OKLAHOMA CITY -- Cotton Fitzsimmons, the former general manager of the Phoenix Suns once had Charles Barkley and Kevin Johnson on his team.
The Suns were loaded. The players were beloved and Fitzsimmons knew how much they meant to his team and his organization.
So, what did Fitzsimmons say about his two very popular players?
"I love all these guys, and I hope to trade every last one of them before their careers are over."
Seems harsh. And seems like a good idea, too.
And it doesn't seem like something Thunder general manager Sam Presti would disagree with. Presti is too smart not to.
Last week, ESPN analyst Tom Penn talked about how the Thunder general manager could possibly trade Kevin Durant before Durant's contract runs out after next season. Well, Penn started a rumor from the genesis of his opinion which had no facts. The result created a combination of anger and panic.
Now's not the time for either anger or panic. However, now is the time for some understanding.
Presti is too smart to trade Kevin Durant. But he's not dumb enough to totally dismiss the idea.
Take no solace from his statement Presti made earlier this week when he told The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry that it's "ludicrous to assert we would trade Kevin Durant. Presti went on to say Durant has "helped build this organization from the ground up and personifies the Thunder; past, present and future. When he's done playing, streets will be named after him, throughout the state and younger generations of Oklahomans will learn about the role Kevin has played in elevating this community in ways beyond basketball."
Instead of wrapping yourself in the warmth of Presti's message be comforted by the fact Durant will play the rest of this season and next in Oklahoma City, perhaps beyond. Presti speaks the truth, but things change, dynamics shift, conversations turn.
Presti has to say what he did. Understandable. It's necessary to pacify anyone and everyone connected to the organization. It's too early in the game to suggest otherwise. After all, Durant is still under contract for another entire season.
But what if Durant, and there are no signs he might do this, comes to Presti and says there's no way he is going to re-sign with the Thunder after next season? Should Presti not work to get something in return? That's what happened with Harden. It could certainly happen again with Durant. It's not likely Durant would show his hand in that manner. It's not likely it would come down to a face-off like that either.
Undoubtedly the right move is to do whatever it takes to keep Durant in Thunder colors. No one disagrees. The disconnect comes in assuming Presti won't do everything it takes to make sure the team gets better.
And if that includes trading away a player who has meant more and done more for Oklahoma City than MAPS, then so be it.
The best leverage for a team comes in flexibility. Success happens through a combination of being open to new ideas and avoiding being loyal. Presti has done all of that.
What has made Presti great has been his ability to build through the draft, work a number of trades and create a team environment that has developed synergy with the city and its players. The Thunder wins in part because they have good players but also because they have smart management.
Presti headed the group who drafted Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. He found Steven Adams and James Harden.
Sam Presti is too bright to limit the organization, so the idea of Presti giving up leverage by saying he would never trade Kevin Durant isn't consistent with how he has built this team.
Follow Andrew Gilman on Twitter: @andrewgilmanOK
MORE FROM FOX SPORTS SOUTHWEST:
- Ranking NFL quarterback salaries
- College football's highest paid coaches in 2014
- Oldest player on every NBA team
- Highest paid player of each NBA team
- Ten reasons why we're glad baseball is back
