The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets pulled off what initially seemed like an impossible trade to once again jumpstart what has been an incredibly action-packed offseason. With All-NBA point guard Russell Westbrook heading from Oklahoma City to Houston, the Thunder most notably received fellow All-Star point guard Chris Paul in return.
However, the plot immediately thickened even further as the Rockets also sent the Thunder a slew of future NBA Draft picks on top of unloading Paul’s massive contract.
As a result of the recent deal, Thunder general manager Sam Presti seems pretty pleased with what lies ahead for Oklahoma City.
“Getting a player of Chris’ caliber gives us another experienced playmaker and leader, while the additional draft picks continue to allow us to further commit to the long-term vision that we are embarking on for the Thunder,” Presti recently told Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle.
It is also worth noting that the Thunder did not begin their offseason by trading away Westbrook, but rather by trading away All-Star small forward Paul George.
Adding soon-to-be second-year guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and veteran forward Danilo Gallinari in such a deal, the Thunder also added an unheard of amount of future NBA Draft picks upon sending the aforementioned George to the Los Angeles Clippers in order for him to join forces with former San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors superstar swingman Kawhi Leonard.
Now in full-on rebuilding mode, the Thunder could still string together a formidable roster for the 2019-20 — if Paul ultimately chooses to stick around, that is.
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