sailfish
The 52 year drought is over!
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2006
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Like the Cavaliers, Oklahoma City, is a small market team. They realized that their best chance to sustain a winning model would be by building their team through the draft & trades. They used their cap space, not to sign free agents, but as flexibility in trades. That said, let's take a closer look at how the Oklahoma City Thunder were built by their GM, Sam Presti:
Point Guard
Russell Westbrook- 1st round pick (4th overall) in 2008
Eric Maynor- trade from UTAH (w/ Harpring in salary dump); was 20th pick overall in 2009 draft
Nate Robinson- trade w/ BOS (for Nenad Kristic, 1st round pick, & Jeff Green, who was 5th overall pick in '07); was 21st overall pick in 2005 draft by NYK
Reggie Jackson- 1st round pick (24th overall) in 2011
Shooting Guard
Thabo Sefolosha- trade from CHI (for 2009 1st- Taj Gibson); was 13th pick overall in 2006 draft by PHI
James Harden- 1st round pick (3rd overall) in 2009
Daequan Cook- trade from MIA (w/ 1st round pick in salary dump); was 1st round pick (21st overall) in 2007
Small Forward
Kevin Durant- 1st round pick (2nd overall) in 2007
Lazar Hayward- trade w/ MIN (for 2 conditional 2nd round picks; was a 1st round pick (30th overall) in 2010 draft)
Power Forward
Serge Ibaka- 1st round pick (24th overall) in 2008; pick acquired from PHX
Nick Collison- 1st round pick (12th overall) in 2003
Center
Kendrick Perkins- trade w/ BOS (for Nenad Kristic, 1st round pick, & Jeff Green, who was 5th overall pick in '07); was 27th overall pick in 2003 draft by BOS
Cole Aldrich- draft rights traded from NO; was 11th pick in 2010 draft
Nazr Mohammed- trade from CHAR (for P. Brezec); was 29th overall pick in 1998 draft by PHI
BJ Mulllen- draft rights traded from DAL; was 24th pick in 2009 draft
To summarize:
-15/15 players on the roster were 1st round picks into the NBA.
-8/15 were 1st round picks by OKC.
-7/15 arrived by trade. 2 trades were salary dumps & 3 were draft night deals.
-NO current players were signed through free agency.
-Team was aggressive in making trades, especially those that involved draft picks (ex- Kurt Thomas + 2 1st round picks from PHX for a 2nd round pick; team then traded Thomas to SA for a 1st round pick + 2 players).
-Team hit on most of their 1st round picks, but not all (Johan Petro in '05, Saer Sene in '06, Mullen in '09, Aldrich in '10).
THIS is the model the Cavaliers need to follow!
Point Guard
Russell Westbrook- 1st round pick (4th overall) in 2008
Eric Maynor- trade from UTAH (w/ Harpring in salary dump); was 20th pick overall in 2009 draft
Nate Robinson- trade w/ BOS (for Nenad Kristic, 1st round pick, & Jeff Green, who was 5th overall pick in '07); was 21st overall pick in 2005 draft by NYK
Reggie Jackson- 1st round pick (24th overall) in 2011
Shooting Guard
Thabo Sefolosha- trade from CHI (for 2009 1st- Taj Gibson); was 13th pick overall in 2006 draft by PHI
James Harden- 1st round pick (3rd overall) in 2009
Daequan Cook- trade from MIA (w/ 1st round pick in salary dump); was 1st round pick (21st overall) in 2007
Small Forward
Kevin Durant- 1st round pick (2nd overall) in 2007
Lazar Hayward- trade w/ MIN (for 2 conditional 2nd round picks; was a 1st round pick (30th overall) in 2010 draft)
Power Forward
Serge Ibaka- 1st round pick (24th overall) in 2008; pick acquired from PHX
Nick Collison- 1st round pick (12th overall) in 2003
Center
Kendrick Perkins- trade w/ BOS (for Nenad Kristic, 1st round pick, & Jeff Green, who was 5th overall pick in '07); was 27th overall pick in 2003 draft by BOS
Cole Aldrich- draft rights traded from NO; was 11th pick in 2010 draft
Nazr Mohammed- trade from CHAR (for P. Brezec); was 29th overall pick in 1998 draft by PHI
BJ Mulllen- draft rights traded from DAL; was 24th pick in 2009 draft
To summarize:
-15/15 players on the roster were 1st round picks into the NBA.
-8/15 were 1st round picks by OKC.
-7/15 arrived by trade. 2 trades were salary dumps & 3 were draft night deals.
-NO current players were signed through free agency.
-Team was aggressive in making trades, especially those that involved draft picks (ex- Kurt Thomas + 2 1st round picks from PHX for a 2nd round pick; team then traded Thomas to SA for a 1st round pick + 2 players).
-Team hit on most of their 1st round picks, but not all (Johan Petro in '05, Saer Sene in '06, Mullen in '09, Aldrich in '10).
THIS is the model the Cavaliers need to follow!