The Oklahoma City Thunder have had a major roster overhaul over the past two years, landing and shipping players that have re-shaped the team. They aren’t done doing business and the team they’ll have this upcoming season will be very different from the one they had in the bubble.
Sam Presti has demonstrated he’s one of the best GMs in the league and the moves he’s made over that span are the biggest proof of that. The Thunder were one of the best teams in the West for a big part of the 2010s, having a team full of stars, always trying to compete in the Western Conference. James Harden, Serge Ibaka and Kevin Durant left the team in recent years, but they remained competitive.
Out of the players that appeared on their 2019/20 team picture, only Shai Gilgeous-Alexander remains with the team. Even head coach Billy Donovan left the franchise this season. Following the departure of Kevin Durant, their level decreased. Victor Oladipo landed in OKC but he couldn’t do much for the team; then Paul George landed there and it was the same. He left the team last season and joined the Clippers; Russell Westbrook was traded to the Rockets in the deal that took Chris Paul to OKC.
Face of the franchise @shaiglalex https://t.co/2S6jQVpPMr pic.twitter.com/dvQaTmIvO3
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 21, 2020
Last season, CP3 did a great job, taking the Thunder to the 5th spot in the West alongside Dennis Schroder (now in the Lakers) and Shai. After that terrific season, OKC went full rebuilding mode and now Shai, the youngest player, is the only one that has survived this offseason.
OKC’s 1st-Round Picks through 2026.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) November 20, 2020
Updated look at OKC Thunder's future draft picks
2020:
Nuggets 1st round pick
Lakers 1st-rd pick
2021:
Own 1st
Heat 1st
HOU pick-swap
2022:
Own 1st
Clips 1st
Suns 1st
2023:
Own 1st
Clips pick-swap
Heat 1st
2024:
Own 1st
Clips 1st
HOU 1st
2026:
Own 1st
Clips 1st
HOU 1st
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) November 16, 2020
In the last 9 years,the Thunder has traded 10 big stars, including some of the biggest names in the history of the game. They have a bright future ahead with the amount of first and second-rounders they will have through 2026. Sam Presti has done a terrific job and this is not the end of it. If they make the right moves, OKC could once again have a team featured with four Hall of Famers as they did in 2012.
