Thunder News: Sam Presti Breaks Silence on Alex Caruso Deal & Title Hopes After Major NBA Snub

Sep 25, 2024 | 3:55 PM EDT

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Did the NBA snub fuel Oklahoma City Thunder's fire for a championship run?

The Oklahoma City Thunder is definitely a team to keep an eye out for this season. Even though they lost 4-2 to the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs, they made a big splash by finishing first in the Western Conference with an impressive 57-25 record. That’s a huge leap from their 2022-23 season, where they barely scraped into 10th place. This offseason, the Thunder pulled off some smart trades that look like they’ll boost their chances of contending for the championship.

As the new NBA season approaches, the Oklahoma City Thunder’s nine-year Christmas Day game streak has officially ended. When the NBA released the schedule for this season, the OKC was excluded from the Christmas slate. With a solid 6-3 record in those matchups, they won’t be taking the court this holiday season. General Manager Sam Presti spoke on this shift, making it clear it’s not personal, as reported by Clemente Almanza. “I don’t think it’s a personal issue because we played on Christmas nine times,” Presti said. Instead, he sees it as a challenge for the team to showcase their true potential. “We have to earn it … We gotta go out there and show them we’re capable,” he added.

Even though Sam Presti sees the potential in the OKC Thunder this season—with new additions like Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso—he underscores the need for focus and commitment to their plans to unlock their full potential. “We have to accept that those possibilities could go into a contending team. It doesn’t have to go that way; there are probably more ways that it doesn’t go that way,” Presti said. While there’s a buzz around the chance of contending, he knows things could turn out differently. So, he emphasizes, “can’t take our eye off the ball.”

Though the Thunder acquired Alex Caruso in a trade for Josh Giddey from the Bulls, there’s a potential issue looming. The Thunder’s newest guard has only one season left on his contract, a four-year, $37 million deal he signed with the Bulls back in 2021. This means Caruso will be eligible for a four-year extension worth around $80 million exactly six months after the trade, which puts the decision point in late December of this year.

“Can’t have that conversation until December”- Same Presti on Alex Caruso’s contract extension

The OKC Thunder hasn’t yet decided on Alex Caruso’s contract, as GM Sam Presti pointed out, “We can’t have that conversation until December. When we can, we will … We know enough to want to have him here for a really long time.” But if OKC wants to secure Caruso, they’ll need to move quickly. Last season with the Bulls, Caruso dropped 10.1 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game, shooting a solid 40.8% from deep on nearly five attempts per game.

Additionally, he earned back-to-back All-Defensive honors, making the first team in 2022-23. With those numbers, Caruso’s stock is high, and teams with cap space could throw more cash his way than OKC is ready to offer. Still, having one of the top upcoming free agents is a good problem for the Thunder to deal with.

Sam Presti also weighed in on Chet Holmgren’s offseason grind, saying, “I kinda try not to watch too closely some of the offseason training. I try not to put too much stock into that… He will talk basketball as long as you want to talk about it… He’s extraordinarily ambitious but has no agenda.”

Presti’s take reveals Chet’s pure love for the game—his drive comes straight from his passion, not any outside motives. Presti also downplays off-season training, basically saying it’s just a warm-up for the season. The real test comes when the lights are on, and that’s when Chet’s dedication will show up big time. What are your thoughts on the team?

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