This is Sam Presti’s salary as GM of the OKC Thunder

Sam Presti, who is now in his 18th season as Oklahoma City Thunder’s general manager, is believed to be one of the NBA’s highest-paid GMs.

How much does Presti earn as Thunder GM?

Although the Thunder have not publicly confirmed the terms of Presti’s pay deal, the 48-year-old is reported to earn around $4.5 million a year, plus incentives.

And Presti is likely to have accumulated plenty of add-ons this season, having built a Thunder team that has made it to the NBA Finals, following a regular season in which the Oklahomans finished on a league-best 68-14. That’s the joint-sixth-best regular-season record in the history of the NBA.

Per NBA.com, Presti is only the fourth head of basketball operations in the league to put together 60-win teams with two completely different rosters (after Red Auerbach, Jerry West and Pat Riley).

In 2012/13, the Thunder finished the NBA’s regular season with a 60-22 record.

Presti picks up Exec of Year prize

The Thunder’s successful 2024/25 season led Presti to be named NBA Basketball Executive of the Year for the first time in his career.

An executive who has previously been runner-up in the voting on three occasions, Presti scooped the 2025 prize ahead of the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Koby Altman and the Detroit Pistons’ Trajan Langdon.

“An award such as this is really the result of our players and their commitment to our program,” Presti said after his Executive of the Year win was announced last month.

“They push themselves in all capacities for the good of the team. I’m fortunate to work with this particular collection of men and I do not take their professionalism for granted.

“We have an incredible coaching staff and support staff, many who have been here for over ten years as the team behind the team, and I see their excellence day to day, in ways that are invisible but invaluable to a sustainable organization.”

An eye for an MVP

Presti, who also serves as Oklahoma City’s executive vice-president, has now overseen 12 playoff appearances since he became Thunder GM in 2007, at a time when the franchise was still based in Seattle.

And in his time in the Thunder’s front office, Presti has recruited no fewer than three MVP winners.

He drafted both Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who were named the league’s outstanding performers in 2014 and 2017, respectively. In 2019, he then traded for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who late last month was announced as this season’s MVP.

Can Thunder come back for first title in OKC?

As the Thunder now bid to win the first NBA title of Presti’s tenure - and the franchise’s first since lifting the trophy as the Seattle SuperSonics in 1979 - the Western Conference champions find themselves playing catch-up in their Finals series against the Indiana Pacers.

Mark Daigneault’s team were stunned by the Pacers in Game 1 on Thursday, losing to Tyrese Haliburton’s buzzer-beating shot as Indiana came back from 15 points down to win 111-110.

NBA Finals Game 2: when, where, how to watch?

In Game 2 of the 2025 NBA Finals, the Thunder host the Pacers at Paycom Center today, Sunday, June 8. Tip-off in Oklahoma City is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m PT.

Viewers in the U.S. can watch the action on ABC. You can stream ABC’s coverage on the online platform fubo, which offers a free trial. You’ll also have the option of following AS USA’s live-text coverage.

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