Here's a list of Presti's moves since Harden was drafted: The owner couldn't afford to pay him in part because Presti handed out big money to Ibaka, who is looking more and more like a limited player, and Kendrick Perkins, who makes Kelvin Cato look good. Even so, they still should have kept him. The chance to have 3 top 10-quality Dream Team players in the NBA on one team almost never happens, and will probably never happen to Presti or OKC again; if you can only do it for a year, you do it, you take your shot. Lamb, Kevin Martin's cap room and a late lotto pick in a bad draft are a crappy consolation prize.
Yeah, that's average at best(since drafting Harden). Spoiler Draft: Kevin Durant(1-2) Carl Landry(2-31) Glen Davis(2-35) Russell Westbrook(1-4) Serge Ibaka(1-24) Walter Sharpe(2-32) Trent Plaisted(2-46) DeVon Hardin(2-50) Sasha Kaun(2-56) James Harden(1-3) Roddy Beaubois(1-25) Eric Bledsoe(1-18) Craig Brackins(1-21) Quincy Pondexter(1-26) Magnum Rolle(2-51) Reggie Jackson(1-24) Perry Jones(1-28) Trades: -Carl Landry to Houston for cash & 2008 2nd round pick(Sasha Kaun) -Ray Allen, Glen Davis to Boston for Jeff Green, Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, & 2008 2nd round pick(Trent Plaisted) -Rashard Lewis to Orlando for a 2009 2nd round pick(Emir Preldzic) & trade exception -2009 2nd round pick(Emir Preldzic) to Phoenix for Kurt Thomas, 2008 1st round pick(Serge Ibaka), and 2010 1st round pick(Quincy Pondexter) -Kurt Thomas to San Antonio for Brent Barry, Francisco Elson, & 2009 1st round pick(Roddy Beaubois) -Wally Szczerbiak & Delonte West to Cleveland for Adrian Griffin, Donyell Marshall, & Ira Newble(3 team trade w/ Chicago, Cleveland, & Seattle) -Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted to Detroit for D.J. White -Sasha Kaun to Cleveland for cash -2009 2nd round pick(Derrick Brown) to Charlotte for Kyle Weaver -Adrian Griffin & Luke Ridnour to Milwaukee for Desmond Mason & Joe Smith(via Cleveland)(3 team trade w/ Milwaukee, Cleveland, & Oklahoma City) -Johan Petro & 2009 2nd round pick(Sergio Llull) to Denver for Chucky Atkins & 2009 1st round pick(Taj Gibson). -Chris Wilcox to New York for Malik Rose -2009 1st round pick(Taj Gibson) for Thabo Sefolosha -Roddy Beaubois & 2010 2nd round pick(Solomon Alabi) to Dallas for Byron Mullens -Cash to Charlotte for Robert Vaden -Chucky Atkins & Damien Wilkins to Minnesota for Etan Thomas, 2010 2nd round pick(Dexter Pittman), & 2010 2nd round pick(Magnum Rolle) -Peter Fehse to Utah for Matt Harpring & Eric Maynor -2010 2nd round pick(Dexter Pittman) to Miami for Daequan Cook and 2010 1st round pick(Eric Bledsoe) -Craig Brackins & Quincy Pondexter to New Orleans for Cole Aldrich & Morris Peterson -Eric Bledsoe to Los Angeles(C) for future 1st round pick -Cash to Atlanta for Tibor Pleiss -2011 2nd round pick(Milan Macvan) to Miami for Latavious Williams -Magnum Rolle to Indiana for Ryan Reid -Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic, cash, & 2012 1st round pick(Fab Melo) to Boston for Kendrick Perkins & Nate Robinson -Morris Peterson & D.J. White to Charlotte for Nazr Mohammed -2 future 2nd round picks to Minnesota for Lazar Hayward -Byron Mullens to Charlotte for 2013 2nd round pick -Cole Aldrich, Daequan Cook, James Harden, & Lazar Hayward to Houston for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, 2 future 1st round picks(Toronto & Dallas), & future 2nd round pick -Eric Maynor to Portland for Georgios Printezis & trade exception -2014 2nd round pick & cash to New York for Ronnie Brewer Releases: Brent Barry Ira Newble Eddie Gill Donyell Marshall Steven Hill Earl Watson Michael Ruffin Mike Harris Ryan Bowen Mike Wilks Shaun Livingston Malik Rose Robert Swift Matt Harpring Mustafa Shakur Kyle Weaver Nate Robinson Ryan Reid Walker Russell Andy Rautins Daniel Orton Signings: Mike Wilks Eddie Gill Ronald Dupree Steven Hill Nenad Krstic Shaun Livingston Kevin Ollie Ryan Bowen Mike Harris Michael Ruffin Mike Wilks Antonio Anderson Mustafa Shakur Royal Ivey Robert Vaden Derek Fisher Hasheem Thabeet Daniel Orton Andy Rautins DeAndre Liggins Walker Russell Daniel Orton Derek Fisher
That's also not taking into account Oden's already existing injury history. There was plenty of evidence that Portland probably should have gone with Durant over Oden. It was basically Sam Bowie 2.0, although I guess you could argue that this was worse... or not. I'd listen to either argument.
