Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti pulled a shocker just before the trade deadline expired. Despite his claim of "keeping the core together to grow together," the Big Three – Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green – has officially broken apart. Green and Nenad Krstic were traded for the Boston Celtics’ starting center, Kendrick Perkins, and back-up point guard Nate Robinson.

However, Presti wasn’t done with just that surprise move.

In a separate deal forwards D.J. White and Mo Peterson were dealt to the Charlotte Bobcats for center Nazr Mohammed.

Looking at what transpired at a quick glance, here are the results:

Thunder lose:
Jeff Green
Nenad Krstic
D.J. White
Mo Peterson
2012 first-round pick

Thunder gain:
Kendrick Perkins
Nazr Mohammed
Nate Robinson

With those deals completed, the Thunder just gave up two of their starting players that have posted an average of 22.8 points and 10.0 rebounds this season. Do these moves address that loss?

This deal is all about setting the Thunder up for a serious playoff run this season, not to mention future runs.

The consensus missing piece since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma has been solid interior defense, i.e. that tough man in the middle. The string of recent bigs – seven-footers Robert Swift, Johan Petro, Steven Hill and 6’11" Mouhamed Sene – were obviously unsuccessful. Further, recent big-man draft picks – 7’0" Byron Mullens and 6’11" Cole Aldrich – have failed to yield results. Mullens and Aldrich may develop, but who knows when? The team has fared pretty well with 7’0" Krstic, but he’s no threat down low. Serge Ibaka has progressed further than anyone predicted in such a short time, but he can’t carry the reins alone.

Rumors have been swirling for months. It started when Presti did not extend Green’s contract last year, and instead sent him into this season facing restricted free agency at the end of the year. We heard explanations such as "The market will set his value in the summer of 2011" or "The CBA is too unstable to re-sign him now," but Green’s future was never clear. He’s one of those versatile players able to handle the three or four while doing those little-but-critical things on-court, but he proved frustrating to watch when pitted against his stronger contemporaries. Last season’s first-round playoffs and multiple match-ups this season have demonstrated how the Thunder’s frontcourt lineup, as constructed, struggles mightily against teams with solid low-post defenders. And in the end, while certain bigs have been thrown around as possible pickups for the Thunder (Nene, Anderson Varejao, to name a couple), Presti got his man in the 26-year-old Perkins.

Here’s the thing: Perkins’ contract will expire at the end of this season, at which time he’s a free agent. Presti is banking on the notion that Perkins fits in so well, sees how close these guys are to making real postseason noise, how great their long-term future is, and even the fact that he’s closer to his Texas hometown, that he will re-sign. It’s less of a gamble than playing the market with Green.

Presti took the odds that an expiring-contract Perkins takes them deeper in the playoffs than restricted free agent Green.

{AUTHOR_BOX}Many are wondering how these trades will affect the Thunder’s infamous chemistry. The trade news undoubtedly hit Durant, the team’s heart and soul, the hardest. He has already expressed his thoughts on Twitter with this message: "Tough day for me and my teammates…good luck to jeff green, nenad krstic, @morris peterson and Dj white…we will miss u guys 4 sure..damn."

Durant has publicly called Green his "brother" many times; remember, the two of them landed with the Seattle SuperSonics franchise in 2007 (Durant the number two pick; Green picked fifth by Boston, then traded immediately to the Sonics in the Ray Allen deal). It may be a nice east-coast homecoming of sorts for Green with his roots in Maryland and Washington D.C.

Even though Perkins is just four years older than Durant and Westbrook, he’s in his eighth NBA year having entered the draft right after high school. The 6’10", 280-lb Perkins had enjoyed a healthy career until tearing his right ACL in Game Six of last season’s Finals, requiring surgery and an extended recovery time. Many believe the Celtics may have won the title over the Los Angeles Lakers last June had that injury not occurred - Perkins was that valuable. He just returned to the floor on January 25^th and was inserted into the starting lineup seven games ago, averaging 8.3 points, 8.9 rebounds and 1.4 blocks since then. He tweaked his left MCL just this week, but it’s not considered serious.

Perkins is the ultimate tough guy, a guy who looks like he could rip an opponents’ head off at any minute. That type of on-court personality has been lacking for Oklahoma City; the good news is off-court and in the locker room he’s one of the good guys. Perkins should fit in great, especially as the players see what he brings to the team.  He fits Presti’s mold as far as his strong work ethic and off-court behavior.  Perkins’ previous playoff experience, including a 2008 NBA championship ring as a starting center, will prove invaluable to his new teammates.

Sometimes it seems like Robinson has been around the league for years and years; however, he’s just 26 years old as well and in his sixth year. It remains to be seen how the 5’9" player will fit in behind a crowded backcourt with near-superstar Westbrook, his more-than-capable backup, Eric Maynor, and perimeter players Thabo Sefolosha, James Harden and Daequan Cook on the roster.

Robinson certainly seems fine with the move as his recent tweets speculate what jersey number he should wear in Oklahoma City.

The other out-of-left-field move involves the acquisition of 6’10" 250-lb. Nazr Mohammed. The 33-year-old, now in his 13^th NBA career year, has averaged 16.7 minutes in Charlotte this season, posting 7.3 ppg and 4.9 rpg.  With the Thunder’s regressing defense this season, Mohammed can help shore it up while providing nice veteran leadership.

Let’s see if we can answer how the Thunder plans to make up for the loss of 22.8 points and 10.0 boards. Taking a literal view of what Perkins and Mohammed have done this season (not considering Robinson at this point), they add a combined 15.6 points and 13.8 rebounds. With Harden playing better than ever, showing real confidence of late, and with 6’10" Ibaka improving, the moves work. When the Thunder face such duos as the Lakers’ Pau Gasol/Andrew Bynum, inserting Perkins and Ibaka together with gritty 6’10 Nick Collison and Mohammed as backups provides that needed threat.

In time, fans will come to terms with losing four players; Oklahoma City is new to the harsh realities of bonding with, then losing, beloved NBA players. They will see that winning basketball games is a business. However, we suspect Perkins will be greeted with open arms and a welcoming spirit by all, as he is immediately thrust into a major role as the Thunder’s enforcer.

The bottom line is that Presti is ready to make the jump now. This new-look frontcourt rotation of Perkins, Ibaka and Mohammed brings big bodies and toughness under the rim. Opposing teams will see a daunting presence not previously displayed by the franchise.