Thunder GM Sam Presti making some calls while watching the NBA Combine scrimmages
“Hey Daryl, how’s your week going?”
“To shreds you say?”
Well, how’s your wife holding up?
And your backcourt?
“To OKC you say?”
Once upon a time Morey fleeced him in the Harden trade.
Oh how the turns have tabled.
Presti already returned the favor back in 2019 with the Westbrook trade
Rockets Received: Russell Westbrook. Thunder Received: Chris Paul, 2024 protected first-round pick, 2026 protected first-round pick, and pick swaps in 2021 and 2025.
Rockets Received: Russell Westbrook.
Thunder Received: Chris Paul, 2024 protected first-round pick, 2026 protected first-round pick, and pick swaps in 2021 and 2025.
Not as crazy IMO as the PG haul, but still masterful. Presti the real MVP
CP3 also young Thunder invaluable veteran leadership and playoff experience, which is hard to measure in impact
Shai does not become the Shai we know now without that year learning from CP3
Also we traded CP3 for:
Oubre (who became a couple of seconds)
Ricky Rubio (who we used to trade up in the 2020 draft + a second + James Johnson (who we traded for two seconds + Trevor Ariza (who we traded for a second + Meyers Leonard (who we waived)))
Jalen Lecque (who we traded for a second and TJ leaf (who we waived))
Ty Jerome
2022 suns 1st, which became the 30th pick (which we traded for the Nuggets top 5 protected 2027 1st)
Pretty good value all together.
2026 protected first-round pick
This is the pick that Presti just used to get Jared McCain.
“Hello police? I’d like to report a robbery.”
Especially since Houston got only a first rounder for him a year later. Westbrook’s post-Thunder career has been so strange. I constantly forget that he was on the Wizards for season, he was the league leader in assists!
He outrebounded Jokic and Embiid that season.
i still cant believe how much they gave up to get westbrook back then.
They really believed they were about to win a chip. Maybe in another solar system. But they def believed
At least Morey knew to work in some pick protections for the future picks.
Unlike the Clippers who fell over themselves to give the Thunder everything that they asked. Baaaaaaaa
Although I understand the sentiment, I’m not certain that I agree that Morey fleeced Presti in the Harden trade. Presti had no choice but to move Harden because ownership refused to allow them to enter the luxury tax, which in turn eliminated most of OKC’s meaningful leverage since they could not resign Harden and the league knew it.
He still turned it into Steven Adams. If Jeremy Lamb wasn’t an absolute turnstile defensively, he would have had a better OKC tenure. He could clearly score, but wouldn’t be given minutes without the defensive effort.
Worth noting, OKC had better odds than anyone to win the championship until Westbrook got hurt in 2013 and Ibaka got hurt in 2014.
It’s bad in hindsight obviously but the deal on paper isn’t that bad:
Kevin Martin - who was solid as a 6th man
Jeremy Lamb - 12th pick in the 2012 draft
2013 1st from Raptors (12th)
2013 2nd from Charlotte (32nd)
2014 1st from Dallas (21st)
Harden was good but no one thought he was going to be a 30ppg all nba 1st team guy. Okc was trying to trade Harden for the 3rd pick to draft Beal and the wizards wouldn’t do it.
the 3rd pick to draft Beal and the wizards wouldn’t do it.
Yeah, but it’s Washington.
I’m not going to say people thought he was going to be 30PPG, but it was abundantly clear he was about to become a superstar (easily 22-25+ PPG). He had just averaged ~17 PPG as third fiddle league’s leading scorer and his partner in crime, who had averaged more than 50 PPG combined in an arguably different era of scoring. The only knock on him was he was as bad of (worse) a turnstile as Lamb.
And honestly his defense never improved until the offense declined
lol good one
There is no way Morey gets another job, right?
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Rob out there depressed because he can’t find Nico to gift him another star
Need new Lakers owner to sneak in Nico to another front office. Can they give Luka that new kid at Dallas too? 🥺
There’s always another Nico for the Lakers to take advantage of. Before Rob swindled Nico he got Dell Demps fired and took AD from Griffin/Langdon.
Folks need to stop and realize the Lakers don’t accidentally fall into these superstars every decade and aren’t given the stars through a vast conspiracy. Stealing your girl is actually a skill and that’s the reason only Rob got the Luka offer and not the other 28 GMs. Rob identifies weak GMs, targets and exploits them. Heck, he even got Danny Ainge to unknowingly facilitate the trade for Luka.
