Thunderous Intentions
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The Real Direction Behind OKC Thunder Trade

By Gideon Lim

Mar 2, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Taj Gibson (22) scramble for a ball on the floor during the second half of the game at Moda Center. The Blazers won 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2017; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) and Oklahoma City Thunder forward Taj Gibson (22) scramble for a ball on the floor during the second half of the game at Moda Center. The Blazers won 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports /
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OKC Thunder
Oct 28, 2016; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti is seen on the floor prior to action against the Phoenix Suns at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Breaking Down Mr Presti

We know that although Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott are exciting additions to the team, they bring with them questions about the long term future of the team. But surely the front office must have seen them coming. The next question, then, is what is Sam Presti doing? Apart from the obvious, I can think of three possible reasons why Presti went out and pulled this trade.

For one, you can’t help but speculate if Presti bringing in Gibson is his way of ushering Enes Kanter, instead of Sabonis, out of the door. Before factoring in Roberson and Gibson’s possible new contracts, the Thunder’s payroll for next season already exceeds $110 million.

Between Kanter, Adams, Gibson and Sabonis, it stands to reason at least one of them will have to be moved. I suspect that as long as Donovan sees enough two-way potential in Sabonis, he will be safe from the trade block. Presti might turn Kanter into a trade chip and get Gibson to mentor Sabonis while leading the reserves.

Related: Time to appreciate Sam Presti’s greatness

Another way to think about this is that the whole trade was really just about securing assets for the Thunder. The New Orleans Pelicans just showed the NBA how in this age of asset manipulation, sometimes it’s useful to simply store up promising young players and draft picks for trade flexibility. It might  just have been quite this simple for Presti.

Presti needed to trade Payne before a lack of game time weakened the whole “promising young player” story line. The market never looked like it was going to offer another young player better than McDermott. McDermott himself is a lottery pick, and Presti has been obsessed with trading for “disappointing” lottery picks as his new way of uncovering cheap talent (think: Waiters, Kanter, Oladipo). Plus, Lauvergne and Morrow were themselves entering free agency. Presti essentially flipped two outgoing players for dibs on someone like Gibson. Even if the team doesn’t manage to keep him, that is quite an astute move.

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