year last season, and entered Monday two wins away from the Thunder’s first world championship trophy in OKC.
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But many of his best moves have been relatively small ones.
Trading Josh Giddey for Alex Caruso last June helped set up the Thunder in the current Finals.
Hiring the then-overlooked Mark Daigneault as head coach in November 2020 could pay off with a franchise-changing trophy almost five years later.
The 2022 NBA Draft was pivotal for a ‘new’ OKC after Westbrook departed, as the Thunder acquired Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams in the initial 12 picks.
But it was the ‘Paul George trade’ in July 2019 that became Presti’s signature move, as a small-market franchise moved on from a veteran star in a blockbuster deal that included five draft picks and the future MVP of the league.
Six years later, SGA is averaging 30.4 points, 6.3 assists, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 steals in the playoffs.
NBA’s Greatest
In a series-evening Game 4, Presti’s biggest trade piece took over the fourth quarter in Indy as OKC overcame a ten-point deficit.
“We played with desperation to end the game and that’s why we won,” Gilgeous-Alexander said.
The 2024-25 MVP could sign a $293 million supermax extension with the Thunder, and has the potential to only play for Oklahoma City for the remainder of his basketball career.
New York, Los Angeles and Miami used to own NBA free agency.
OKC ranks 21st out of 30 teams with a franchise value of $3.6 billion, according to Forbes.
OKC architect
Sam Presti’s biggest moves with Oklahoma City
- 2007 – Drafted Kevin Durant (No. 2 overall pick)
- 2008 – Drafted Russell Westbrook (No. 4)
- 2009 – Drafted James Harden (No. 3)
- 2019 – Signed Lu Dort as an undrafted free agent
- 2019 – Traded Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five draft picks
- 2019 – Traded Russell Westbrook for Chris Paul
- 2020 – Hired Mark Daigneault as head coach
- 2022 – Drafted Chet Holmgren (No. 2) and Jalen Williams (No. 12)
Presti has been doing it his way for 18 seasons with the Thunder, and seven years of at least 50 wins highlight that patience and commitment can be real assets in the rapid-fire Association.
“It’s a serious basketball environment, but one that’s conducive to family, to work-ethic, and to thriving as a human being,” Gallo said.
“Sam has been at the forefront of so many great things, for not just the team and the organization, but the city. And I think what we’ve experienced in Oklahoma City, and what I’ve been very blessed to experience, is the power of continuity and the power of strong leadership between Sam and our governor Clay Bennett.
“There has been incredible stability in Oklahoma City that you don’t see often in professional sports anywhere. But the power of that is what happens with the continuity, and that you have staff that understands the landscape of the league.
“They understand what it’s been like to go through certain situations, to see certain things coming at you a mile away, and to prepare for things that are on the horizon.”
Presti, SGA and Oklahoma City are closer than ever to being part of the best basketball team in the world.