OKC Thunder [emoji945] presser 2026-2027

[AngryBanana]

GM AngryBanana walks in to a presser room that has a few more people at the beginning of the year then what he is used to. He begins to think back to the first year he was involved in a Thunder presser and how there was maybe 5 people in there. That is no longer the case...

Good morning everyone and welcome! I see some new faces here and some old familiar ones as well (winks at Chet Youbetcha.) Lets start from the top with last year like we always do.

We went into the year, a very young team with a few pieces that we though we could move for value. All things went according to plan and we did. First we sent Patrick Edmunds to Chicago for Nathaniel Anderson. I was sad to see Pat go but he was really the last player from the previous ghost regime and I think we all agreed he needed a fresh start. Nathaniel came in and played well off the bat. We needed a player like him in the paint to help Papa. We were not quite winning like we wanted to however. Then, we hit pay-dirt. We were able to flip Alton Towers for Ekbert Winkler. Once Einkler started after finishing his stint on the injury report, we finished 11-14. While it might not seem that impressive, we finally started playing a cohesive game and Ekbert is a big reason behind that. We also were a sub .300 team before he played so I consider his addition a tremendous one for the team.

Come the off-season we had a difficult desicion to make, to keep Nathaniel or let him go in RFA. In the end we decided to hold on to him and resigned him to a deal that I think works for both sides. We also traded for Josh Hart in the draft as well and hope he contributes for us. We also did not add anyone in the form of a draft pick because of trades and we are fine with that. We have enough young growing players right now.

Anyways, moving on to this year. I loved the development that came from almost all of my players this summer. Pete, Clifton, and Vincete all jumped a color level and Papa, while he took a potential hit, is still a great player for us. We are going to start the year off rolling out Webb, Maravich, Carvalho, Anderson and Ekbert as our starting five and see how that goes.

I’ll end it all with this, every year people ask “when do you think you will get back in the post season?” Well, my friends, I think the time is finally upon us.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[garbageman]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: OKC Thunder fans can see the light at the end of the tunnel. What is the most important thing you learned in your time as GM that helped you navigate this team out of hopelessness?

[Wombataholic]

Do you think this is the year the Thunder return to the playoffs?

[kucoach7]

With an impressive core of prospects, what is your time horizon for being an actual championship contender?

[JNR]

GWR: Do you think your team has a deep enough bench to make a playoff push?

[digiskunk]

Dick Tickler, FOX Sports: Your team has really blossomed since last season. With Anderson, Maravich, and Cage all still growing, how long do you think it will take you to reach the Finals?

[AngryBanana]

Sham Smith, Bulls.com: OKC Thunder fans can see the light at the end of the tunnel. What is the most important thing you learned in your time as GM that helped you navigate this team out of hopelessness?

The biggest thing I have learned was being patient. Early on in the process I was tempted to trade away some of my now core pieces for people who were win now players that were around 30 years old. Now looking at some of the players that were being discussed and seeing them now sign 1 yr deals for less than $10 mill. If I would have gone through with any of those trades I would have almost certainly ruined any chances I had at having a competent team. I am glad that I stayed course.

[AngryBanana]

Do you think this is the year the Thunder return to the playoffs?

As long as none of my key players miss substantial time due to injury, I think we have a shot this year.

[AngryBanana]

With an impressive core of prospects, what is your time horizon for being an actual championship contender?

It depends on a few things. First the players I have need to fully develop. We have seen some progression already this year with three players making a color jump, including Pete having the best TC in the league. Secondly, I need now learn how to handle the contracts side of the house so that I can actually keep these players long term.

I am hoping next year will make us serious contenders.

[AngryBanana]

GWR: Do you think your team has a deep enough bench to make a playoff push?

As previously mentioned, if I have no serious injuries yes. I think I have just enough depth for the playoffs.

[AngryBanana]

Dick Tickler, FOX Sports: Your team has really blossomed since last season. With Anderson, Maravich, and Cage all still growing, how long do you think it will take you to reach the Finals?

I want to be a serious contender next year, while I still have Ekbert under contract with some of my younger guys on rookie deals. But I think it is probably 2-3 years away if I play my cards right.

[WigNosy]

You've made no secret that Josh Hart is on the trading block. What do you feel his value is around the league?

[AngryBanana]

You've made no secret that Josh Hart is on the trading block. What do you feel his value is around the league?

Josh has a lot of athleticism and can score. He is going to be a heavy hitter on offense once he is fully trained. He is a great complimentary piece on my team, but I think he has the potential to be much greater on a team where someone can focus on him more.