After the New York Knicks put this outrageously lopsided package on the table, it immediately caught Presti's eye.
GM Presti was so swept up in the moment that he could barely restrain himself. He almost approved the deal on the spot.
After all, if the trade went through, then in the best-case scenario, the Thunder would have Westbrook, Alexander, and Cunningham—three superstar guards—as well as Anthony Davis, an elite big man.
With a little patching up, they'd have another championship-contending lineup!
And Cunningham was only one year into his Rookie Contract.
That would restore the team's salary cap flexibility in the short term, while also allowing them to smoothly transition their core when the time came to negotiate his extension.
By then, Westbrook's max contract would also have just expired.
The Thunder Team would be able to re-sign him as a matter of course.
That would also fulfill the team's original plan for transitioning its core...
And by then, the Thunder Team's backcourt would have transformed from Chen Xi and Westbrook into Alexander and Cunningham.
From a short-term perspective, it seemed like a downgrade. But in the long run, for a small-market team, it was about as perfect a transition as they could hope for.
The Oklahoma Thunder would, barring any surprises, remain a powerhouse for at least five more years!
Whew...
What's more, in Presti's eyes, compared with the offers from other teams—players like Ingram, Brown, and Herro—he genuinely preferred and had more faith in a player like Cunningham, whose game was mature and steady and whose temperament was excellent.
That kind of character reminded him of Tim Duncan...
But in the end, he managed to hold himself back.
First, he needed to talk things over with Chen Xi and see what he wanted. After all, if Chen Xi