Amazing OKC summer wasn't ruined because of one bad move

The Oklahoma City Thunder etched a remarkable offseason that stands as one of the best for the franchise in recent years.

Shortly after captivating the entire league with their meteoric rise by leading the Western Conference with 57 wins and making it as deep as the second round of the playoffs, general manager Sam Presti immediately returned to the drawing board and delivered a slew of promising moves to elevate the team to greater heights. The additions of Alex Caruso and Isaiah Hartenstein are tremendous, while the extension of Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins couldn't be more beneficial in OKC’s long-term viewpoint in competing with its established young core.

The Thunder have turned the heads of everyone in the league, and Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale provided the team's biggest win and loss this fruitful summer.

Biggest Win: Signing Caruso

This shouldn't be a no-brainer as Caruso’s arrival in Bricktown transforms the Thunder tremendously in all areas.

Acquiring one of the league's most highly-sought role players who can do every dirty work and has that important championship pedigree, A.C. is expected to bring it all to OKC in the name of success. A Swiss army knife, he can excel at any role he may be given to him whether as a ball-handler, an off-the-bench spark plug, or an offensive contributor.

But most importantly, he'll just be another major piece that would fortify the Thunder's No. 4 defensive rating from last year. He averaged 1.7 steals (T-3rd in NBA), 1.0 blocks, and a career-high 3.7 deflections (1st in NBA) in 28.7 minutes over 71 games during the 2023-24 campaign for the Chicago Bulls.

“Caruso is more likely to be a mainstay in Thunder's core lineups. And, uh, that bends the brain. Oklahoma City is replacing the Josh Giddey minutes with a perennial All-Defense candidate who makes life easier on Lu Dort and Jalen Williams and who just canned almost 41 percent of his treys last season on a career-high 5.9 attempts per 36 minutes,” Favale wrote.

Biggest loss: Lindy Waters III

Lindy Waters III has been an inspiring story for the Thunder. The hometown hero out of Oklahoma State who went undrafted in the 2021 Draft, he remained devoted to the grind until the franchise gave him a chance the following year. After productive plays, especially in the G League for the Oklahoma City Blue, the Thunder rewarded him with a multi-year contract last February.

Many OKC fans have been clamoring for the team to give Waters III some greater runs, but the depth and talent pool of the Thunder is just too stacked to handle. In the end, the 27-year-old got traded to the Golden State Warriors for the No. 52 pick of this year's draft.

Related: Two former Thunder stars seen as team’s top trade targets