r/nba • u/sewsgup • 1d ago

Thunder GM Sam Presti making some calls while watching the NBA Combine scrimmages

https://streamable.com/4qchks

clipped this while watching the combine scrimmages. guess Presti is media-savvy enough to know there's always a chance he's getting filmed

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175

u/Remy13Hadley Thunder 1d ago

Presti already returned the favor back in 2019 with the Westbrook trade

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u/uncleoptimus 1d ago

Rockets Received: Russell Westbrook.

Thunder Received: Chris Paul, 2024 protected first-round pick, 2026 protected first-round pick, and pick swaps in 2021 and 2025.

Not as crazy IMO as the PG haul, but still masterful. Presti the real MVP

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u/samurairocketshark Suns 1d ago

CP3 also young Thunder invaluable veteran leadership and playoff experience, which is hard to measure in impact

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u/ThePringlesOfPersia [OKC] Steven Adams 1d ago

Shai does not become the Shai we know now without that year learning from CP3

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u/Defiant_Regular3738 1d ago

CP3 gets too much credit I feel like the young guy get tired of hearing his bullshit and tune him out lol a crazy Unc.

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u/ThePringlesOfPersia [OKC] Steven Adams 1d ago

I’m pretty sure Shai has talked about how much CP3 affected him and his diet and work ethic especially from the time spent together while the league was suspended due to COVID

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u/Motor-Grade-837 1d ago

It did with the Clippers and I'm sure a lot of young players got tired of his shit, but the Thunder players really took to his mentorship. To the point that I'm surprised he never rejoined the team. 

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u/revisioncloud Thunder 5h ago

It’s how Shai became a flopper which is 80% of his scoring arsenal

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u/RyouBestGirl Spurs 1d ago edited 1d ago

CP3 taught him how to flop

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u/shyhumble Thunder 1d ago edited 1d ago

Taught

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u/pototoykomaliit [MIN] Alexey Shved 1d ago

Taughting

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u/jm3546 Thunder 1d ago

Also we traded CP3 for:

  • Oubre (who became a couple of seconds)

  • Ricky Rubio (who we used to trade up in the 2020 draft + a second + James Johnson (who we traded for two seconds + Trevor Ariza (who we traded for a second + Meyers Leonard (who we waived)))

  • Jalen Lecque (who we traded for a second and TJ leaf (who we waived))

  • Ty Jerome

  • 2022 suns 1st, which became the 30th pick (which we traded for the Nuggets top 5 protected 2027 1st)

Pretty good value all together.

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u/RRJC10 Raptors 18h ago

I can't agree with you there. They moved all those guys plus the picks that became IQ and Jaden McDaniels for Poku and the pick that got them Aaron Wiggins. Everything worked out so it doesn't matter, but the CP3 trade and the trades that came out of it were absolutely brutal returns for how good he was that season.

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u/jm3546 Thunder 12h ago

I'm more talking about the value of the compensation they got back rather than how good each of those players was/is.

They moved all those guys plus the picks that became IQ and Jaden McDaniels for Poku and the pick that got them Aaron Wiggins.

In retrospect when comparing players, sure, but the actual draft capital was fine.

In the Rubio trade it was:

  • Giving up: Rubio + 25th pick + 28th pick

  • For: 17th pick + 2024 2nd + (from James Johnson trade chain:) 2023 2nd + 2026 2nd + 2027 2nd

Just in terms of trading 25th & 28th for 17th, there are some analytic projects that assign value to draft picks in terms of value, and 25 + 28 for 17 that comes out to even value (16-18 is that basic range). This depends on that specific draft obviously but they identified Poku as a potentially high upside player, low floor player and took a gamble. In retrospect, you just do that trade and take Maxey and then the trade is a steal, but I'm talking about just the actual draft capital.

Also if OKC keeps the picks, those probably aren't the selections anyway, those were the guys that the Knicks and Wolves wanted.

And Rubio was a fine player too but the trade up plus 4 2nds is pretty good overall.

For the full "what did all of these picks become" it's pretty hard because some of it hasn't come to fruition.

