OKC Thunder: ‘Resiliency’ dominates Sam Presti 5 media takeaways

Tough day at the office – the Steven Adams trade:

It’s not a secret that Steven Adams will be sorely missed regardless if the media sessions are in-person or virtual. The Big Man is beloved in OKC and his departure while expected is no less hard to adjust to.

His humor was ever-present off the floor much like his body jarring screens, toughness, and off the stat sheet contributions were on it.

Asked about the trade it was clear the losing the big man wasn’t an easy choice for Presti who drafted the New Zealand native and witnessed his rise over the past seven seasons to become a leader on the Thunder.

Presti called it a challenging, difficult decision. While he made the choice knowing he had to put the interest of the organization first it didn’t make the decision any easier. But with the Thunder transitioning to rebuilding phases it was clear it would be best to move Adams. That said, the VP did state he purposely looked for a positive situation for Steven that would give him opportunity and security.

Presti did speak to Adams before the trade regarding the situation and extended his gratitude to the big man.