Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti disagrees with Paul George's characterization of his trade to the Los Angeles Clippers as a mutual decision, which he made at Wednesday's introductory press conference in Los Angeles. Presti placed the trade purely on George's shoulders, saying that he ultimately wanted to play with Kawhi Leonard.
ESPN's Royce Young reported that Presti didn't view the situation as heated or otherwise adversarial, but pushed back on the idea that both parties wanted George gone.
Now that OKC has shipped off both of their major stars, the team is hoping to build long-term success via young and developing stars. Presti wrote an op-ed in The Oklahoman explaining that the way forward might be tough to watch for Thunder fans who grew used to having two of the league's best in their starting lineup. Presti hopes that this slow process will position them for long-term success as opposed to short bursts of contention fueled by megastar contracts that eventually plunder the team's resources.
"It will take us time, now, to reposition, replenish and then ultimately rebuild our team. Things will inevitably get harder from here. At some point during this transition, we may not have the kind of team you’ve been used to," he wrote. "But we will be fearless, focused, and relentless in seeking opportunities to improve our long-term position."