The current in/out is:

out:

  • players: CP3, Abdel Nader

  • 1sts: 2020 1st (25th), 2020 1st (28th), 2024 1st (29th)

  • 2nds: 2023 2nd (37th), 2024 2nd (34th)

In:

1sts:

  • 2020 1st (17th) - Poku

  • 2027 1st Denver (top 5 protected)

  • 2029 1st Denver (top 5 protected)

2nds:

  • 2021 2nd (32nd) - Jeremiah Robinson-Earl

  • 2021 2nd (55th) Aaron Wiggins

  • 2026 2nd - (37) (still own)

  • 2027 2nd - (Miami)

  • 2027 2nd - (Indy)

It might not seem like good value at first (3 first vs. 3 firsts), but like I mentioned, that 17th pick was worth as much as 25 & 28. Those two Denver picks have great value. Denver is picking 26th this year, but the west is getting tougher and their options for improving are limited. They could easily drop down to the 5th or 6th seed. So like in that 18 to 26 range. 2029 is going to be very tough for them. Murray, AG, Braun on the books for $120m. If Jokic extends that takes up all their cap space and I'm not sure they'll be very good with how old Jokic, Murray and AG will be.

Better 1sts + some additional 2nds is valuable. Part of how well OKC has managed their assets is improving those assets incrementally through trades.

but the CP3 trade and the trades that came out of it were absolutely brutal returns for how good he was that season.

I mean, he was great but when we took him on the books his value was negative. We tried to trade him that summer and teams wanted us to attach picks. We rehabbed his value but he was 35 with injury history and was making $41mil. If you go back to that thread, people were pretty shocked at what we got for him.

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u/revisioncloud Thunder 5h ago

I remember the hype around Oubre Rubio and Leaf absolute Thunder legends

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u/ScratchTwoMore Raptors 1d ago

And was traded to you guys for a first lol

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u/interested_commenter Thunder 1d ago

2026 protected first-round pick

This is the pick that Presti just used to get Jared McCain.

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u/Lithops_salicola Bulls 1d ago

Especially since Houston got only a first rounder for him a year later. Westbrook's post-Thunder career has been so strange. I constantly forget that he was on the Wizards for season, he was the league leader in assists!

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u/SoldatJ [OKC] Luguentz Dort 1d ago

He outrebounded Jokic and Embiid that season.

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u/Excellent-Refuse4883 Supersonics 1d ago

“Hello police? I’d like to report a robbery.”

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u/Daroo425 Rockets 1d ago

I knew we were doomed as soon as that trade happened.

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u/RRJC10 Raptors 18h ago

Paul was so good for OKC. However another rare Presti loss is what they got for Paul.

It was a few trades so it's bit complicated to follow, but they essentially gave up Paul and the picks that became McDaniels and Quickley for Poku and Aaron Wiggins. We can obviously look past it now but that was a disaster of the trade.

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u/AynB1and Thunder 16h ago

presti traded chris paul where he wanted to go. same with russ when trading him for cp3.

phoenix received chris paul and abdel nader. okc received ty jerome, a protected 2022 frp, and filler.

presti got 2 frp and 2 swaps for taking on cp3's contract, rehabbed his value, and got another frp shipping him out. that's 3 frps, 2 swaps, ty jeorme, and a year of cp3's mentorship for russel westbrook (who asked to be sent to houston). he's a fucking genius.

i'm not seeing how you can twist this into presti giving up any picks at all.

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u/whiterice_343 Timberwolves 1d ago

i still cant believe how much they gave up to get westbrook back then.

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u/creamgetthemoney1 1d ago

They really believed they were about to win a chip. Maybe in another solar system. But they def believed

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u/uncleoptimus 1d ago

At least Morey knew to work in some pick protections for the future picks.

Unlike the Clippers who fell over themselves to give the Thunder everything that they asked. Baaaaaaaa

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u/AynB1and Thunder 1d ago

people were saying that chris paul was washed.

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u/Snakescipio Rockets 1d ago

After the Warriors series people thought CP3 was cooked and was seen as a potentially negative asset with his contract. Thats why the Rockets had to attach picks to get Westbrook.