Thunderous Intentions
Fansided

Complete guide to Sam Presti’s trades as General Manager

By Nick Delahanty

Sam Presti, Billy Donovan, OKC Thunder (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images)
Sam Presti, Billy Donovan, OKC Thunder (Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images) /
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OAKLAND, CA – MAY 30: Dion Waiters #3 of the OKC Thunder drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors during Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs on May 30, 2016 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Andrew Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA – MAY 30: Dion Waiters #3 of the OKC Thunder drives to the basket against the Golden State Warriors during Game Seven of the Western Conference Finals during the 2016 NBA Playoffs on May 30, 2016 at ORACLE Arena in Oakland, California. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Andrew Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Let the fun begin!

Trade Details

Cleveland Cavaliers Receive

Iman Shumpert

J.R. Smith

Protected First-Round Pick (From OKC)

New York Knicks Receive

Lou Amundson

Alex Kirk

Lance Thomas

2019 Second-Round Pick (From CLE)

Thunder Receive

Dion Waiters

Related Story: What if the Thunder could have kept Dion?

Known as an offensively-talented player, the Thunder acquired Dion Waiters to help provide scoring off the bench.

Ultimately, Waiters would end up playing a bigger role than most anticipated.

Waiters appeared to have trouble fitting in during his time with the Cavaliers. When he was traded to the Thunder, the talented guard was given the opportunity for a fresh start.

At the time of the trade, the Thunder still had Reggie Jackson in the mix (as mentioned earlier). The plan was for Jackson and Waiters to team up to provide a spark for the second unit.

Once Jackson’s request for a trade was granted, Waiters was called upon to serve as the team’s sixth man. He had no trouble fitting in with the Thunder, and became a valuable asset for them.

Waiters averaged 10.9 points-per-game during his season-and-a-half with the Thunder. He mostly served as the team’s sixth man, but stepped into the starting rotation when the team needed him to. Most importantly, Waiters was well-liked among his teammates and quickly became a fan-favorite.

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