Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti spoke with the local media on Thursday and talked about why he granted small forward Paul George's trade request.
The Thunder traded George to the Los Angeles Clippers and got an unbelievable haul. OKC acquired Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari and five first-round picks:
Sam Presti on why he granted George's trade request: "You’ve got to have everyone pulling on the same end of the rope" to maximize the team's potential.
They were able to appease the request because of the return they were able to get.
— Maddie Lee (@maddie_m_lee) July 25, 2019
Jimmy Butler and Anthony Davis requested trades last season. Both All-Stars had to play for their respective teams even after their trade requests went public, and it wasn't pretty. Butler and Davis were booed at home games and didn't play in back-to-backs.
It sounds like Sam Presti and the Thunder wanted to avoid another Butler-Davis situation with Paul George. It's never a good idea to keep a player on a team who doesn't want to be there. In the end, the Thunder were able to accommodate George while also setting up their future.
We'll see what the Thunder look like in 2019-20. Their roster is currently headlined by Chris Paul, Steven Adams, Dennis Schroder, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Andre Roberson, Danilo Gallinari and Nerlens Noel. Maybe OKC can shock the world and make the playoffs in the rugged Western Conference. There's also the possibility the Thunder trade Paul during the season if they are able to find a team willing to take on CP3's monster contract.
Follow Us
Subscribe