Oklahoma City Thunder Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Where Thunder’s Roster Crunch Stands

August 22nd, 2023 at 1:47pm CST by Luke Adams

At this time last week, the Thunder were carrying 20 players on standard contracts, meaning they needed to trade or waive five of those players before opening night in order to meet the NBA’s regular season roster requirements.

Oklahoma City is now two-fifths of the way there, having recently waived TyTy Washington Jr. and Usman Garuba, two players who were acquired in salary-dump trades last month. The Thunder signed Lindy Waters and Olivier Sarr to two-way contracts with their newly opened roster spots and now have 18 players on standard deals, with three on two-way pacts.

That leaves three more players for the Thunder to waive or trade before the season begins, and while they have plenty of time to make those decisions, they won’t necessarily be easy ones.

Victor Oladipo and Davis Bertans look like obvious release candidates. Oladipo tore his left knee patellar tendon in the spring and is on an expiring contract, so it seems unlikely that he has a place in the Thunder’s short- or long-term plans. Bertans averaged a career-low 10.9 minutes per game last season and was another salary-dump acquisition whose days in OKC are probably numbered.

However, Oladipo’s $9.45MM expiring salary and Bertans’ $17MM cap hit could be useful if the Thunder want to make a bigger trade before February’s 2024 deadline. Plus, Bertans is owed a partial guarantee of $5MM on his $16MM salary for 2024/25, so Oklahoma City would have to eat that dead money by waiving him now. The club may prefer to hang onto him to see if he can be used as a trade chip down the road.

Theoretically, Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, and Jack White make sense as release candidates. They’re the only three of the Thunder’s 18 players on standard contracts who don’t have guaranteed salaries for 2023/24. Joe and Wiggins have non-guaranteed minimum-salary deals, while White’s minimum salary is partially guaranteed for $600K.

But Joe was one of the NBA’s best three-point shooters in 2022/23, knocking down 40.9% of his outside attempts in a regular rotation role for OKC. Wiggins was a valuable rotation piece too, posting an impressive shooting line of .512/.393/.831 in 70 games (18.5 MPG).

And while White doesn’t have that same track record of success, the Thunder went out of their way to sign him away from the Nuggets this offseason after Denver issued him a two-way qualifying offer. He would be ineligible for a two-way deal with Oklahoma City if he’s cut, so it appears the club is serious about giving him a shot at a 15-man roster spot.

Among the Thunder’s other players with guaranteed salaries, Tre Mann, Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, and Aleksej Pokusevski may not have roster spots locked up.

A 2021 first-round pick, Mann had a promising rookie year but took a step backward in 2022/23 as his three-point rate dipped from 36.0% to 31.5% and he saw his role reduced. He’s owed $3.2MM this season and Oklahoma City will have to decide by October 31 whether to exercise a $4.9MM team option for 2024/25.

Robinson-Earl, another 2021 draftee, has been relatively productive in two NBA seasons, averaging 7.2 PPG and 4.9 RPG on .427/.344/.781 shooting in 92 games (20.7 MPG). But his $1.9MM salary would be easy enough to move on from, especially since he’s not owed any guaranteed money beyond this season. Jaylin Williams has passed him on the frontcourt depth chart and Chet Holmgren will also be in the mix in 2023/24.

Pokusevksi, meanwhile, has flashed tantalizing upside since being drafted in the first round in 2020 and boosted his shooting percentages significantly in 2022/23, posting career highs of 43.4% from the floor and 36.5% on threes. However, he still hasn’t really put it all together for an extended period, and he’s on an expiring $5MM contract — it’s unclear if the Thunder envision keeping him beyond his current deal. If he remains on the roster, he’d be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason or restricted free agency next summer.

While no one else on the Thunder’s roster is a legitimate release candidate, it’s possible the team could consider trading someone else – perhaps Kenrich Williams – though a handful of players (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams, etc.) are untouchable.

If I had to make a prediction today, I’d project Oladipo and Mann as the first two odd men out, with Bertans, White, or Robinson-Earl as the third roster casualty. It would surprise me if Joe, Wiggins, or Pokusevski is waived, though a trade involving one of those players certainly isn’t out of the question.

