After OKC Thunder veteran Gordon Hayward was called out by Thunder GM Sam Presti, his wife, Robyn, felt compelled to set the record straight. In response to Sam Presti labeling the Hayward trade as a misstep, Robyn questioned the purpose behind acquiring him in the first place if they were going to give up so soon.
“Why trade for someone and not play them? Missed it by not integrating him,” wrote Robyn. “Since we have time today… before the trade Gordon told Sam he didn’t think this trade made sense so how can you miss when the player told you…”
Hayward, 34, was traded to the Thunder in February for Davis Bertans, Tre Mann, Vasilije Micic, cash, and two second-round picks. In 26 regular season games for the Thunder, he averaged 5.3 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game on 45% shooting. According to Sam Presti, however, the Hayward deal was one that should never have been done.
“I missed on that. That’s on me. But I’m learning,” said Presti in a recent press conference. “Trying to learn this team… Just trying to be a great observer of this team as it’s going through its paces… I don’t think I read that one perfectly.”
"I missed on that. That's on me, but I'm learning.”
– Sam Presti discussing how while the Gordon Hayward trade was multidimensional (freed up roster spots & Cap), he feels that he misread it & talked about how it’s a learning experience.
Found the self-awareness cool. pic.twitter.com/rJe7f6ASAT
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) May 28, 2024
Hayward struggled to find his footing all season and his struggles continued into the playoffs. He was virtually unplayable in the early rounds and even saw a stretch where he went scoreless in 46 minutes across multiple games. When the Thunder needed his scoring the most, he was nowhere to be found. Now, as a free agent this summer, Hayward will almost surely be leaving the Thunder and it remains to be seen if he can land another job in the NBA.
After Presti’s damaging review, Hayward may be better off retiring than anything else. Despite how it looks now, he’s got a lot to be proud of as a former NBA All-Star and 20+ points-per-game scorer for the Utah Jazz.
Sam Presti Has Big Plans For The Thunder
Despite the situation with Hayward and a relatively short playoff run, the Thunder have a lot to be happy about going into the 2024 offseason. In what was a breakout season for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he took the basketball world by storm with an impressive stat line of 30.1 points, 6.2 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game on 53.5% shooting.
Chet Holmgren was also a hero for the Thunder, providing crucial rim protection and perimeter shooting with averages of 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on 53.0% shooting.
Following their defeat against the Dallas Mavericks in the West Semis, the Thunder are going to be seeking upgrades this summer and Presti is sitting on a mountain of assets that he can use to surround his star duo with the right pieces.
From point guards like Colin Sexton to wing players like Mikal Bridges, Presti no doubt already has several candidates in mind to help fill out the roster. Unlike other teams in the West, however, the Thunder aren’t too far from title contention.
If they can deepen their bench and add some more shooting on the perimeter, it will better equip them to handle some of the toughest teams in the West, such as the Mavericks, Timberwolves, and the Denver Nuggets.
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