Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry turned to a surprising name for guidance on the club's bombshell Myles Garrett trade.
Cleveland Browns general manager Andrew Berry was ultimately left with little choice but to bid farewell to the Myles Garrett era. Negotiations with the Los Angeles Rams reached a point of no return, and it was time to separate emotion from business.
Berry has openly talked about the logistical hurdles of moving on from a beloved, homegrown organizational centerpiece. So, he did what most people in his shoes would do: look for a sign from the universe.
However, Berry didn't get validation from a higher power to pull off one of the most colossal trades in NFL history. He reportedly got it from arguably the best decision-makers in all of sports, Ã la Sam Presti of the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder.
Interestingly, Berry has formed a good cross-sport working relationship with Presti. They're "part of a sort of think tank/buddy group of executives," per Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer.
Andrew Berry surprisingly turned to Thunder GM Sam Presti for guidance on Browns' Myles Garrett trade
As Thunder fans know, Presti is a visionary and the architect of a historically successful juggernaut. He built the club, the 2025 champions, from the ground up and is actively trying to set them up for a dynastic run. His advice is worth its weight in gold, and it seemingly pushed Berry to seek out a rising young star for Garrett, Breer noted.
"Presti affirmed Berry's resolve to prioritize getting a player and not just picks, taking him through the [Thunder's] Paul George trade of 2019," Breer wrote. "Most folks on the outside focused on the four first-round picks and two additional first-round pick swaps Presti landed in the deal. But the reality was that OKC viewed Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a player they were higher on than most, as the key."
Many have been fixated on the fact that the Browns only got one first-round pick in the earth-shattering deal that sent Garrett to Los Angeles. After all, the reigning and two-time Defensive Player of the Year is a future Hall of Famer who just set the single-season sack record (23). Yet, like Presti, Berry considers standout pass rusher Jared Verse as the focal point of the still-stunning exchange.
Having been in Berry's position before, Presti spoke from experience. The latter ostensibly highlighted the importance of acquiring tangible talent, and thus, two-time defending MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was born for a small-market Thunder squad.
Clearly, Presti's approach has and will continue to pay dividends for Oklahoma City. That's not to say Verse will have the same impact in Cleveland, but it gave Berry a roadmap for handling life after Garrett.
For what it's worth, Verse, a Dayton, Ohio native, appears to have wasted no time settling in with the Browns. The two-time Pro Bowler is already making his voice heard.
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