What do you think? Which three (or more) of the Thunder players currently on standard contracts won’t be on the team’s 15-man roster when the season begins in October? Head to the comment section below to share your thoughts.

Washington Clears Waivers, OKC Has To Pay

August 21st, 2023 at 9:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

TyTy Washington has cleared waivers, leaving the Thunder with $2,320,440 in dead money on their salary cap, Spotrac contributor Keith Smith tweets. The 29th pick of the 2022 draft was waived on Friday. Washington played for the Rockets in his rookie season, then was dealt twice this summer. Oklahoma City is off the hook for the $2.43MM and $4.39MM team options on his contract for ’24/25 and ’25/26.

Thunder Sign Olivier Sarr To Two-Way Deal

August 21st, 2023 at 2:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The Thunder have brought back Olivier Sarr, announcing in a press release that they have re-signed the free agent big man to another two-way contract.

While Oklahoma City has an open two-way slot, the team was unable to fill it until now because it was at the offseason limit of 21 players under contract. The Thunder created a roster opening this morning when they released Usman Garuba, which allowed them to sign Sarr.

Sarr went undrafted in 2021 after four college seasons — he spent his first three campaigns at Wake Forest before finishing up at Kentucky. He signed a training camp deal with the Thunder in October 2021 and was promptly waived, spending part of 2021/22 with their G League affiliate, the Oklahoma City Blue.

During the COVID-19 outbreak that winter, the French center signed a pair of 10-day hardship deals with the Thunder, then inked a two-way contract in February 2022. He played well at the NBA level as a rookie, averaging 7.0 PPG and 4.2 RPG in 22 games (19.1 MPG), but the Thunder opted to cut him just before the season ended in April.

Sarr caught on with the Trail Blazers prior to ’22/23, initially signing an Exhibit 10 contract which was converted into a two-way deal after he impressed during preseason. However, he sustained a torn ligament in his wrist last fall, which caused Portland to release him in mid-November.

The 24-year-old signed a G League deal with the Blue after recovering from the injury, averaging 12.8 PPG, 8.8 RPG, 1.9 APG and 2.4 BPG in 12 regular season games. His play in the NBAGL earned Sarr a promotion in February to a two-way deal. He finished last season with the Thunder, averaging 4.0 PPG and 3.4 RPG in nine games (12.7 MPG).

Sarr was eligible for restricted free agency this summer, but the Thunder didn’t give him a qualifying offer, making him unrestricted. Either way, he’s back with OKC on a two-way contract.

Usman Garuba Waived By Thunder

August 21st, 2023 at 10:37am CST by Arthur Hill

The Thunder have placed Usman Garuba on waivers, the team announced (via Twitter).

The 21-year-old power forward/center played his first two seasons with the Rockets after being selected with the 23rd pick in the 2021 draft. Injuries limited him to 24 games as a rookie, but he appeared in 75 contests last season, averaging 3.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per night.

Garuba was sent to the Hawks in a five-team trade that became official when the moratorium was lifted in early July. Atlanta shipped him to OKC in a separate deal four days later.

Garuba started his career with Real Madrid and was named EuroLeague Rising Star in 2021. He gained a reputation as a strong defender and rebounder in Europe before declaring for the NBA draft.

He will now go through the waiver process, where teams will have two days to submit claims. Any team that claims him would be on the hook for his $2.6MM salary for the upcoming season, so it’s more likely that he’ll wind up signing a minimum contract somewhere. He would be eligible for a standard contract with any team except Atlanta and a two-way deal with any team except the Hawks or Thunder.

Garuba’s 2023/24 salary will remain on the Thunder’s cap if he’s not claimed, but the team won’t have to pay the $4.4MM option he had for 2024/25.

Oklahoma City is now down to 18 players on standard contracts and must get rid of at least three more by opening night. The Thunder have two openings on their offseason roster with reported camp deals looming for Caleb McConnell and Adam Flagler.

Thunder Sign Lindy Waters III To Two-Way Deal

August 18th, 2023 at 5:57pm CST by Rory Maher

5:57pm: Waters’ two-way deal is now official, the Thunder announced.

