Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti was effusive in thanking Russell Westbrook and Paul George for their contributions shortly after taking out an op-ed on The Oklahoman to explain the team's decision to undergo a rebuild.
Presti thanked Westbrook “for the tremendous contributions he's made to our organization and community, the time he put in here, for the fans and citizens,” according to Erik Horne of The Oklahoman.
The front office exec turned to thanking George, who he called a “tremendous guy” with a “remarkable family.” Presti stressed George “should be remembered fondly by our fans and our organization,” per Brett Dawson of The Athletic.
Jerami Grant, who was trade shortly after George after receiving a three-year, $27 million deal by the franchise last summer, also received Presti's thanks, who noted he has a bright future in the league.
The Thunder's front office was made aware of Westbrook and George's unhappiness at the wake of yet another first-round exit, which eventually developed into the opportunity to trade George, then Grant, and then Westbrook — effectively erasing the nucleus of this team and garnering enough future assets in return to warrant promise.
OKC now has veteran Chris Paul, who they have tried to trade ahead of this season, along with a promising young guard in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The latter will likely be a building block for this franchise moving forward, now boasting enough assets to pack a punch in the distant future.
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