How a 2007 trade still fuels Oklahoma City Thunder’s title push in 2026

Rashard Lewis never played for Oklahoma City but his 2007 sign-and-trade helped build the Thunder’s championship core 19 years later.

Rashard Lewis’ unexpected legacy Rashard Lewis never suited up for the Oklahoma City Thunder, yet his impact on the franchise remains undeniable. The two-time All-Star spent the first nine seasons of his 16-year NBA career with the Seattle SuperSonics, the team that later became the Thunder. Fans and observers frequently remind Lewis of his indirect role in the team’s success, especially as Oklahoma City claimed an NBA title in 2025 and eyes a potential repeat in 2026. They highlight the improbable chain of events set in motion by a 2007 sign-and-trade that sent Lewis to Orlando, marking the beginning of five interconnected moves that shaped the Thunder’s current championship roster. ## The 2007 draft lottery’s ripple effect On May 22, 2007, Tony Dutt, Lewis’ agent, was at his Texas home watching the NBA draft lottery when the Seattle SuperSonics secured the second overall pick. He anticipated the Portland Trail Blazers would select Ohio State center Greg Oden first, followed by Texas standout Kevin Durant, who shared Lewis’ position and height. Lewis, then 27, had endured four losing seasons in five years with Seattle and sought a change to compete for championships. Four days after the lottery, he declined the final two years of his contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent that summer. ## Sam Presti’s arrival and bold vision Two months after Clay Bennett purchased the Sonics in July 2006, he removed general manager Rick Sund and searched for a successor. Bennett, a former minority owner of the Spurs during the mid-1990s, asked Spurs GM R.C. Buford for advice. Buford recommended Sam Presti, then a 29-year-old assistant GM with deep salary cap expertise and a role in drafting Tony Parker in 2001. Bennett met Presti in Irving, Texas, where Presti joked about his middle name being Clay. Presti was hired three weeks after the draft lottery, becoming Seattle’s 11th GM and the second-youngest in league history. At his introductory press conference, he emphasized Seattle as his focus, distancing himself from replicating the Spurs’ culture. ## Free agency meeting sets the stage With Lewis set to enter free agency within weeks, Presti expressed hope for positive talks but insisted on methodical evaluation. Dutt, familiar with Presti from their time together in San Antonio, arranged a meeting with Lewis in a Houston hotel on the first day of free agency. Dutt noted Presti carried himself like Spurs coach Gregg Popovich—calm, strategic, and forward-thinking. Presti explained Seattle’s admiration for Lewis but acknowledged financial limitations. Days later, Orlando offered Lewis a six-year, $118 million deal, which Seattle couldn’t match. Presti then asked Dutt to facilitate a sign-and-trade to secure something in return for Lewis. ## The 2007 sign-and-trade’s hidden value On July 11, 2007, the Sonics traded Lewis to Orlando for a second-round pick and a $9 million trade exception. Though not a massive return, Dutt trusted Presti to leverage the exception wisely, believing it would yield future benefits. Presti didn’t wait long to use it. Nine days later, he traded the exception to Phoenix to absorb Kurt Thomas’ contract, receiving two first-round picks—one in 2008 and another in 2010—in exchange for salary relief. This swap kicked off a process of accumulating draft capital, giving Seattle five first-round selections across the next three drafts. ## Presti’s philosophy takes shape That fall, Presti outlined his approach in an interview with The News Tribune in Tacoma. He described building a team through consistent, sound decisions rather than chasing singular blockbuster moves. "Our approach to building a team and improving our basketball decisions is to look to make sound decisions on a daily basis -- not to be hunting the grand slam or the big fish," Presti said. "But we will try to accumulate a number of very good decisions that culminate in consistency over the long term." ## Drafting Ibaka and the team’s relocation In the summer of 2008, Presti used the first of the two first-round picks secured from the Kurt Thomas trade to draft Serge Ibaka, who became the final player the Sonics drafted before relocating to Oklahoma City six days after the selection. The team officially rebranded as the Thunder, setting the stage for a rapid ascent led by Durant, Ibaka, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. The group reached the 2012 NBA Finals but fell short against the Miami Heat, marking what many saw as the dawn of a potential dynasty. ## Harden trade alters the franchise path After losing in the 2012 Finals, the Thunder faced financial constraints due to luxury tax implications. Presti traded James Harden months later to Houston to retain Ibaka, as both players were set for contract extensions. Ibaka played four more seasons in Oklahoma City but never returned to the Finals. On draft night in 2016, Presti traded Ibaka to Orlando for Ersan İlyasova, Victor Oladipo, and the draft rights to Domantas Sabonis. The following year, he sent Oladipo