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Despite playing in a small market city, the Oklahoma City Thunder have managed to create three separate “super teams” in less than a decade. While you can give a lot of credit to their scouts for finding the right talent, Sam Presti's ability to negotiate trades often goes unnoticed. One of them was how, after a series of trades, he was able to technically turn Serge Ibaka into Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in three years.
It sounds crazy to think about, but here's how Presti got it done.
Thunder trade Serge Ibaka to Orlando Magic in 2016
The first trade happened in 2016 when the Thunder shipped Ibaka in his prime to the Orlando Magic. As the team's defensive anchor for the past five years but the Thunder's championship window slowly closing, Presti capitalized on trading Ibaka while his value was at its peak. In an effort to re-tool their roster around Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, the Thunder received Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova, and the 11th pick of the 2016 draft. A pick that turned out to be Domantas Sabonis. This move laid the groundwork for what would eventually lead to a series of trades that would give the Thunder their next superstar.
In the same year, the Thunder made another move by flipping Ilyasova and a second-round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers for Jerami Grant. This was a low-key deal at the time, but thanks to the Thunder's development team, Grant would go on to become a key contributor to the team.
The trade that brought Shai-Gilgeous Alexander to the Thunder
Before the Thunder acquired George and then SGA, they made another move using the same assets involved with the Ibaka trade. The first one was trading Grant to the Denver Nuggets for a future first-round pick which eventually became Aleksej Pokuševski. In the offseason of 2017, Presti used both Oladipo and Sabonis as trade pieces for the team to land Paul George from the Indiana Pacers. At this point, the Thunder technically already turned Ibaka to Paul George and Pokuševski. Not bad, but Presti knew he could do better.
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By 2019, the Thunder decided to embrace a full rebuild after two disappointing playoff runs. It also made their decision easier with George secretly requesting a trade to the LA Clippers to team up with Kawhi Leonard. Rather than balk at the idea, especially since George still had three years left in his contract, Presti seized the opportunity to secure a massive haul. In exchange for George, the Thunder acquired Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, and a staggering five first-round picks. At this juncture, we've already pieced together the puzzle of how the Thunder turned Ibaka into SGA. But for context, let's see what the deal would look like if it happened in 2024.
After one season, the Thunder traded Gallinari to the Atlanta Hawks for close to nothing. And of the five first-round picks the Thunder acquired, here's how each pick panned out thus far:
- Tre Mann in 2021
- Jalen Williams in 2022
- Dillon Jones in 2024
- 2025 first-round pick swap
- 2026 first-round pick
What does the trade look like if it happened today?
By the 2024 trade deadline, Mann was one of the assets traded to acquire Gordon Hayward — a player who eventually retired at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Pokuševski was waived at the same timeframe. What makes this saga even crazier is that these moves can be traced back further than the Ibaka trade. In 2007, the Thunder initially acquired Ibaka by absorbing Kurt Thomas' contract in exchange for a second-round pick. In a way, you can say OKC turned a second-round pick into SGA, Jalen Williams, Dillon Jones, a pick swap, and a first-round pick.
If this current roster still fails to win the title, Thunder fans should have nothing to worry about. Presti will eventually find a way to make the team a perennial contender in a few years.
