The 2017-2018 Big Guys offseason provided us with a surplus of interesting storylines, including Jared Mesches retaking the GM reigns in South Beach, as well as the dissolution of the Spurs franchise. However, with all this activity going on around the league, it could have been all too easy to overlook what was going on behind the scenes over in Oklahoma City.

After establishing the Thunder franchise in 2016, Michael Conforti decided it was time to hand the torch down to his right hand man, Ham Long. Many around the league thought this would be a quiet transition, a mere handoff. Most experts did not expect Ham to cause much noise around the league. These “experts” would be in for a big surprise come Draft Day.

Entering the draft, the majority of GMs had made their draft plans very well-known, with franchises such as Philadelphia, Golden State, and Boston all already having a returning core to build around. Without accounting for the Thunder, it would appear that none of these draft plans really conflicted with one another either. However, the Thunder’s draft plan was the big question mark.

Long would begin by tagging his longtime best friend and franchise point guard, Ozzie Jiminez, as expected. Near the end of the second round though, Ham would spice things up by selecting Josh Robles, a player with a ring on his resume, but more importantly, a player with heart. Robles would enter his next chapter with excitement, expressing his enthusiasm on the league Facebook page. “I am honored. Let’s do this boys,” posted Robles on getting drafted by the Thunder 13th overall. On another exciting note for Robles, after two years in the league, the commentators have finally started pronouncing his name correctly.

Minutes later, the clock would turn back to Ham, where he would select the hustle defensive specialist, Bryan Murphy. Murphy had been in talks with GM Nick Chiocca of the Rockets the entire offseason with plans of returning to Houston. Chiocca at one point considered franchise tagging Murphy, but felt he could snag him later, an unfortunate misjudgment by the 2014 GM of the Year. Chiocca and Murphy’s time together would get cut early, thanks to the craftiness of a rookie GM.

“I didn’t come here to make friends,” Ham Long said. Ham was not kidding. After selecting three-time champion Alex Pavlov in the 4th round, Long would continue to shake things up. “This is gonna break some hearts,” Ham said under his breath as he wrote Jeremy Gannon’s name on the Draft poster board. Leveraging Gannon’s strong ties to the city of Philadelphia, Ham was able to trade the long-time 76ers big man back to Philly in exchange for a high level of value, specifically Matt Meyers and significant cash considerations. After all was said and done, the 76ers essentially ended up with their beloved J-Gannon back and a discounted ounce, so they weren’t complaining either.

To conclude the draft, Ham would select Francesco Sensi, a rookie with high prospects, and also snag Dino late in one of the bigger steals of the 2018 Draft. The selection of Dino would mean the scoring specialist would be returning to the Thunder after a one-year stint in Houston. There was certainly some unhappiness expressed by Dino over the fact that Rockets GM Nick Chiocca passed on him in the draft. Regardless, Dino is looking forward to his upcoming time in OKC, a team he helped take the eventual champion Spurs to a 3-game series in the 2016 playoffs.

Long has put together a very intriguing team in his debut season as GM. He said it himself that he was looking to shake up the league this year, tired of players sticking with one organization their entire career. Filled with veterans from all around the league, this roster has potential to inflict damage on the hierarchy of elite teams. I think it’s safe to say Ham as GM of the Thunder will definitely make the things more interesting in Oklahoma City.