Sam Presti May Be Walking the Hallways of a Middle School Near You
In just one of many blockbuster trades of this NBA offseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder traded Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets. As this is clearly an indication that the Thunder are looking to get younger and rebuild through the draft, the question lingers: where should GM Presti start scouting first?
In today’s NBA, it is nearly impossible to go through a yearly news cycle without listening to debates on tanking, how to go about rebuilding a team, and the risk/reward of trading an established star for future assets.
When mentioning assets, it’s hard to ignore that the Thunder got a classroom full of them through their blockbuster trades. With swap rights, protected picks, and other NBA Draft mumbo-jumbo, it can be confusing for casual fans to understand what OKC is receiving. Thankfully, Reddit user u/CyclopsInc cut through the madness and simplified the Thunder’s final loot crate. For shipping Westbrook and George, among others, they have acquired exclusive picks that will result in five current middle school stars and six high school studs.
In today’s NBA, it is never too early to get acquainted with the league’s future stars, so through the advanced stats and scouting data offered today, I was able to compile a list of names that Thunder fans should start following on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok as they look to learn about their future faces of the franchise. I have chosen one player to highlight from each of the upcoming draft classes and included my expert analysis of why they could potentially lead the Thunder’s resurgence.
2021
Tommy “Two-Step” Tomlinson (Junior: Riviera South High School): Small Forward
While his “Two-Step” nickname may have originated from his love of dancing alongside 2 Step by DJ UNK as a youngster, it was a seamless transition to the court once his 6th grade coach Brad Polter saw his unheralded eurostep finish. His creativity while attacking the basket often leaves opponents looking like Bambi on ice. If broken ankles were a currency, “Two-Step” would be the high school equivalent to Jeff Bezos. Alongside his elite finishing near the rack, Tommy also features a high basketball IQ and a love for K-Pop.
2022
Steffon Garcia de Leon Devroe (Sophomore: Prospectus Maximus Academy): Shooting Guard
While Garcia de Leon Devroe’s past is shrouded in some mystery, his skillset is not. Since transferring to Florida’s second-most prestigious sports academy as a freshman, he has lit the hardwood aflame with his superior three-point shooting (career 67%) and ability to create his own shot. While being the hottest shooter on the court is certainly a plus, some scouts have labeled him “reckless” and “irresponsible” because of his tendency to engage in spicy food challenges at local restaurants.
2023
Bobby Childress (Freshman: Indiana Institute of Agriculture & Science): Center
When talking heads spout off about today’s basketball game being soft, they are certainly not talking about Bobby Childress. The imposing rim protector, currently a gangly 6’ 10’’, has been dubbed “Lil Laimbeer” by local Hoosier basketball junkies. His most recent campaign earned him All-Indiana Defensive Team of the Year honors, but he became trending for the wrong reasons when a video of him being escorted to the locker rooms and shouting the likes of “F*** all you corn-fed wash-ups. I have more talent in my left pinky than you had in your glory days!” hit the web. The incident came after he was ejected for his second technical of the night.
2024
Lebron James Jr (8th Grade: Old Trail Middle School) Guard
“Bronny” has King’s blood in him. Enough said. Plus, whoever wins the Bronny sweepstakes also gains a 37 year old Lebron James Sr. With today’s advancements in Sports Science and Lebron Sr’s wine-based diet, it is not unrealistic to think that a 37 year old LBJ will be performing at a peak level as him and Bronny replace the Griffey’s as the highest profile father/son duo in sports history.
2025
Richard Jefferson (7th Grade: New Jersey South Central Middle School) Power Forward
No, not that Richard Jefferson (and he has heard that before). As far as 8th grade boys go, this dude is an absolute beast. If you are worth a lick as a basketball fan, you have heard of this kid and are already pining to see him boasting your team’s colors. Jefferson has taken Hoops Twitter by storm by stuffing the stat sheet and posting Dunk of The Week videos. Fresh off of a campaign where he carried NJSCMS to a 21–0 season, Jefferson averaged 43.7 PPG, 14.9 RPG, and 7.1 Blocks. Alarmed by the lack of assists in his scoreline? Don’t be. They still don’t count alley oops to yourself as assists, so that number is skewed.
2026
Ben Sampson (6th Grade: Little Kiddos Preparatory School for Exceptional Children): Guard
Obviously, I am a rational person and understand you cannot put too much hype into a 6th grader’s current basketball ceiling. Scouting reports on middle school kids can change quicker than Taylor Swift’s dating life. With that being said, I will bet my two-story condo on Sampson becoming the next James Harden, at minimum. Plus, recent gossip says he has just asked Suzy Culver to see Spiderman: Far From Home with him, and she is a freshman in high school! The confidence of that action alone says all you need to know about Sampson.
Look, I know it might be ridiculous to get so excited about returns that are so far down on the assembly line, but this ain’t your dad’s NBA. The players have all the power. Want a trade to the Jazz so you can rock those sick retro threads? Done. Kyrie took your Legendary SCAR in your most recent round of Fortnite and you want him gone? Book it. Don’t like the way Lonzo’s dad looks at you when you walk in to post-game catering and want to leave for the West Coast? Anything is possible. The age of player empowerment is changing how GMs go about roster building, and assets are now the key to the arms race for small-market teams.
In dealing Westbrook and George, Presti has accrued a treasure trove of assets that could potentially set the Thunder’s foundation for the next decade. That coupled with Presti’s draft track record should eventually soothe the pain of a fan base that has just had the band-aid of their two biggest stars ripped off their arms.
Even after reading this, some Thunder fans may still be sweating worse than Jordan Peele having his browser history checked. “But Russ is a star!” “PG is the best defensive player in the league!” I completely get it. Change is tough and we all process it differently.
I, for one, am excited to see how Presti navigates the pre and post pubescent talent pool as he scours for the next James Harden or Russell Westbrook.
Bryce Phillips is a new contributor to the staff in the realm of everything sports and popular culture. You can follow him on Twitter here.