This is some weird ass fan fic. Rob has far more misses than hits and hasn’t built a team with true depth since 2020. Also he didn’t exploit anybody for AD,were you under a rock when AD was telling the media he wanted to play with Lebron and that was his only preferred destination?
Do you really believe he was the only sleeper agent…
Looking for another ball brother or Bronny nephew lol
LaOne you are a Laker!
Still can’t believe LaMelo named his kid like he’s a new shoe line
Lajokes coming in just as Lejokes are at the backend of their career.
Honestly I would be surprised if he didn’t lol.
I still can’t believe he named his kid LaOne Ball
Get ready for LaOther Ball to drop
He’s definitely just there so LeBron won’t fine him
Funny that you say that. I went to one of the thunder games at paycom and happened to be sitting next to a 13 year old who was like 6’3. His mom told me they “met the Lakers GM before the game”.
Was his fav player Kobe?
I didn’t ask him. Seemed like he was rooting for the thunder.
Planting an inside agent, Thunder GM really thinking ahead
LeAndre Ayton Jr
thinking about how to rizz his fellow gms for a coffee date to talk business
Funny thing is I feel like the Lakers have been pretty good at finding talent? Reaves is one of the best undrafted players of all time and Caruso was a gem. Hard to fault Knecht or JHS they were really good value at their draft spots. Idk I feel like their scouting is the least of their problems
Rob stopped listening to the scouts after Caruso. Knetch and JHS were HIS picks, it’s reported that the scouting staff didn’t know who he was going to pick because he cut them off. He is awful at identifying talent and making fringe moves
Yep. In those two drafts we could have had the juniors — Terrence Shannon & Jaime Jaquez. Just horrible work from Rob.
Looking for a real hooper
A+ comment.
ngl Jalen Hood-Schifino is an all-time NBA name
He doesn’t have to look, he knows he has the built in benefit of being the Lakers and every player will join them bc their agents call them
He just has to remember to draft Bryce James if he resigns Lebron.
Hand on the mouth is sinister. Someone’s getting fleeced bro
He knows everybody is trying to lean over to copy his homework.
Pelinka doesn’t realize it’s like the ACT and everyone has different tests
Real OK resident identified
Ha! Love how now one else takes the ACT
“now one else” Double confirmation, publish it.
Haha yep. It was a pain in the ass when I enrolled in a Missouri uni lol.
No one does ACT outside of OK now? I was in college in the Midwest in the 90s, and ACT was pretty common among Midwest schools then, SAT was more an East coast or West coast thing.
I took the ACT back then, never took the SAT.
My wife grew up in SoCal and went to school here, and did the opposite: SAT but no ACT.
Yeah, I didn’t mean to fully endorse their statement, sorry. The ACT is probably a little less culturally recognizable than the SAT, but it’s definitely not only an Oklahoma thing.
I think the SAT gets treated as the college admissions test partly because of Hollywood and media influence, especially since the SAT has historically been so common in California. In reality, though, it’s just one of the major standardized college entrance exams, alongside the ACT.
Schooled in Louisiana around the same time and it was all about the ACT. I took the SAT as well because I had some interest in schools out of state but most everything local didn’t care about it at all.
Too late I can read his eyes. I know exactly who he’s keying in on
Yeah, I know it for sure this time, they are finally going to call me
Adding XiaoRCT to the list of players I want to work out with this summer.
Send him the preliminary 400 page questionnaire
Probably the Clippers again. ;-)
PG trade made sense for the Clippers and it was praised at the time.
Pure revisionism to pretend otherwise
It’s also revisionist to claim that there wasn’t criticism as well. The “they traded all that for PG & Kawhi, not PG solo” talking point came out in part as a response to people balking at the way the trade looked on-paper.
Yes, however in hindsight it turned out to be awful. At this rate Hypothetically If they traded us Jdub and Chet for the 5th pick, that pick would be the next MJ
Awful for who? I quite liked that trade.
Awful for the folks who contemplated their life every playoff season
Clippers Received: Paul George (2019-2024). Thunder Received: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, 2021 1st round pick (unprotected), 2022 1st round pick (unprotected), 2024 1st round pick (unprotected), 2025 1st round pick swap, 2026 1st round pick (unprotected), and an additional 2023 1st round pick (protected, via MIA).
Clippers Received: Paul George (2019-2024).
Thunder Received: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, 2021 1st round pick (unprotected), 2022 1st round pick (unprotected), 2024 1st round pick (unprotected), 2025 1st round pick swap, 2026 1st round pick (unprotected), and an additional 2023 1st round pick (protected, via MIA).