and Sabonis to Indiana for Paul George, a move initially perceived as risky given concerns George might leave after signing a four-year, $136.9 million extension in 2018. ## George’s trade reshapes Thunder’s future In 2019, George’s agent informed Presti that the star wanted to be traded, prompting a chain of events that redefined Oklahoma City’s trajectory. Unbeknownst to several teams, including the Clippers, George and Kawhi Leonard had discussed playing together for Los Angeles. Leonard, a free agent coming off a championship with Toronto, preferred a star-laden roster. The Clippers pursued Leonard but were unaware George had requested a trade from Presti. After George’s request, Presti called the Clippers, informing them Oklahoma City would make George available. The Clippers responded with a titanic offer: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Danilo Gallinari, five first-round picks, and two pick swaps for George. ## Assets from the George trade bear fruit The haul from the Paul George trade became a foundation for Oklahoma City’s future. One of the picks from the package was used in 2022 to draft Jalen Williams with the 12th overall selection. By 2026, Gilgeous-Alexander had emerged as a cornerstone of the Thunder’s roster, reflecting the long-term vision Presti had maintained since 2007. Tony Dutt, reflecting on the 2007 sign-and-trade while watching the 2025 Finals from Michigan, realized one of the players involved had become Gilgeous-Alexander. "I feel like I did my part," Dutt said. "I should probably have gotten a ring from Oklahoma." ## Executives praise asset management skills A rival executive involved in one of the five interconnected transactions praised Presti’s ability to maximize assets over time. "It's basically a way to track decision-making," the executive said. Another executive highlighted Presti’s pattern of leveraging every available piece, from trade exceptions to draft picks, to build sustained success. "What it says about Sam is that he's been pretty good with his asset management," the second executive said. "If you start to trace the asset trees of the things he's done, there aren't very many dead ends." ## The bold rebuild’s initial risks Presti’s early decisions—trading Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis—were met with skepticism. Critics questioned the rebuild just one year after the Sonics had been competitive. Allen, however, won a title in Boston the following season, while Lewis led the NBA in three-pointers made in 2009 and reached the Finals with Orlando the year after. P.J. Carlesimo, hired as Sonics coach in July 2007, credited Presti’s long-view approach despite the uncertainty. "Sam, as smart as he is and looking at the big picture, didn't know how many other subsequent deals it was going to take before they hit on something that they thought was the right thing," Carlesimo said. ## Decades-long partnership bears fruit Clay Bennett and Sam Presti have maintained their partnership for 18 years, the second-longest in the league behind only Miami’s Mickey Arison and Pat Riley. Bennett emphasized their shared values during Presti’s 2025 induction into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. "Our North Star has always been pretty simple: Do the right thing, the right way, for the right reasons, every time. No shortcuts, no workarounds, just the honest hard work," Bennett said. Presti’s resume includes drafting three MVPs and trading for a fourth in Gilgeous-Alexander, though he acknowledged fan frustrations during his acceptance speech. "When you don't win, you might hear, don't worry, we'll get 'em next year," Presti joked. "Or perhaps on some very rare occasions you might hear, 'Never should have traded Harden, you idiot.'" ## All-Star reflection and family ties At the 2026 All-Star Game in Los Angeles, Rashard Lewis reflected on the full-circle nature of the 2007 trade. Lewis, now a player development coach for the Spurs, stood beside Spurs officials and praised the organization’s support system. "It's like a family," Lewis said. "They do a lot of stuff, but they support each other. They support the players and not only that, they've got good young talent, a smart general manager. We were losing for the past four or five years, but now it's kind of turned around this year. It was the same thing with Seattle when they made that 2007 trade. It took a while to build the organization and see the light with those pieces." Lewis admitted he had never discussed the 2007 trade or subsequent moves with Presti but anticipated future conversations. "I haven't seen him in person," Lewis said. "But I'm sure I will one day -- especially with the little rivalry we got going." ## Thunder’s remaining draft asset As of June 2026, the Thunder hold one final pick from the 2019 George trade: their first-round selection, which will fall in the lottery due to the Clippers missing the playoffs. The franchise’s journey—starting with the 2007 sign-and-trade involving Lewis—culminated in back-to-back Finals appearances in 2025 and 2026, with championship contention firmly in sight. The improbable chain of decisions set in motion nearly two decades ago continues to shape Oklahoma City’s present and future.