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OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault started his media availability by congratulating Thunder general manager Sam Presti for winning the 2024-25 Executive of the Year award. After Daigneault took the blame for decisions in Game 1 that helped the Denver Nuggets steal a 1-0 lead in their best-of-7 series, he thanked the man who laid the blueprint for the most winningest team (68-14) in franchise history.
Presti's first Executive of the Year award feels long overdue, like a lifetime achievement award for the GM who put the Thunder in a position to compete for championships for the foreseeable future. After earning the best record in the Western Conference in back-to-back years, Daigneault saluted Presti for his dedication.
“Executive of the Year is a year-to-year award. Sam is not a year-to-year executive,” Daigneault said. “He's a long-term executive but has shown unbelievable endurance, has made a ton of long-term investments — small and large — that have already paid dividends and continue to for the organization, and has built a very sustainable organization and team for a very long period of time. 17 years.”
Thunder veteran Lu Dort couldn't believe Presti hadn't won Executive of the Year before.
“I heard it's his first one,” Dort said. “To me, that's surprising. But it is what it is. He definitely earned that. It's the organization. The guys that he put together, and we're all happy for him.”
Thunder’s Sam Presti is the 2024-25 NBA Executive of the Year pic.twitter.com/QFTKfXDNgu
— Josue Pavón (@Joe_Sway) May 6, 2025
Here are 3 Presti moves that helped him secure the 2024-25 Executive of the Year award.
Thunder signs Isaiah Hartenstein for three years, $87 million
After the Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder 4-2 in last year's playoffs, Thunder GM Sam Presti added size to strengthen coach Mark Daigneault's frontcourt by signing Isaiah Hartenstein to a three-year, $87 million deal. It was a pivotal move that gave Oklahoma City the best defense in the NBA and gave Daigneault flexibility after Chet Holmgren suffered a pelvic injury 10 games into the regular season.
With Holmgren and Hartenstein in the starting lineup, Daigneault is enjoying the fruits of their labor on both ends of the floor. Heightened by Hartenstein's passing, Holmgren's outside touch, and their collective rim protection, the dynamic seven-footers give the Thunder an edge they didn't have last season.
Thunder trade Josh Giddey to Bulls for Alex Caruso
The Thunder traded for an X-factor guard who Sam Presti believed would help his team win a handful of playoff games. That's precisely what Alex Caruso is on pace to do in his first season with the Thunder. Caruso led the Thunder's 29-point comeback win in Game 3 against the Grizzlies, competes at a high level, and is always on the verge of making a signature play.
He brings a championship pedigree. Caruso, the team's elderly statesman, has a positive presence in the locker room and on the floor. The 2020 Lakers champion guard even showed teammates his championship ring, which is something no other Thunder player can relate to.
In many ways, Caruso was the missing piece of a deep championship-caliber Thunder backcourt.
Thunder land Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in blockbuster move
Six years removed from the Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander trade with the Clippers in exchange for Paul George, and it's still difficult to talk about Presti's award without bringing up his crown jewel. It's the gift that keeps on giving in 2025. A packaged deal centered around a rising star in Gilgeous-Alexander, who's blossomed into an MVP candidate in back-to-back years, and a treasure trove of assets, including five first-round picks.
The Thunder selected Jalen Williams with the Clippers' 12th overall pick in 2022. In his third season, Williams earned his first All-Star selection. Presti and the Thunder still have the 15th overall pick in this year's draft, and the fifth and final first-round pick in 2026. Presti pulled off arguably the most lopsided deal in NBA history.