Naw it wasn’t negotiated well. Particularly on the later picks. Clippers FO got too high on Ballmer’s farts.
Yeah cool I guess, really hope okc makes another trade that makes sense for the Clippers and they get praised for it lol
Adam… the Spurs/Wolves series goes to seven. Call in the Extender if you have to.
Dude just found the next steal of the draft.
Promise I’m not trying to glaze lol, it does show how much forethought he has. Last thing he wants is to get a trade blown up because someone read his lips from a clip at the combine.
You rang?
Ordering a pizza for sure.
Papa John is wondering how he’s about to get fleeced
Presti leaked the n-word call, lmao
He’s gunna have to throw in an order of Cheesy Garlic Bread and a 2031 pick swap to get the deal done
Man’s hooked up with unlimited toppings until 2030
pizzer
Doesn’t want people to know he wants pineapple topping.
“The man who’s playing chess while everyone else is throwing up on themselves.” goddamn
Incredibly savage line. Love to see it.
…and he’s been playing for decades. Finally paying off.
Tbh his rosters in the 12-16 runs were suspect, but he learned a lot since then
His roster constructions was but his eye for talent has always been great.
Certainly has only gotten better as he has been with the team
Those athletic wings who can’t shoot are part of Troy Weaver’s ideas that he brought over to Detroit.
To be fair it nearly paid off way way sooner too
It paid off while he was in San Antonio. Almost again as a new GM. He has an eye for talent.
That was a bar 🔥😂
Looks like he is about to catch a Jalen Brunson in a pool of Marquis Teagues
Bruh, haven’t heard that name in a while
Really? Sometimes they just call him big head
Did he create an app called Nip Alert?
mook catching a stray 😂😂😂
Who the FUCK is answering this man’s calls during the combine. Instant decline.
“Hey Daryl, thanks for all the help! When you take over the Hornets we’d really like Kon in exchange for a late second round pick in 2033”
Why though, he’s tell you exactly which player you should be keeping.
Unless it’s a draft pick ofc.
The GM on the other end of that line should probably hang up lol
probably too late, OKC get 2 more unprotected 2045 first rounders
Dude wakes up and gets 3 more middle schoolers given to him
Why bring up Karl Malone?
Um…
He is Gm of OKC, not the President of the US.
Not looking forward to that Pablo Torre exposé. Thankfully his Presti coverage was about jazz
He’s back on the phone for the clippers after that rumour they’re moving off 5.
12+16+one of their own picks for 5 or some shit
We have to shed dort and wiggins to get under the second apron, so I was thinking 12, player/s, future pick for 5, then 5 and 17 for 4.
OKC pr will skyrocket if you shed Dort as well. I remember being a fan of his in his first two years, the Dorture Chamber was a great nickname
I know what the public perception on Lu is with other fanbases and that is what it is but I am gonna be so sad if and when he’s on the floor in another uniform. Watched him come into the league undrafted on sheer effort, put up 40 in a game 7, take 14 shots a game during the rebuild, lock up everyone’s favorite star, adapt his game as the team built up around him without a single complaint, and bring so much grit and backbone to the team’s culture. I think his influence on this version of the Thunder goes way under the radar
He would if wasn’t busy throwing up on himself
Okc gonna draft another gem noone knew of
I’m at the combine. Sam just ordered Doordash and he was on the line with customer service. His wings came with lemon, but no pepper.
LEMON PEPPER WINGS
Lemon. Pepper. Wings.
Don’t let him take any of the Michigan guys
Yaxel and Morez would be perfect
As would Mara
Ehhhhhh
I pray we get Morez man, i think higher ceiling and potential for same size
Yaxel didn’t start taking basketball seriously until he was 18 and he’s gotten consistently better each year he’s played. Morez disappeared for long stretches during the final quarter of the season. Neither, but especially Morez, will be in a position to score much for their NBA team unless they go to a really bad one, and Yaxel is one of the few guys that can shut any guy at any position down. He went one-on-one with Braden Smith when we played Purdue and did really well.
If Morez can develop his 3-point shooting then he might end up being a solid 3 and D wing, and he’s got a good post game and is good in PNR (though most of those looks went to Mara on Michigan’s team). I don’t know what Yaxel looks like when he’s not the centerpiece of an offense—chances are he won’t ever be a primary ball handler again unless he really sticks somewhere—but he was hitting 3’s late in the season at a very high clip.
Sadly they’re bound to get at least one of them
If they get Yax I’m gonna lose it
They definitely will be sniping Yaxel or Morez
Sending Pelinka to this is stupid when they just hired an assistant Gm strictly for scouting lol.
