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Toronto Raptors: Where does Masai Ujiri rank among league executives?

By Nikola Cuvalo

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 17: Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors sits in his seat during the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MAY 17: Masai Ujiri of the Toronto Raptors sits in his seat during the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery at the New York Hilton in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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5. Sam Presti (General Manager, Oklahoma City Thunder)

Presti opens up the top five executive rankings here, and with good reason; he is the architect behind OKC’s first-class organizational culture and long-running streak of serious title contention. The Thunder have made the playoffs in nine of the last ten seasons; they were a legitimate title threat in five of those nine postseason runs.

Presti fumbled the opportunity to turn a core of Russell Westbrook-James Harden-Kevin Durant–Serge Ibaka into a championship (or more than a single Finals appearance), but considering the financial pressures exerted on him at the time by Thunder ownership (such as an order to avoid the luxury tax), his decision to trade James Harden for a weak return is not wholly condemnable.

Presti must be commended for leading an absolutely stellar talent-scouting department. The Thunder are an organization that has had a lot of success when selecting near the top of the draft, landing on picks like Kevin Durant (2nd overall in 2007), Russell Westbrook (4th overall pick in 2008)) and James Harden (3rd overall in 2009) in consecutive years. He’s also hit on later picks, such as Serge Ibaka (24th overall in 2008), Steven Adams (12th overall in 2013), and Terrance Ferguson (21st overall in 2017).

Never one to shy away from a big trade, Presti famously acquired Paul George to pair with Westbrook once word got out about George’s unhappiness in Indiana. PG13 was rumored to be dead set on Los Angeles during his next free agency, but the Thunder managed to convince the superstar free agent to stick around once his one-year-rental period expired.

Presti is also quite the asset-accumulator. He flipped Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis for Paul George and then flipped PG13 two years later for a cornerstone point guard, a sweet-shooting wing, and five(!!) first-round draft picks. As OKC transitions into a rebuild for the first time (following their trades of George and Westbrook to the Clippers and Rockets, respectively), they should feel confident with an all-world executive running the show.

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