It's been a turbulent offseason for the Thunder and general manager Sam Presti. Oklahoma City granted Paul George's trade request in a deal with the Clippers on July 6, then traded Russell Westbrook to the Rockets on July 11.
Presti addressed the offseason fireworks in an Op-Ed in The Oklahoman on Thursday. The Thunder's GM discussed the organization's future, noting "our goal is sustainable, long-term, collective excellence."
But Presti didn't just assess the state of his team. He made note of the league's power structure, specifically the disadvantages faced by small-market teams.