The OKC Thunder are in the midst of experiencing their first run-in with the dreaded second apron. Though the results have been slightly uninspiring, GM Sam Presti has managed to come out somewhat unscathed, as two of the three players dealt thus far had already played their way out of the rotation.
Seven second-round picks aren't exactly the ideal return package for the three beloved Thunder players, but such assets look like a homerun when comparing it to what other franchises have managed.
Most notably, the Boston Celtics are in the middle of experiencing a brutal fall from grace due to the threat of harsh second apron penalties. Much of their salary maneuvering occurred last summer, when they dealt Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks and Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers.
The only difference is that the Celtics failed to even remotely garner the same level of assets in return for their former stars. They received guard Anfernee Simons in exchange for Holiday, and Georges Niang and a 2031 second-round draft pick for Porzingis and a 2026 second-round pick. Simons failed to make a contribution in Boston and was subsequently dealt before last season's trade deadline, and Niang was flipped, along with more second-round picks, before the offseason was over.
Thunder avoided desperation moves caused by second apron
Such an abysmal return for Boston was indeed influenced by the new age of financial penalties brought on by the league's last Collective Bargaining Agreement in 2023, and it culminated in a first-round playoff exit and the offloading of star Jaylen Brown this summer. Now, the Celtics are firmly on the outside of championship conversations looking in.
The Thunder, while failing to wow the masses with their offseason transactions, have managed to avoid such a fate. Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins were nonfactors down the stretch last season, and Lu Dort shot just 30.8 percent from three-point land in the Thunder's abbreviated postseason run.
In other words, Presti was able to offload extraneous pieces and received seven assets for his efforts, all while keeping the team's core intact.
As a result, the Thunder enter the 2026-27 season virtually unchanged, except for Wallace's assumed promotion to the starting five. OKC has yet another legitimate shot at reaching the NBA Finals thanks to Presti's transactional genius. Unfortunately, though, they may not be completely out of the woods just yet. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's supermax deal kicks in next summer, and Presti will be forced to walk another financial tightrope.
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