Technically, every OKC Thunder win is a result of Sam Presti's efforts. After all, the reigning NBA Executive of the Year is responsible for assembling this current core that finds itself on the brink of becoming the league's next great dynasty.
However, Tuesday's late-game triumph over the Kings served as a reminder of just how genius Presti's moves in assembling this squad have truly been.
Thunder saved by diamond in the rough finds during win over Kings
As is generally the case with Oklahoma City, the bulk of credit for their 107-101 win against Sacramento has been given to superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and rightly so. In nearly 36 minutes played, the point guard paced all players with 31 points while filling out the rest of the stat sheet with nine rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and a steal.
Of course, what proved equally imperative to them coming out ahead in the fourth period (when they found themselves trailing by seven with under six minutes to play) was the MVP's array of running mates, many of whom were under-the-radar finds by Presti during their respective draft processes.
Without both Jalen Williams (wrist) and Chet Holmgren (back), Gilgeous-Alexander found help in the scoring department come from the likes of Aaron Wiggins and Ajay Mitchell, both of whom came into the association as diamond in the rough second-round selections and, against the Kings, combined for 36 points on 46.7 percent shooting from the floor and 41.2 percent shooting from deep.
While the latter has been the one receiving a ton of praise for his play during the early stages of 2025-26, the former (selected 55 overall in 2021) reminded the fanbase how he walked so Mitchell (selected 38 overall in 2024) could run.
The 2019 undrafted free agent turned heart-and-soul of the Thunder, Lu Dort, provided his typical brand of defensive excellence, logging two steals in his 35 minutes of action, and even cashed in on a clutch triple at the 2:33 mark in the final quarter to give OKC the lead, one that they would hold onto from then on out.
Big swing turned even bigger rewards in Alex Caruso (acquired in the 2024 Josh Giddey swap with the Bulls) and Isaiah Hartenstein (signed last summer to what was once deemed an "overpay" of a contract) also played major roles in the down to the wire win.
The veteran guard was his typical Swiss Army Knife self (eight points, three assists, two rebounds, two steals, one block) while the big man was an absolute force in the rebound department (pulled down a team-high of 14) while holding primary assignment, All-Star Domantas Sabonis, to a mere 10 points on 5-for-15 shooting.
All things considered, even though Gilgeous-Alexander may have been the driving force in the Thunder remaining undefeated at 4-0, without his slew of second-round (includes I-Hart) and undrafted (includes Caruso) teammates surrounding him, they may not have been able to pull away from the Kings on Tuesday.
This undoubtedly highlights Presti's elite ability to find game-changing talent in players who have been overlooked by all other GMs across the league.