Anytime the Oklahoma City Thunder make a consequential roster move, one of the top lingering questions revolves around a two-time MVP winner — what does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander think of the addition/subtraction? This summer, they leaned more toward the latter.
The Thunder had a busy summer of cost-cutting moves. Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins were all traded out East. In return, they received seven future second-round picks and saved OKC's ownership group some pretty serious money. And that's it. No players in return.
Not really the most invigorating sequence of moves, but something the Thunder had to do. Being able to get below the second apron and avoid harsh financial tax penalties was certainly worth the sacrifice of moving on from
three longtime role players. Especially with ready-made replacements in-house already.
But what does Gilgeous-Alexander think? Surely, he spends very little time thinking of ways to keep OKC's ownership group filthy rich. Instead, he's trying to add mythos to his lore. If he wants to be remembered in the same breath as guys like Kobe Bryant and Stephen Curry, he needs a little more jewelry on hand.
In his 2026-27 preseason press conference, Sam Presti revealed how much Gilgeous-Alexander influences OKC's roster decisions. You'd think there'd be a level of synergy there between the GM and the franchise NBA superstar. And that looks to be the case — even if he didn't outright say so.
"We talk. I wouldn't say regularly, but we have a good dialogue," Presti said. "Not every conversation is about something weighty. But I never want to put him in a position where he has to weigh in one way or the other in a way that could affect one of his teammates. But I always want to know what he thinks. I've done that with a lot of players over the years. I think he's got a great perspective on things."
One example of that is how the Thunder handle Lu Dort this summer. Gilgeous-Alexander reportedly vouched for OKC to bring him back. The longtime backcourt starters had seen every step of OKC's graduation from a rebuild to an NBA champion. But it made way too much sense — both in basketball and financially — to move on from him.
I'm sure there's a level of agreement from Gilgeous-Alexander's side of things. Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell are ready for more to be added to their respective plates. On both sides of the ball. A seamless way to do that was to remove Dort from the equation and jettison him elsewhere. As cruel as that might sound on the surface, it's part of the results-oriented world of the NBA.
"Shai is just such a unique person, and I just can't stress that enough. That's one of the reasons why I feel so confident in him and the team, and those conversations are professional," Presi said. "I think with your best players, the best players are problem solvers and not guys who fan flames. To me, my experience even just watching the NBA, those guys — those franchise guys — are problem solvers and they're not fanning the flames. They're incredibly valuable because of that. Not only are they your best players and they're a huge influence on your culture, but I think that's a big part of it."
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: How much influence does Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have in OKC's roster decisions?
