Trilly Grades Your Prebuild: Oklahoma City Thunder

Welcome back,

You can find past entries here but I’ll warn you now, there are only nineteen: Pacers, Spurs, Pistons, Clippers, Heat,  Kings, Lakers, Cavs, Wizards, Pelicans, Suns, Wolves, Hawks,  Magic,

Hornets, Knicks,  Bulls, and Grizzlies.

I’ll take a look at three things they did well, three things they failed at and three things they could do this summer to improve. I’ll issue one of two grades based on my findings: Oh hell yeah (good) or Oh no (bad). This is the internet, things are classic or trash with no in-between. You wouldn’t expect nuance on Twitter so please do not expect it here. Thank you.

Oklahoma City Thunder (49-33, 6th place Western Conference)

Good Things

1. Selling High

Boy oh boy. I had to rewrite this entire thing multiple times due to the Thunder constantly trading All-NBA members of their team. Hats off to me for sticking to it. Some are saying I’m the hero of the summer.

Result over process? The Thunder sold high and did relatively well all things considered. Paul George had the best season of his career and Sam Presti traded him at peak value, right after a top-three MVP finish but right before George had both shoulders operated on as he’s about to hit 30….and thus the wrong side of 30. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and the 17 picks they got for PG was a haul and no-brainer.

Moving Westbrook for a solid player/shorter contract in Chris Paul and picks was a good return, considering the timing. Jerami Grant was a nice piece coming off a great season, but he’s worth more to a contending team and OKC was wise to flip him for an asset.

2. Defensive Identity

The Thunder finished fourth in defensive rating last season and their ability to force turnovers is the biggest reason why. Of course, George/Westbrook/Grant are outta there but Steven Adams returns, SGA/Paul are plus defenders, Nerlens Noel should play a bigger role and hopefully, a healthy Andre Roberson plays any role. They won’t be a top-four unit like they were last season, but Billy Donovan has enough pieces to put together a competent defense that should keep them in games most nights.

3. Zero expectations

This is the dream of every 2k GM and from the sounds of it, every real-life GM too. In two trades, Sam Presti got what every NBA GM wants: assets and time. He can go scout athletic wings that can’t shoot until his heart is content, meanwhile putting a decent product on the floor. This team would make the playoffs in the East, in today’s case of “If Things Were Completely Different, Things Would Turn Out Completely Differently”.

Bad Things

1. Just say no

BOY OH BOY. I think I genuinely lost sleep over this trade. I can’t stop thinking about what happens if PG asks Presti for the trade and Presti just says “no”. Process over result? They got hosed.

What happens if Presti says no? Kawhi goes to the Lakers, or back to Toronto? Maybe even to the Clippers anyway. None of these concern OKC. You’re looking at an “unhappy” Paul George but respectfully, we’re all fucking unhappy bro. Get in line. And I don’t mean that in a “NBA jobs are just like our jobs!!!!”, type of way. I mean it in a “40% of THIS PAST SEASON’S All-NBA teams have changed rosters this summer” kind of way. Literally, everyone is unhappy. So you’re dealing with “unhappy” Paul George who maybe only makes second-team All-NBA instead of first? I’m fine with that.

Or if I decide, I don’t want to deal with an “unhappy” PG, I have to open up the bidding to every other team and not just the one he asked politely to be traded to. OKC got a haul*(more on this later) from exactly one team with zero leverage. If I’m trading a reigning first-team All-NBA, I feel like I have to do my due diligence and at least see what the other 28 teams would give up for Paul George. Maybe no other team has the draft capital, but talent-wise? SGA and Gallinari couldn’t have been topped? The crown member of this years All-NBA Rookie Second Team and a guy going into year-12 that’s never sniffed an All-Star game?

2. Selling low

As aforementioned, PG has double shoulder surgery right after the season. This could mean his body can’t hold up the rigors of a 90-100 game season and OKC did the right thing selling high. Or, we might see him with two good shoulders the entire season and he might put last season to shame. This could be an anomaly season where he cracked first-team or the first of a stretch for him, and LA was right to give up whatever it took to get him.

