Since news broke on rookie center Thomas Sorber's crushing ACL tear earlier this month, little else outside of matter-of-fact reporting has come out from the OKC Thunder organization.
Thursday, GM Sam Presti finally broke this silence by delving in on a personal level regarding the loss of his first-round pick.
Sam Presti reveals he's 'super disappointed' about loss of Thunder rookie
Asked during his annual preseason press conference to share his thoughts on Sorber's season-ending injury, the storied executive revealed just how "disapointed" he was for the 19-year-old, revealing: "He was playing great. He was playing five on five and was anxiously waiting for the rest of the team to show up."
Upon being snatched up 15 overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, many viewed the selection of Sorber as a true steal for the Thunder. Considering their widespread injury woes last season, coupled with their lack of size outside of the likes of Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein, the addition of the 6-foot-10 big man to the club's center rotation was seen as a highly strategic move.
Now, though the excitement to see his talents grace Oklahoma City's rotation may be put on hold for a full year, this is not to say it shouldn't still stand.
Presti made this abundantly clear when he pointed out the fact that he "has the benefit from a couple players who have been in this position before," referring to both Chet Holmgren and Nikola Topic, specifically, as teammates who also redshirted their first seasons in the association due to injury.
So far, Holmgren has proven capable of excelling on the hardwood following his return to action, while Topic has turned heads with his impressive play during his debut stint in NBA Summer League earlier this offseason.
The hope now is Sorber can follow in their footsteps which, if successful, should be a major boon for the ball club.
During his one-and-done season at Georgetown, the 19-year-old established himself as one of the top frontcourt defenders at the collegiate level, boasting an elite blocks percentage of 7.6 while leading all of Division One in on-off defensive rating last year at 26.5.
His overall averages of 14.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.7 offensive boards, 2.4 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.5 steals per game only further suggest he has the makings of becoming a quality, all-around frontcourt contributor in the NBA.
Though the loss of Sorber for the entire 2025-26 season is certainly not ideal, fortunately for them, the Thunder's decision to add him to their arsenal this past June was largely based on the benefits he can bring to the team long-term.