More teams should look at the Oklahoma City Thunder and aim to emulate them.
The Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers, 103-91, in Game 7 of the NBA Finals in Oklahoma City on Sunday. Unlike past champions, they weren’t built with splashes in free agency or trades for big names. Instead, they were built through the draft and shrewd moves.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti traded forward Paul George to the Los Angeles Clippers for guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, five first-round picks and two swaps in July 2019.
Oklahoma City selected forward Jalen Williams with pick No. 12 in the 2022 NBA Draft, which they acquired in the George trade. The same year, the Thunder took forward Chet Holmgren with pick No. 2.
The Thunder could’ve added one more star to complete their championship core, but they opted for dependable role players. This offseason, they acquired guard Alex Caruso in a trade with the Chicago Bulls and signed center Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
Oklahoma City’s strategy worked. The Thunder won 84 games in the regular season and playoffs, tying Michael Jordan’s 1996-97 Chicago Bulls for the third most in NBA history.
