After a season of Carmelo Anthony and the failed big three experiment; it seemed the OKC Thunder would be mired in a financial situation in order to move on from Melo. Fortunately, the Atlanta Hawks were also looking to move on from Dennis Schroder, and the deal was made. After years of not having a backup for Russell Westbrook, Sam Presti seemed to have hit the jackpot with this deal.
At the time, it could have been considered as a high risk, high reward move. Despite what some analytics indicate, it appears the trade worked out swell for both organizations.