Roundtable Sessions: Ranking OKC Thunder in key stats categories and the 16 playoff seeds
Tamberlyn Richardson:
This is a bit of a trick question in the vein of “why did the chicken cross the road?” While I can tip the hat toward the Clippers wouldn’t it be fairer to say they simply did what Kawhi Leonard told them to do? LAC blatantly tampered in their year-long recruitment all while knowing Kawhi’s preference was to return home and knowing he had no desire to play in the shadow of LeBron and Anthony Davis. He wanted a complimentary star by his side (Paul George) but he wanted the alpha role.
If the Clippers had failed to bring in George then the deal doesn’t happen (at least not this past summer). So again, how much of the credit goes to Lawrence Frank and Ballmer — or does it go directly to Leonard? Adding intrigue is the fact Leonard and George can opt out of their contracts in the summer of 2022. If the duo exits sans title LAC will have a nice group of supplementary players but no draft picks for years.
David Griffin and the Pelicans could easily be cited as the winners for the Davis trade. Including assets, draft picks (traded Lakers 4th pick for three picks) and trades DG has already netted six player additions with more to come. Whether winning the Zion sweepstakes or the above moves was the carrot which resulted in the free agent signings of JJ Redick and Derrick Favors is also unknown (maybe a bit of both). Griffin’s only miscue so far was not locking down Brandon Ingram’s extension – a move I believe he’ll regret in hindsight.
Which brings me back to the original question. Honestly, at this point I can’t push Presti ahead of Griffin and the Pelcians. The reason is so much is unproven at this point. The dilemma is what those picks translate into. Presti drafted three MVPs in the past but he’s also drafted a few busts. His trades are also equal parts success and failure. The Paul George trade once considered legendary ended up being the catalyst of why the team is in “reposition and replenish” mode.
That’s not to say what Presti managed to accomplish in a tight timeline shouldn’t be viewed as a huge win. Especially, considering he got so much back while the Raptors did EVERYTHING right to keep Leonard and got nothing in return. For now, I’d rank OKC second. Once we see who those draft picks become (prospects/trades/combination) it could be viewed as the best move in over a decade or — well – let’s stay optimistic.
Rylan Stiles:
I think he did, even with taking off your Thunder colored glasses, to get a player the caliber of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander along with a historic amount of draft picks he received for a player who already wanted out is amazing. While short term the L.A. Clippers are on cloud 9, the Thunder have a chance to be built for long term success yet again.
Chase Beal-Sharp:
Yes, because it influenced Kawhi Leonard going to the Clippers as well as the Thunder receiving a record number of first-round picks and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Aidan E:
I would say the Anthony Davis move was the biggest because it’s going to turn the Lakers into a legit contender, but in terms of the return, I do believe the Paul George trade was the biggest. The Thunder’s future is bright because of it.
Matthew Hallet:
Yes, given what he was able to get back for a player who basically told them they wanted out, yes, this was the biggest move and one which will help going forward.
Kevon Stewart:
No. I think the biggest move this season was subtle and underestimated. The Warriors picked up another offensive weapon in D-Lo that can cause problems for the league. This can prove to be dangerous later on in the season if he stays.
Tyler Barger:
Yes. Sam Presti pulled off the biggest offseason move because the trade itself was very shocking.