[tweet]https://twitter.com/DarnellMayberry/status/595782215142866945[/tweet]
The arrival of Billy Donovan was just the start of what is sure to be a busy off-season for the Thunder.
Over the next several weeks and months, the team must fill out Donovan's staff, prepare for the NBA Draft, hit the summer league circuit and make critical decisions on multiple players in free agency.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti discussed a few of those topics and more in an emailed Q&A with The Oklahoman.
Q: How do you expect the team to look different under Billy Donovan?
A: His system will take shape over time and throughout the course of next season. However, his teams have generally demonstrated the qualities found in high performance groups in any sport over a sustained period of time. Attributes such preparation, precision, connectedness, efficiency and resiliency are aspects that most teams, along with the Thunder, strive for every season.
The team was a taxpayer for the first time this season. Why was the decision made to go into the tax this year, and is the organization committed to constructing the best roster possible if it means continuing to be a taxpayer?
Our decision to enter the tax this season is due in part to a few independent variables that came together at a time when we had the flexibility to stay opportunistic. Those variables include opportunities to overcome the minimal tools at your disposal to add to a current core within the new system, the influx of new TV money set to hit that system and our strategic commitment to be able to sustain a championship level team throughout the prime years of our core players, which all converged to allow us to capitalize on the short term aspect of a long range plan.
What makes you confident the team can re-sign Enes Kanter this summer, and what did you see in Kyle Singler that makes you interested in bringing him back?
Both players stand to be restricted free agents in their early-to-mid 20's, and this, in combination with the pending TV money hitting the system in the future made it possible for us to pursue both aggressively in trade while still maintaining confidence that we could continue to build a team around our core in the coming years. Enes is someone we are committed to seeing in a Thunder uniform moving forward. With regards to Singler, finding a player in free agency that can shoot close to 40% from the three point line over the course of a season, embrace various roles, and stand as one of your more fundamental players at 6-9 is unlikely when over the cap and tax. Therefore, we are hopeful we will be able to keep working with him in the future.
There was a report that management consulted with Kevin Durant on the hiring of coach Donovan but not with Russell Westbrook and Westbrook is now upset with the organization because of it. Is there any truth to that report, and have you spoken to Westbrook since Donovan was hired to get a sense of what he's feeling?
As I have stated before, I do not feel it is in the best interest of the guys, or team collectively, if we were to poll our players in regards to specific personnel or staff decisions. However, we have spent a significant amount of time over the last seven-plus seasons discussing, observing and defining our culture with our players, which we feel is important given their role in building the identity for the Thunder. One aspect of this recent process was to have specific conversations with several core members of the program, including Kevin and Russell, regarding important qualities that should be considered in looking for our next head coach. Fortunately, our continuity and communication over the years in combination with our more recent discussions gave us an understanding that there is an alignment with regards to the qualities that we felt were important to our progression and evolution. Multiple people within the organization have been in contact with Russ and he will be in town later this week to meet with the staff.
How important is this year's draft pick to the team given how much higher it is than anticipated, and what position or type of player do you feel is the biggest need? Also, who will represent the organization at the NBA Draft Lottery?
Every draft pick is viewed as an opportunity, or an option of sorts for the club. Will Dawkins and our amateur scouting department have done a great job this year of planning for various scenarios within the draft. It is up to us to sort through ways that we might be able to use the draft pick to generate the most value for the organization. This could mean picking the best available player, looking to trade the pick, or any other myriad of concepts that we are exploring each day. Russell Westbrook will be representing the organization at the Lottery, and I told him the other day that if people watching at home do not have to adjust the brightness on their television screen based on what he is wearing, I will be really surprised. That or something sans sleeves.