No mention yet of drafting Jeff Green, then trading Green for Perkins. With the pick he could have had Joakim Noah.
This is revisionist history. Nearly every single team would have picked oden. He was a two time Gatorade player of the year. You know who else did that? Many people were saying durant would end up being the next Glenn Robinson. His terrible combine also pretty much cemented oden as no 1.
I recall it being Oden as unanimous 1 going into the season, but Durant gaining ground as the year went on with signfiicant # of people saying he'd be better, but the whole "big-small" thing tipping it in Oden's favor. Not that any of this matters in a discussion of Presti? He didn't have the chance to take Oden, and he didn't, and so he made the no-brainer move and selected Durant over Al Horford.
Blazer picked need instead of best player available. Durant was seen as a player with a higher ceiling than Oden. The NCAA tournament showcased that. Thank God the Blazers already had a scorer in Roy. That's the main reason they picked Greg.
The very first bullet in your list is inaccurate. I dont' think the person knows what happened in the 4th bullet. 32nd for Cook and 18th. Done. In no way a negative. (The later trading of the 18th pick for a conditional first from the Clippers can now be listed as negative, but that is a separate transaction, and it was a pick that could have kept rolling over - ended up in the Perkins trade which is listed later) 5th bullet didn't really happen unless you're an idiot. 6th bullet? huh? OKC already gave up their 32nd with the trade for the 18th and Williams was the 48th pick for a future 2nd - Milan Mačvan. and I'm done, because fact checking someone's terrible list is not worth it. a big thumbs down on your "Imma gonna go get a list!"
Y'all are nuts. Presti has been phenomenal. Lamb is going to be good and they get all kinds of draft picks to play with going forward. Westbrook gets 1 injury for the first time in his entire life and the vultures come out. I also liked the Green for Perkins trade a lot, Green was a glorified role player, as is Perkins but Perkins brought toughness and much needed size (at the time) - the NBA has evolved in such a way that Presti could not have predicted. On SamFisher's list - the man was building around impending Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka extensions. What the hell do you expect? Also, if a GM nets me Harden/Durant/Westbrook/Ibaka he can draft Britney Griner for all I care, I have my core, I have my contender, the hard part is over. How many GM's can even sniff that level of draft success in such a short window?
Tell me what is "phenomenal" about these past four years of personnel moves: That doesn't even include the folly of giving a Brinks Truck full of cash to Kendrick Perkins.
The writer has a couple of things wrong. 2009-10 Acquired Daequan Cook (swapped 32nd pick for 18th pick, which turned into Eric Bledsoe). Net negative. Wrong! They acquired Cook AND moved up 14 spots in the draft. How is that negative? Acquired Latavious Williams' Draft Rights (for 32nd pick above, which turned into Dexter Pittman). Net negative. Huh? 2010-11 Acquired Kendrick Perkins & Nazr Mohammed (for Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic & 22nd pick, which turned into Fab Melo). Given the Perkins infatuation by Brooks, net negative. The writer shows his ignorance by not knowing about Bonehead's infatuation with Jeff Green before the Perkins trade. Green's presence held back the development of Ibaka and Harden. This was another example of everyone who watched the Thunder seeing the obvious but Bonehead was blind to it. If Presti gave Green away for a steak dinner they were better off. This trade was positive for OKC in every sense of the word. Not even debatable. 2012-13 Acquired Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb, and Toronto's 2013 1st Rd Pick (for James Harden, Cole Aldrich & Daequan Cook). D'OH! Flaming disaster for OKC. Like every GM in the NBA, most of Presti's minor moves are fairly inconsequential. That isn't an indictment. Fleecing Utah to get Maynor and the Heat to get Cook AND move up in the draft were exceptional trades. Presti has been very good for their franchise and deserves a lot of credit. But trading Harden because of a $6 million total difference over 4 years is a legacy Presti might never live down. Like Sam said, they had a unique opportunity and whiffed. For the record: I think signing Ibaka at 4yrs/$52MM was great, but it shouldn't have stopped them from giving Harden his $58MM because they could have amnestied Perkins this summer.
He's a good GM, but he blew it royally on the Harden trade. He could have gotten the same type of deal this summer (basically draft picks) and Harden would have stayed with a trade kicker.
WHo gives a fig about the comments - the problem is that the totality of these moves points to a very lengthy (opportunity wasting) cold streat. Can you name one really good move that Presti has made since 2009 draft?
Lots of teams have been deep in the lotto for years and never gotten better (Charlotte, Sacremento, Minnesota, etc...), so he does get some props for being better than those GMs. That said, he is over-rated.
