The Oklahoma City Thunder have become the clear favorites to repeat as NBA champions after sweeping both the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers in the first two rounds of the playoffs.
The franchise’s rise has been largely credited to general manager Sam Presti, who rebuilt the roster from scratch after the departures of Russell Westbrook and Paul George.
The 2019 trade that sent George to the Los Angeles Clippers ultimately brought back Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and five first-round picks, helping shape Oklahoma City’s current core.
Presti’s evaluation process reportedly extends far beyond basketball talent. Before drafting Chet Holmgren, Presti traveled to Gonzaga mainly to study Holmgren’s personality and behavior around teammates.
“I found out he wasn’t paying any attention to anything having to do with basketball,” Holmgren said.
“I didn’t realize it had that level of impact. Now I know he was doing his Mr. Miyagi mind-reading routine on me. And apparently, I passed the test, so I’ll just keep being myself.”
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault described Presti’s scouting style as deeply focused on team chemistry and long-term fit.
“As he’s evaluating the player, Sam’s really imagining that he’s looking at them on the team,” Daigneault says. “It’s like method acting. He really goes deep.”
Gilgeous-Alexander offered perhaps the simplest summary of Presti’s success.
“He’s not wrong very many times.”
Sam Presti Uses ‘Method Acting’ Process To Evaluate How Players Fit Thunder Culture https://t.co/DI5jasfidF
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 13, 2026
