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The Oklahoma City Thunder are the most recent addition to the NBA. The team relocated from Seattle in 2008, and the SuperSonics became the Thunder.
Despite their short history though, the Thunder have been home to some of the NBA's best players, such as Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. But they have also made some serious errors in judgment, effecting trades that just can't be justified.
Sam Presti has been the franchise's general manager for their entire spell in Oklahoma, and here are the five worst trades under his management.
#4 Paul George trade with the Indiana Pacers
This looks like an okay trade now, but at the time it was considered a reckless deal. Paul George planned to sign for LA Lakers in the summer of 2018, and the Thunder signed him with this knowledge. George ultimately changed his mind, much to the surprise of NBA executives around the league.
Domantas Sabonis had the best season of his career last year, averaging 11.6 points-per-game from the bench. Victor Oladipo meanwhile went on to be the breakout star of the 17-18 season, being named both an All-Star and the NBA's Most Improved Player.
Ultimately, OKC saved some face when George signed a long-term deal, but they still gave up two very good players to land PG13.
#3 Thunder and Celtics 2011 Deadline Trade
Nearly seven years later, this trade now looks worse than ever. Both teams were looking to contend at the time, and the Thunder thought that the deal would improve their playoff prospects. The Thunder acquired Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson while sending Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic and a 2012 first rounder to Boston.
Nate Robinson featured in just seven games before being waived. Perkins meanwhile spent four years with the Thunder, averaging around 5 points-per-game.
Perkins' performance in the 2012 NBA finals was also one of the main factors in the Thunder losing the series, and although he was a useful leader for the young OKC roster, his overall showings were a disappointment.
#2 Carmelo Anthony acquired from the NY Knicks
The Oklahoma City Thunder pulled off one of the most stunning trades of the year when they lured the 10-time All-Star to Oklahoma. In exchange for Anthony, the Thunder sent both Enes Kanter and Doug McDermott to New York. Sam Presti also gave up a 2018 second-round pick to secure Melo.
Despite the trade initially being seen as an incredible move, the deal quickly unraveled. Melo had his worst ever shooting season, and he was benched for large periods of the Thunder's playoff defeat to the Jazz.
The 34-year-old opted into his $27.9 million contract for the 18-19 season, although the Thunder traded him away to the Atlanta Hawks. The 'OK3' experiment of combining George, Westbrook and Melo lasted for just one year.
#1 James Harden traded to the Houston Rockets
This trade will not only go down as the worst in Thunder history, but also as one of the worst in NBA history.
Harden had just won the sixth man of the year award, and the then 23-year-old had averaged nearly 17 points from the bench in the 11-12 NBA season. The Thunder team had also just reached the NBA finals, with a team containing Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and Serge Ibaka.
Harden, however, was soon traded away. The Thunder offered him $4.5 million less than he was eligible for, Harden rejected that, and Oklahoma opted to move forward without him.
Harden has since transformed into one of the best players in the NBA, and he is the current MVP. The trade itself included a lot of parts. The Rockets received James Harden, Daeguan Cook and Lazar Hayward, while the Thunder received Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and three future picks.
None of these players had much effect on the franchise, and Thunder fans have been left to ponder how many Championships they could have won if Harden hadn't been traded away.
