For all the hope Shai Gilgeous-Alexander brings to Oklahoma City when looking toward the future, following the departure of Paul George and Russell Westbrook, there is another young talent who could play a big part in the new era of Thunder basketball. Darius Bazley.

Selected 23rd overall in NBA Draft back in June, Thunder fans have had limited opportunities to watch Bazley play since he didn’t play in college or the G League. He played during NBA Summer League and averaged 4.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game, but it was the first time he’d seen real game action in over a year.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti thinks highly of him. And it turns out, Bazley has thought highly of the Thunder organization for a while.

He expressed to NBA.com‘s Nick Gallo the franchise made its mark after his draft workouts.

I told Mr. Presti when we were at dinner like, ‘you guys are so much different than every organization.’

He continued:

(OKC) wants to see you as a person and you can just tell that they really care about not just the basketball side of things. Now that I get to speak a little bit more to people, you can see how much they just want what’s best for you.

Bazley’s impression of the Thunder echoes what Westbrook said in his first press conference with the Houston Rockets and seems to be a big factor in why the organization could hold onto such a high-profile superstar for so long, along with the amount of money Westbrook was paid.

If the Thunder hope to build around Gilgeous-Alexander and Bazley for the future, this approach could be what keeps them in Oklahoma City. Because as CJ McCollum explained in his recent appearance on ESPN’s “The Woj Pod,” players are looking at more than just money when it comes to where they will play.