We never saw Kelly Oubre Jr. play a game for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Instead…with Klay Thompson down again with another season ending injury–the Warriors needed a player.
In return–Sam Presti received a protected first round pick which will in all likihood translate into two second round picks for the Thunder. OKC also will get a $14.4 million TPE in exchange for Oubre.
Lest we not forget–the Thunder need to lose games this season if they want to draft someone like Cade Cunningham next summer. This is about losing games to ensure a top pick which could be a game changer for the franchise.
With Klay going down for a second straight season the Warriors will have some very serious issues to consider moving forward as well. The roster they have currently isn’t a top four team in the West. Plus…there’s as much wear on Steph’s body as their is on Klay’s. How quickly the Golden State Dream Team went poof into the San Francisco Bay air.
Presti is a smart dude. He knows every decison he’s now making needs to add value, economic flexibility, and long-term competiveness to the Oklahoma City franchise.
This in essence will be Oklahoma City in Seattle that first year before the Clay Bennett ownership group moved the team to the Southwest plains of Oklahoma. I wonder if the average Thunder fan even remembers Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis wearing Sonic green.
This will basically be a G League team with perhaps Al Horton and maybe Steven Adams finsihing the season. ‘Perhaps’ being a key word as we get near to the trade deadline.
There will be some tough moments for those who aren’t used to team building at the NBA level while the home team is in town.
Jim Traber says he understands…I really wonder if he understands. This is about losing to get better.
This is why its fortunate the toughest year of the process is going to come during Trump’s pandemic and the local fans’ focus on the team would have been diminished anyway.
Look how long it took Dallas with an excellent coach in Rick Carlisle to become relevant once Dirk wasn’t an elite game changer in his latter years.
Presti has to have a game changer at some point…and some luck with the draft. Someone like Portland needs to pick the next Grag Oden and allow a franchise centerpiece to fall Presti’s way.
Kelly Oubre we never saw you play for the Thunder, buddy. At 26 years of age you’re too old for the template Sam Presti is putting in place moving down the road.
It’s all about losing in Oklahoma City this NBA season.