Not many teams have pivoted from contending to rebuilding more suddenly or dramatically than the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Within the space of days, they traded Paul George and Russell Westbrook for the greatest haul of picks in league history.
Thunder GM Sam Presti wasn’t pressing the reset button, he was mashing it with both hands.
And while rebuilds tend to be closely associated with incessant losing, that won’t be the case in OKC.
Chris Paul, who will likely remain with the team for now, still has something left in the tank.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was excellent in his rookie season.
Danilo Gallinari was reborn last year and averaged 20 points per game.
Then there’s the old guard, featuring Steven Adams, Dennis Schroeder, Andre Roberson, Nerlens Noel and Terrance Ferguson.
Throw in the fact that everyone will have the chance to thrive in Westbrook’s absence, and this squad could absolutely make the playoffs.
Top stories
Shaq says he wouldn’t want to play for the 2019 Lakers because he doesn’t like superteams.
Enes Kanter has used his introductory Celtics presser to troll Kyrie Irving.
Markelle Fultz might be on a new team but the same old mysteries remain.
Reggie Bullock has undergone surgery immediately after signing with the Knicks, as team tradition dictates.
Cheick Diallo has signed a two-year deal with the Phoenix Suns.
For more Basketball Forever content, follow @bballforeverfb and @nickjungfer.