OKC Thunder GM Sam Presti NBA draft night grade

The OKC Thunder swapped picks to draft Darius Bazley 23rd and add a 2024 second round pick. T.I. dives in to determine GM Sam Presti’s NBA draft grade.

Since the end of the OKC Thunder season Sam Presti has kept the Thunder fanbase guessing. Rumors regarding draft promises, trading assets, opting out of the draft altogether and looking to shed salary abounded. It led to the fanbases’ uncertainty over what the 2019 NBA Draft Night held in store for the team.

When the moment arrived for Adam Silver to use the infamous phrase “And with the 21st pick in the 2019 draft the Oklahoma City Thunder select….” we all leaned closer to hear which prospect would join the OKC Thunder. But, those words were replaced by “And we have a trade”.

At this point, those of us who were anxious to discover if Presti would finally go off book and select a sharpshooter assumed the next words Silver uttered would verify the Thunder were opting out of the draft altogether.

Instead, Presti had simply swapped positions by moving down two spots. Regardless of how you view the actual selection, it’s a positive Presti did manage to also sweeten the pot by getting Memphis to include the Grizzlies 2024 second round draft pick.

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By this point (2024) high school students will be eligible to be drafted hence the pick is potentially is even more valuable than first glance. Of course, how the Grizzlies are performing in five years may also mean the pick is a later selection in the second round pick, but we’re splitting hairs here.

As for the pick itself in this instance, it’s so difficult to gauge particularly based on the lost year Darius Bazley spent not enrolled in a professional program. Based on reports Bazley was diligent in his efforts to train twice daily and to work with the proper people in an effort to gain muscle and size via the proper nutritional help.

But, at the end of the day with shooters still on the board and that being a glaring hole the OKC Thunder need to fill it sure feels like a lost opportunity. In hindsight, we may end up reflecting back and saying this was a wonderful get if Bazley ascends into a regular rotation player and a potential star. But, when precisely will we know that? It is unlikely Bazley gets serviceable minutes on the court this season so this pick did nothing to help the roster next season.

Nor did Presti make an effort to buy into the second round with shooters still available to add. It’s been presumed the GM is eager to lower the team’s overhead in an effort to either get below the luxury tax line or at minimum reduce the luxury tax.

The only way that happens is via adding copious assets at an economical rate or through trades. And, even a trade will have to bring back assets without guaranteed contracts. That scenario becomes a difficult proposition because the teams with players on these type of contracts will also be considering utilizing that action.

Therefore, based solely on the need for the OKC Thunder to add an asset with perimeter skills who could contribute immediately Sam Presti earns a C- for his efforts.

Moving forward, the next opportunities will arise via the NBA Summer League where Presti has already begun the process and via free agency where any move made will require the shedding of existing assets which somewhat ties the GM’s hands.