Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Dishes on OKC Thunder Offseason Departures

The Oklahoma City Thunder had an interesting offseason that was completely different than the summer prior. This time last year, the OKC Thunder showed up to Media Day fresh off a championship that cut into their vacation time and with 99% of their roster from that title team still intact.

This media was a bit different. A long offseason after the Thunder were bounced back in May on their home court in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals to the San Antonio Spurs before a summer of changes losing long-time veteran Aaron Wiggins, Lu Dort and the longest tenured memeber of the club in Lu Dort.

On Monday when Thunder superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took the podium, he was peppered with questions about the summer and the loss of not only three talented depth pieces for Oklahoma City but close personal friends.

"I was saying to somebody yesterday that it feels like they are not even gone. Like it feels like we are going to see them in a few minutes at team pictures, just because those guys, all three of them, were like so embedded in our group. Obviously we're a really close, tight-knit group, and those guys had a big hand in not only our success on the court but the relationships and the brotherhood off the court. And that will never change. Those guys will only be one call away from me and vice versa," Gilgeous-Alexander explained. "But with that being said, it's the business of the NBA, right. I don't think anybody has played with all 12 guys their whole career. That's how it goes. It sucks a little bit. But yeah, it is what it is. And we have a few new additions that I'm super excited for, and that will be really fun just to -- like part of the excitement of having new players and things like that is figuring out how to make each other better, and hopefully that unlocks new things for us. It will be exciting, regardless, and those guys will also be missed at the same time"

This team will be different, on and off the court. Gilgeous-Alexander said the hardest part will be the off the court impact of losing three people who this team, and its superstar, considering brothers.

"I think because of how close we were as a group, like the success we had on the court doesn't even come into a factor. Like my mind never really went to, like, what on the court is going to be like. It's more just like the brotherhood and the bus rides without them and things like that. And I think for this group, the relationships are so organic and so natural, they like almost come first in a situation like that. For me, it was less about basketball and more about the individuals and not being around them every day that was going to be the hardest," Gilgeous-Alexander explained.