5:08pm: Lindy Waters III is rejoining the Thunder on a two-way contract, sources tell Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Waters, who grew up in Norman and played college ball at Oklahoma State, initially signed a two-way deal with Oklahoma City in February 2022. He was promoted to a multiyear standard contract in February of this year, but his team option for 2023/24 was declined at the end of June, making him an unrestricted free agent.

The 26-year-old has split the past two seasons playing for the Thunder and the team’s G League affiliate, the OKC Blue. In 66 NBA games (15.1 MPG), the 6’6″ wing holds career averages of 6.3 PPG and 2.2 RPG with a .399/.360/.800 shooting line. He has averaged 13.7 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 2.4 APG and 1.7 SPG on .498/.427/.929 shooting in 29 regular season games (29.8 MPG) with the Blue since 2021.

Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman previously identified Waters as a “strong candidate” to fill one of the team’s two-way slots. As our tracker shows, the Thunder currently have a pair of two-way openings.

However, they were prevented from signing Waters because they had 21 players — the offseason maximum — under contract, including 20 on standard deals. That changed this afternoon, as the Thunder decided to waive TyTy Washington Jr.

Thunder Waive TyTy Washington Jr.

August 18th, 2023 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Thunder have waived guard TyTy Washington Jr., the team announced today. Washington will clear waivers and become a free agent on Sunday, assuming he goes unclaimed.

The 29th overall pick in the 2022 draft, Washington appeared in 31 games as a rookie with the Rockets last season, averaging 4.7 points, 1.5 assists, and 1.5 rebounds in 14.0 minutes per night. He put up an underwhelming shooting line of .363/.238/.556 in those 31 games.

The former Kentucky standout was more effective at the G League level, averaging 23.0 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 4.6 RPG in 18 Showcase Cup and regular season games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. However, he still struggled to score efficiently, making 44.2% of his shot attempts from the field and just 31.7% from beyond the three-point line.

The Rockets, apparently viewing Washington as expendable with so many other promising young players on their roster, included him as an outgoing salary-matching piece in the five-team trade that sent Dillon Brooks to Houston via sign-and-trade. The 21-year-old was sent to Atlanta in that deal, then was flipped to Oklahoma City in a salary-dump trade that made Patty Mills a Hawk.

Washington had been a long shot to make the Thunder’s roster, since the team was carrying 20 players on standard contracts and needed to trade or waive at least five of those players before opening night. The fact that OKC has already cut Washington – who was owed a guaranteed $2.32MM salary in 2023/24 – suggests there were no good options for him on the trade market.

While it’s not out of the question that a team will claim Washington on waivers, it seems unlikely, given his negative trade value this summer. A club interested in placing a claim would need to have cap room or a trade exception available to absorb his salary, which eliminates much of the league.

Assuming Washington becomes a free agent, the Thunder would owe him his 2023/24 salary but would be off the hook for the $2.43MM and $4.39MM team options on his contract for ’24/25 and ’25/26. Washington would be eligible for a standard contract with any team except Atlanta and a two-way deal with any team except the Hawks or Thunder.

Oklahoma City now has 20 players under contract — 16 on guaranteed salaries, three (Jack White, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe) on non-guaranteed or partially guaranteed deals, and Keyontae Johnson on a two-way pact.

Rockets’ Landale Injures Ankle, Likely To Miss World Cup

August 17th, 2023 at 8:04am CST by Luke Adams

New Rockets big man Jock Landale suffered a left ankle injury on Thursday while playing for the Australian national team in an exhibition game against South Sudan in Melbourne, reports Olgun Uluc of ESPN.

The severity of the injury isn’t yet known, but Australian head coach Brian Goorjian said after the game that he doesn’t expect Landale to be available for the World Cup, which tips off next week. According to Goorjian, the center will undergo an MRI on his ankle on Friday and won’t travel with the team to Japan (Twitter link via Uluc).

