Sam Presti: A Look at His Best and Worst Trades as GM
By Ben Bundy
VERDICT: BAD TRADE
This may be the most infamous trade in Sam Presti’s career to date. Weeks before the start of the 2012-13 season James Harden and the Thunder still hadn’t agreed on a new contract to bring the star sixth man back to OKC. The two sides never did reach an agreement, so Harden and a group of other players were sent to the Houston Rockets for sharpshooter Kevin Martin, the young Jeremy Lamb and a handful of draft picks from Houston.
Thunder fans were hurt that James Harden jumped ship so fast. He was having a very good career in Oklahoma City, but he felt his potential wasn’t being fully reached. The thing that makes this trade such a sore spot for Thunder fans today is how little Sam Presti got in return for the talented Harden (a current MVP candidate).
Martin had proved to be a solid scorer during his time in the league, but in his one season with Oklahoma City his numbers weren’t as impressive as the team had expected. Presti then traded Martin to the Minnesota Timberwolves for cash the next season. Jeremy Lamb remains on the team and is still trying to find his role.
Meanwhile, Harden has turned into one of the most dominant players in the NBA during his time in Houston. This upsets Thunder fans that much more because the office basically gave the Rockets Harden for nothing more than a few picks (although at least one of those picks, Steven Adams, looks like he’ll have a promising career.
Next: Just What The Team Needed