There’s a lot made of Westbrook’s contract and how it and his game will age. Poorly. We know the answer to that. And we’ll know it when we see it on the court, but it’s not here just yet. He’s still a lock to be an All-Star and possibly an All-NBA talent for the next season, maybe two. And the best you could do for that was an older guy with a…less bad contract? And some picks from a team that will not tank? Houston hasn’t finished below .500 since 2005 so whether they make the playoffs or not, those picks and pick swaps will probably stink. And that’s the return for a guy that just lead the league in assists, grabbed 11 rebounds to boot, made All-NBA and wanted to be in OKC.

3. I’m not done from point one yet

As I said, I’ve lost several nights of sleep over this. The haul* that OKC got looks a little funny in the light. They didn’t get Lou Williams, Montrezl Harrell or Landry Shamet in the deal. None of those guys are dealbreakers individually, but if I’m trading the best player with multiple years left on his contract? I need multiple assets, not just your best one. I’m lower on the picks they received than a lot of people are. The Heat picks will be meh as well because like the Rockets, the Heat do not tank. Even when they’re bad, they end up with the tenth pick, not the third pick. The Clippers picks won’t amount to much as either the Clippers will have Kawhi Leonard/Paul George or the brain trust that lured these two gentlemen to town to build the team they left behind.

Most importantly, the Thunder were in danger of paying the luxury tax for a team that couldn’t get past the first round of the playoffs. They traded three crucial players after the season and didn’t get off any of their bad contracts in the process. This was the biggest whiff to me because if the Thunder are as cheap as we are told, then cutting salary was a must. If Presti told the Clippers they had to take the last year of Andre Roberson’s contract, were they going to say no? If they told Houston to take the last year of Patrick Patterson’s deal, the Rockets just walk away from the table? I don’t think they were getting anyone to take two years of Denny Shroeder but if they demanded the Clippers take it or no deal, what are the Clippers gonna say? Even if you’re already under the luxury tax, a midseason deal might take you closer to it. Cut all the salary you can now.

Trilly’s Summer Prescription

1. Keep Chris Paul

He’s not good (or durable) enough to drastically affect your tanking chances every night, but he’s still a valuable player albeit an overpaid one. As the President of the Players Association, you know he’s not going to sulk or do anything to submarine the team. He has just enough wisdom to yell at SGA, but he’s washed enough to the point where SGA doesn’t have to take the old man’s advice. That’s the sweet spot and unless I’m getting a Justise/Bam type asset from Miami, I’m keeping him. I’d rather hold Paul than take Miami’s junk contract to see how things in Dallas, LA or Milwaukee work out for a potential trade later.

2. Gallinari is the one to move

I wouldn’t give him away but he’s the piece I’d try to sell high on. Portland has bigs and guards but no real in-between scorers and Gallo would fit right in. Dallas has money to spend and is looking for a white™ to complete the triumvirate. Denver/Brooklyn may look for rentals with the hopes that Michael Porter Jr/Kevin Durant are completely healthy the following season. They might be able to snag Nassir Little or Jalen Brunson and some future picks.

3. I really think they might make the playoffs

Danilo is playing for his next contract and, at 31, perhaps his last substantial bag. Paul will be playing to prove that he’s not washed up, while also auditioning for his next team. SGA will make first-team All-NBA and win MVP unanimously. And surely Adams, Terrance Ferguson, and Hami Diallo will benefit from more spacing and fewer expectations. This is the year Nerlens gets 25+ MPG and wins DPOY, I can feel it in my bones! Maybe Darius Bazley is ready to contribute as a rookie as Mitchell Robinson did after punting on college.

Best case scenario: They compete all year and fall short of the playoffs, but the Lottery Gods bless them with a NO/Mem/LAL type jump into the top-four of next year’s draft. They move Gallinari and Paul for young players that can help them now, as they have enough draft picks already. PG’s shoulders fall right off his body and Westbrook highjacks the Harden show. Sam Presti spends most of the season scouting the nursery AAU circuit.

Worst case scenario: They stink from the jump but still end up with the 5th/6th pick like last years Cavs/Suns. SGA/Gallo struggle with more of the opposition’s focus on them. Chris Paul shows up to camp 275 lbs, thus tanking whatever trade value he might have had. That surgery was literally what the doctor ordered for PG and he has another great year, while Westbrook fits in seamlessly in Houston. Sam Presti attempts to acquire every single pick in the 2026 and 2028 drafts to no avail.

Rebuild status: Oh hell yea.