Days of Thunder u26a1 Dusting off the heartbreaks, thrills, and mysteries that have made the NBA's youngest franchise one of its most storied. Enjoy the Daily Thunder archives.
As often as I've mused on how "abstract" the Thunder have been since Sam Presti started replenishing the future OKC draft stash by sending away almost every living, breathing professional basketball player in Oklahoma City circa 2018-2020, the concrete hope of the franchise was actually right before our eyes from the start: Shaivonte Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA. Shai.
After rubbing our eyes--blurry from trying to count up all the draft considerations shoved in our crying faces by Woj bombs razing the Russell Westbrook era for good--we were surprised to discover that the late-lottery pick received from Los Angeles was much more than an obligatory "young player" throw-in for the "picks and salary matching" bounty headlining the Paul George trade.