Thunder news: GM Sam Presti says Paul George should be remembered fondly after trade to Clippers

Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti says Paul George should be remembered fondly after his trade to the LA Clippers.

Despite leaving a colossal demolition of the franchise in the wake of his trade, Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti urged fans to remember Paul George fondly for his two years with the team.

George left a sour taste in the mouths of fans when he requested a trade to the LA Clippers behind the scenes, one which resulted in Russell Westbrook's consequent displeasure and desire to leave the franchise. Presti noted George's trade request was what ultimately forced the front office to re-evaluate the state of the franchise and their direction moving forward.

Via ESPN's Royce Young:

“From the time that Paul and his representation made us aware of what had been transpiring and their subsequent request, our focus as an organization was identifying the best paths for our future. Resiliency has been a staple of our city and our franchise, and this challenge provided us with another opportunity to demonstrate that. Our goal with this transaction was to create value both in the short and long term and help reposition and replenish the organization's future platform. We are thrilled to welcome two extremely talented and efficient players in Shai and Danilo. Moving forward, we will continue to utilize the method that has helped us create the foundation for the last 11 seasons of Thunder basketball.

“The Thunder thanks Paul for his contributions to the organization and our community. We are proud that Paul is a part of our history as an organization and that some of the best basketball of his career was in Oklahoma City. He should be remembered fondly; we wish him and his family the best.”

George was the first chip of many that will soon fall in OKC after having tried and failed in three consecutive postseasons (all first-round exits) since Kevin Durant departed in 2016.

The Thunder also traded away Jerami Grant to the Denver Nuggets for draft pick compensation, and they are currently exploring pathways to deal Westbrook, with the Miami Heat, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons as the three most interested parties.