As roster overhaul vacates thousands of minutes, Oklahoma City’s architect reflects on past setbacks while preparing a deep stable of young talent to surpass previous championship ceilings.
Sam Presti held his annual preseason media availability on Thursday morning and this space has been filled with some of his best talking points ever since.
The truth is that the Oklahoma City Thunder General Manager covering such a wide array of topics was an abundant gift of OKC hoops content. While perusing Presti's press conference transcript, several subjects were ripe to be written.
One of the central themes of the one and a half hour question and answer session was a reimagining of the team. Longtime rotational role players Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins are no longer on the team, a three headed absence that vacates around 10,000 minutes. Presti specifically mentioned Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace and Jared McCain as players ready to step up and take on bigger roles. But the Thunder have some young guys in Nikola Topic, Thomas Sorber, Aday Mara and Bennett Stirtz waiting in the developmental wings as well.
Presti was asked about the adaptability of the team over the course of time being a muscle that the squad has been able to flex and if the core might have a chance to continue to show that while bringing the new guys along.
"I mean, honest answer is I don't know," Presti responded. "I think, as I said before, we're going into the season without any predetermined ways of this person will do this, this person will do that. It's never served us. We've never really done it, honestly, over 19 years, to walk in with a fixed idea of what's going to happen because it never goes that way."
Whether the team does or does not look a bit different stylistically or rotationally, the Thunder are set up to succeed as well or better than any team in the league.
"I think we have a great foundation, as I said. I think we're positioned exceptionally well," Presti said. "I think we're going to have to resist the urge to try to optimize things. I think optimization with a team that's in progress, that's growing, that has individuals growing, but I really think the team development, that's one thing about our team last year."
Most of the presser's duration was focused on looking ahead towards the upcoming season. But Presti couldn't help but to reflect on last year's "what could have been" much like most of the Thunder fanbase has done ever since the Western Conference Game 7 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. But it's also a reminder of "what could be" in 2026-2027.
"I said this at the end of the season, most disappointed about the fact that with the injuries, we never really got to see... We saw great individual development, but the team didn't get to work on a lot of the things we were trying to get to after the Pacers series, quite frankly," Presti said. "I think the team last year had another level to it. I think we could have got to another level. But I think in due time, like I said earlier, this particular group of players, if we stay healthy, if it has time together, it has a chance to be as good if not better than any of the teams we've had."
