Oklahoma City’s elimination in Game 7 of the First Round of the 2020 NBA Playoffs marked the end of an era. A rebuild was on the horizon and that final, competitive year was one more final memory. The Thunder’s tear down was on the cards and I had embraced it. I wanted the rebuild.
The Thunder continuing with Paul, Gallinari and Adams would have landed the team in a no man’s land, a state of mediocrity that no team wants to be in. It made perfect sense to start again from ground zero and build a roster that could win a championship in three or four years time.