Recent NBA moves show Thunder’s risk-taking style can lead to some serious busts

Over the last several years, the OKC Thunder have established themselves as arguably the most well-managed organization in the entire association.

With Sam Presti at the helm and calling the shots, Oklahoma City has managed to go from perennial playoff team and championship hopeful, to rebuilding cellar dweller, to, now, back to legitimate title contender all over the span of seven seasons.

Justifiably so, it has been Presti and company who have received the lion's share of credit for this impressive stretch -- with their enviable roster-building skills and a bevy of wildly successful trades, there's really no argument against them taking on such praise.

However, not everything the Thunder does winds up panning out, and, in the last few days alone, fans have been greeted with a reminder of such a fact.

Recent NBA moves show Thunder haven't been perfect over the years

Since the days when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook were leading the charge out in Loud City, the Thunder have undergone several changes, with the vast majority being for the better.

That said, not all of the moves made throughout this stretch of time have panned out.

Sure, the overwhelming majority of decisions made by OKC's brain trust have proven to be sensational. With examples ranging from the Paul George for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander blockbuster to the slew of draft capital received in exchange for Westbrook, the list of hits is comparable to the unnecessary length of a CVS receipt.

That said, along the way there have been several misses, all with varying degrees of impact.

Over the last week, reminders of two recent follies have popped up, as former Thunder players, Davis Bertans and Darius Bazley, were seen prematurely exiting the NBA for alternate professional ventures.

Bertans was acquired last offseason via a draft-night deal that saw Oklahoma City part ways with the 12 overall pick in exchange for his services along with the 10 overall pick, which later became Cason Wallace (impressively enough, a major win of an acquisition for the franchise).

Though the exchange was clearly predicated on having the club move up in the draft, considering their dire need for more size and shooting, bringing on the 6-foot-10, career 39.6 percent long-range sniper was simultaneously viewed as a strategic way to address such needs.

Ultimately, what ended up happening during Bertans' tenure with the organization was that he would only end up seeing 15 games of action while averaging a mere 2.9 points in 6.1 minutes before being traded at the February deadline as part of the outbound package that netted Gordon Hayward from the Charlotte Hornets (another blunder by the front office).

In the end, their decision to trade for Bertans had them pass on snatching up promising young big Dereck Lively II (who, ironically, was taken with the pick they sent to Dallas) and, ultimately, helped aid in the failed Hayward experiment.

The power forward is now slated to head overseas and play for BC Dubai.

Bazlely was a bit more of a noteworthy gamble that didn't quite work for the Thunder.

Upon making the decision to select the tweener forward 23 overall in the 2019 NBA Draft, Presti was met with serious criticism for the move, as he was a prep-to-pro project who, though sported a solid frame (6-foot-9 with a 7-foot wingspan), boasted an overwhelmingly raw style of play.

Nevertheless, the GM stood by his decision and, as time went on and proved the naysayers right, he continued to stand by it... that is, until mid-way through the 2022-23 season where, after posting mere averages of 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds through 36 games into year four, Presti finally admitted defeat on his draft decision by trading him to the Phoenix Suns for a return package of Dario Saric, a 2029 second-round pick, and cash considerations.

From there, Bazley would finish out the campaign as an end-of-bench player for the Suns, where he'd then be traded to and later waived by the Brooklyn Nets that summer, sign with the Philadelphia 76ers G-League affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats for the 2023-24 season, and then, in March of that same campaign, signed with the Utah Jazz for the remainder of the year.

Now, with his contractual obligations officially expired, it is being reported that the 24-year-old is opting to put his NBA career on hold, as he's expected to head out to China to join the Guangdong Hongyuan Southern Tigers.

As noted earlier, the majority of moves and decisions made by the Thunder over the years have been quite successful and, in turn, have helped establish themselves as the reigning top-seed in the Western Conference standings and the second-most likely team to win the 2025 NBA Finals, per FanDuel.

That said, while their lofty league-wide status is undeniable, one mustn't view the organization as being incapable of making mistakes, and the current news concerning Bertans and Bazley are just two recent reminders of such a sentiment.