Thunder GM is the god, Presti chooses 3MVP + trades 1MVP, 50 wins in 7 seasons

Who is one of the most successful general managers in NBA history? The answer is undoubtedly Sam Presti of the Thunder.

US media ClutchPoints recently listed his GM resume, which is a legend - he selected 3 MVPs (Durant, Westbrook, Harden) + traded 1 MVP (Alexander), and led the Thunder to at least 50 wins in 7 seasons. This season, he even achieved the best record of 68 wins and 14 losses in team history.

Presti's legend began with his unparalleled talent show vision. In 2007, he used the second pick to pick Kevin Durant, and then selected Russell Westbrook and James Harden. All three players later won the MVP trophy and formed the "Thunder Three Young Masters" that shocked the league.

Although the three eventually parted ways, Presti's forward-looking nature in the draft is still talked about by fans. Data shows that since he became general manager, the Thunder's first-round pick success rate has reached 78%, far exceeding the league average.

If the draft is Presti's "supervised skills", then the trading market is his "second battlefield".

In 2018, he went against the crowd and got Shea Gilgers Alexander in a deal involving the Clippers. At the time, the young defender was not widely favored, but Presti was convinced of his potential.

Facts have proved that this decision is a masterpiece - this season, Alexander won the regular season MVP, leading the Thunder to a team history with 68 wins and 14 losses, and fully fulfilling his talent.

Although the Thunder are in a small market like Oklahoma City, Presti's operations have kept the team competitive all year round:

56.5% win rate (5th in the league in the same period)

at least 50 wins in 7 seasons (including 68 wins this season)

average net win +12.9 points per game in 2023-24, setting a record in NBA history.

Even in the reconstruction period after the disintegration of the "Three Young Masters", he can quickly complete the iteration of the lineup, use draft picks to reserve the future, and trade for instant combat power, so that the team can always maintain competitiveness.

Salary experts analyzed that Presti's operations not only saved the Thunder more than $200 million in luxury taxes, but also accumulated 12 future first-round picks for the team, which is the "king of cost-effectiveness."

Presti's trading allows Thunder not only to have current competitiveness (Alexander + Homgren + Jewish), but also to hold a large number of future assets. If the Thunder wins the championship in the future, his GM status will be comparable to "Logo man" Jerry West.