NBA Legend Tabs OKC Thunder as Having 'The Best Summer' This Offseason

Charles Barkley calls the Oklahoma City Thunder offseason the best in the NBA.

Isaiah Hartenstein / Rylan Stiles

The Oklahoma City Thunder rattled off 57 wins a year ago making a surprising run to the top seed in the Western Conference en route to their first playoff series win since 2016 - and just the second sweep in franchise history. Their postseason run ended in Dallas as the Mavericks advanced in six games on their way to an NBA Finals bid.

Oklahoma City used that experience to get better this offseason, understanding their young core is in tact and the time to chase wins - and rings - is now in Bricktown. Sam Presti pulled off two massive moves this summer swapping out 21-year-old guard Josh Giddey for a two-time All-Defensive guard Alex Caruso who shoots 40 percent from beyond the arc and already has an NBA Championship under his belt.

The high level moves did not stop there as Presti inked his biggest free agent signing ever luring Isaiah Hartenstein away from the bright lights of Broadway for Bricktown on a three-year pact that sures up the Thunder's front court rotation which doomed them a year ago.

As NBA previews trickle out with the 2024-25 season right around the corner, NBA Legend and TNT analyst Charles Barkley went on Bill Simmons' podcast to take a look around the association. In the midst of this interview, the NBA Hall of Famer praised the Oklahoma City Thunder for their summer additions.

“My Sixers had a great summer, but let me tell you something, OKC had a great summer because Caruso and Hartenstein? Man, [Oklahoma City] had the best summer...They got two guys, the two role players...that's what you want when you have stars. You want guys who gonna do the dirty work, and they went out and got the best probably two dirty work guys in the NBA,” Barkley said.

This is high praise from an NBA legend which mirrors what many of the media, fans and even Vegas thinks of the Oklahoma City Thunder after this offseason.

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