OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – JUNE 27: Sam Presti of the Oklahoma City Thunder speaks to the media on June 27, 2015 at Devon Tower in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images)
Sam Presti traded for Kemba Walker and a first round pick, and everyone had the same joke about the deal.
There are three truths in life: We are all born, we all die, and Sam Presti will acquire a first-round pick in a trade for a star player.
The Oklahoma City Thunder general manager has made it his brand to sign a down-on-his-luck former superstar, rehab him for a season, then trade him for a higher-tier star and a first-round pick. Oklahoma City has become a pit stop of sorts, and is to NBA stars looking to have resurgent seasons what Quentin Tarantino is to old movie stars looking for a career renaissance.
Trading Al Horford to the Celtics for a first round pick is not the first time Presti has pulled this sort of rabbit out of his magic hat. In fact, it’s not even the first time he’s involved Horford in his spiderweb of moves.
In 2018, Presti and the Thunder traded Carmelo Anthony to the Hawks for Dennis Schroder, then traded Schroder to the Lakers for Danny Green and a first, and then traded Danny Green to the Sixers for Horford. Everything has come full circle now that the Thunder have traded Horford for Kemba Walker and a first.
Presti has taken the buy low-sell high method o stock trading and applied it to players, and as a result he’s gone to the moon with a rocket full of first round picks.
Sam Presti meme game was strong after Kemba Walker trade
Needless to say, the entertainment value of this whole situation is incredibly high.
The only thing lacking from Presti’s magical box of moves is a result. For all the trades that have been made and all the entertaining #Content it’s given us, none of it has resulted in wins for the Thunder. Since 2018, when this truly became a bit for Presti, Oklahoma City has made the playoffs twice and lost in the first-round both times.