It's no secret that the OKC Thunder have been the envy of the league in terms of how to expertly run a franchise. Everything general manager Sam Presti touches has turned to gold in his tenure, and now other teams are taking notice.
Though the most recent team doesn't even reside in the NBA.
On Monday, the Cleveland Browns traded future Hall-of-Famer Myles Garrett to the Los Angeles Rams for Jared Verse, a first-round pick, and two other later picks.
The return package for Garrett was a haul, and it was later reported that Browns' GM Andrew Berry consulted with Presti on the move. In Presti fashion, he emphasized the importance of getting not only picks, but players in return for such a highly-touted superstar.
Now, as a result, the Browns have control over a young, improving edge rusher who is only halfway through his rookie contract - on top of three more draft picks.
Browns looking eerily similar to the Thunder of the early 2020's
Cleveland is now looking at up to 13 draft picks next year if everything plays out accordingly. With a young core already intact, the strategy is reminiscent of a rebuilding Thunder team not too long ago.
The Paul George trade, while considered a win-now move by the Los Angeles Clippers, helped mold the Thunder into what they are today. It gave them their franchise cornerstone, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a bundle of assets that eventually led to star Jalen Williams and others. Now, OKC has more valuable players on their roster than they know what to do with.
Much like the Thunder, the Browns were seemingly able to take advantage of a team in a state of desparation. The Rams fell just short of another Super Bowl run last year, and quarterback Matthew Stafford is now 38 years old. With time running out, snagging arguably the pass rusher in the game felt like a necessary move to capitalize on Stafford's last few remaining years.
It was Presti's emphasis on getting both players and picks for superstar talent that created a juggernaut in Oklahoma City, and it could very well be the same philosophy that leads to years of dominance by the Cleveland Browns.
If the trade benefits them as much as many suspect, more front offices around sports could come barking up the same tree.
At this point, it's a mystery as to why other NBA franchises still want to trade with Presti, and Thunder fans likely count their blessings everyday that he remains on their team's payroll.
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