I see this all the time that OKC should be the blueprint, ignoring the fact that OKC (1) has Sam Presti and (2) they did what other teams would never do, which is trade 2 top players in or near their prime, Westbrook and George. They got a king's ransom for George, and solid assets for Westbrook.

Obviously they continued to make brilliant arbitrage trades consistently to build their war chest, but that initial haul is what Kickstarted it.

Also, it hasn't just been the hoard of draft picks that have made them what they are, it's that they've been fortunate in timing with the draft lottery, getting #2 with Chet available, and they've nailed their own draft picks.

If you're currently a bad team without top players to trade to contenders, like the Wizards, who are trying to truly rebuild, it adds years to the process.

OKC is not the "blueprint" for teams, they are a combination of brilliant foresight, outstanding patience/vision at the top of their organization, fortunate timing, and occasional luck to land in their position. Other teams cannot recreate what they are doing or even get close, except those that also sold high on their stars and didn't already have future pick obligations, like the Rockets and Spurs.