He’s not available yet, he’s still doing his I-9
thought he was getting his LiveScan
Probably missed orientation too.
How do we know they aren’t there as well?
There is someone two seats back with Lakers gear on too.
Why wouldn’t we send our GM in. What else is he going to do right now we’re eliminated. He’s probably there with the assistant gm and other staff.
This is like watching the nature channel.
Or CSPAN
The man could be ordering Jimmy John’s for all we know.
Puts hand over mouth to say “club lulu, no mayo”
Maybe getting some pizza hut
only jimmy john’s would say that
“So there’s this kid who is gonna absolutely slide to #41. We gonna trade up in the 2nd round a bit and grab this fella and turn him into the next D Wade”
You mean he’ll win a title for Miami and then bring Wemby as free agent?!
“Oh hey Adam saw the Clippers have the #5 pick and was just checking on that whole investigation thing…”
“These lames got a camera on me.”
Bro’s probably got an IR filter on his lenses so he knows when the cameras are pointing at him
This fucker.
This man is up to no good
“Honey, what’s for dinner?”
We’re getting our guy
Presti being filmed making calls at the combine scrimmages while OKC is still alive in the playoffs is the most on-brand thing in the NBA. The man genuinely never stops working and he doesn’t care who sees it.
This is hilarious
Presti talking about his next jazz album
The funny thing about that side quest of his is that he doesn’t want it to go viral. So he doesn’t talk about it at all.
Somebody getting finessed 😭😭
gms avoid trading with him now afraid of being fleeced lol
Even if you fleeced OKC everyone’s gonna think you got fleeced for at least a couple of years
Hey guys, my name is Sam Presti 🫢
Rapping over the phone to a jazzy background track
I was at the combine last year. It’s a big frat house, but good time. Lots of meetings being had all over the city.
If you don’t mind me asking how do you even get a job like that?
Being very athletic and 6’8” or taller helps a lot.
You have to be invited. I was part of a group of the NBA that got to help out with the combine last year. It’s all about who you know essentially!
Does anyone know - who was playing during this? And who was he likely talking about?
This is what I strolled down looking for. Or what part of the combine was going and who were performing
Hey a word of advice for Bryson Graham. HANG UP IF SAM CALLS YOU.
One of the smartest people on the planet tbh
He might be dictating notes to himself
Watch them trade into the top 10 and get a high upside guy like Ament or Wilson if he falls past 7
For the love of god, quit letting him cook
Lol hes so sinister
Playing chess while everyone throws up on themselves. I laughed.
If any of the GM’s were smart, they’d hang up. If OKC is interested in one of their guys, that’s probably a sign they should keep them.
“Oh no you don’t! WE’RE gonna be the ones who develop this late pick into a 20 ppg microwave bench scorer!”
Rob daydreaming about the day he got Luka from Nico and realizing it’s not enough to win
Probably hitting up his junior GM Lawrence Frank to pass over that top 5 pick for three 2nds in 2031
You would think no one would be dumb enough to do business with him
Poor guy behind Rob is going through something.
Meanwhile Rob just sitting there waiting for the next superstar to fall in his lap for peanuts
You’re better off picking up SCAM Calls then SAM’s call
He’s planning for the championship parade to be in tel aviv obviously
“Sir, we need to trade Shai, immediately! This new kid is the beez kneez!
Huh? What? Nico? Nico who?”
Im going to start covering my mouth like this when Im on the phone lmaoo
Walk fast, carry a clipboard and cover your mouth while talking on the phone. You could go anywhere
Remember he has a jazz rap album
Leon Rose: “WRITE THAT DOWN WRITE THAT SHIT DOWN”
I look down and my top pick is gone.
Suppose he’s either gonna package a few of his five thousand first round picks to move up or trade out of the round with some desperate and needy team and add to his first round pick stockpile.
What are the odds that it’s just that he pays attention to the little things like how they warm up or some bull like that
The guys are always on the phone. I’ve sat next to a GM on a plane and that’s all he did
I’m just picturing him seeing a ball boy hit a layup and he sees the potential and is calling about him right now lol
Bruh at this point GMs should just block his number
“55 BURGERS, 55 FRIES, 55 TACOS, 55 PIES, 55 COKES, 100 TATER TOTS, 100 PIZZAS, 100 TENDERS, 100 MEATBALLS, 100 COFFEES, 55 WINGS, 55 SHAKES, 55 PANCAKES, 55 PASTAS, 55 PEPPERS, AND 155 TATERS!”
Genius at work right there
I said no onions on my sandwhich and extra mayo !