It’s an unfortunate turn of events for Landale, who enjoyed a mini-breakout season in 2022/23 in Phoenix. He appeared in 69 regular season games for the Suns, averaging 6.6 points and 4.1 rebounds in 14.2 minutes per night, then posted 6.5 PPG and 4.3 RPG on 66.7% shooting in six contests (17.6 MPG) vs. Denver in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Landale’s strong showing as a reserve center behind Deandre Ayton earned him a four-year, $32MM offer from the Rockets in free agency. Only the first year of that contract is guaranteed, but it will still assure the 27-year-old of an $8MM salary in 2023/24 after he made the minimum in his first two NBA seasons.

Landale’s injury should open the door for Jack White of the Thunder to be part of Australia’s 12-man World Cup roster, as Uluc tweets. White had previously looked likely to be the odd man out of the 13-man group that the Boomers had been using in their pre-World Cup exhibitions.

With about a month-and-a-half until the Rockets’ training camp opens, there’s still plenty of time for Landale to recover in time to be available for the start of the regular season as long as the injury isn’t too significant. We should know more after he undergoes his MRI.

Who Will Make The Opening Night Roster?

August 13th, 2023 at 12:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

In a mailbag column, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman projects the Thunder‘s 15-man roster for opening night. Mussatto expects Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Jack White, TyTy Washington and Victor Oladipo to all be waived at some point.

World Cup Notes: Hart, Giannis, Giddey, Dellavedova

August 10th, 2023 at 10:59am CST by Arthur Hill

Several members of Team USA have new contracts to celebrate this summer as they prepare for the FIBA World Cup, writes Joe Vardon of The Athletic. Josh Hart became the latest player with a new deal, signing a four-year, $81MM extension with the Knicks electronically Thursday morning while the Americans prepared for a pair of exhibition games in Spain.

“It was actually pretty cool, I was just laying down on the training table, getting some treatment, on FaceTime with (his wife Shannon) and signing the contract,” Hart said. “It meant a lot. I wasn’t highly touted coming out of high school, wasn’t highly regarded in the draft, went through free agency the first time and I was restricted, it was a terrible experience for me, so to be able to do this, it’s a dream come true – just being able to have something that can take care of my parents, my family, my kids.”

Other U.S. players also had productive offseasons. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton and Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards both signed five-year, maximum-salary extensions. Cameron Johnson got $100MM over five seasons to stay with the Nets, and Austin Reaves re-signed with the Lakers for approximately $54MM over four years.

“Yeah, that’s my kids’ kids’ money, for sure,” Edwards said. “It don’t matter (which player’s contract we’re talking about), that’s a lot of money.”

There’s more on the World Cup:

Giannis Antetokounmpo traveled to the United States for more testing on his knee before deciding whether to play for Greece, according to Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops. The Bucks‘ medical staff will reportedly work with doctors from the Greek team to determine the best course of action for Antetokounmpo.
Wenyen Gabriel is the most recognizable player for South Sudan, which is preparing for its first-ever World Cup appearance, Askounis adds in a separate story. Other team members with NBA ties include Marial Shayok, Mangok Mathiang and Carlik Jones.
Thunder guard Josh Giddey is ready to become the new on-court leader for Australia, per Olgun Uluc of ESPN. Coach Brian Goorjian plans entrust his offense to the 20-year-old, who is seen as the future of the Australian basketball. “Giddey sets the standard of, eventually you’re gonna be the guy for this program, and he’s an unselfish player, so that sets the standard straight out of the gates,” teammate Jock Landale said. “He’s already embodied the Boomers mentality, and our culture, just through how he plays. It’s gonna come naturally to him, and he’ll fit in really nicely.”
Veteran guard Matthew Dellavedova isn’t part of Australia’s 13-man roster for exhibition games prior to the start of the tournament, according to Eurohoops.

Poll: Early Rookie Of The Year Pick

August 9th, 2023 at 3:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Scoot Henderson declared this week that he intends to take home the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award in 2024, and he should be in a good position to do so.

Assuming the Trail Blazers trade Damian Lillard before the season begins, Henderson is primed to play a key role in the backcourt for a Portland team that figures to take a step back and focus more on developing its young cornerstones than vying for a high seed in the Western Conference. In that scenario, this year’s No. 3 overall pick would have the ball in his hands a lot and would be given the opportunity to take on considerable scoring and play-making responsibilites as a rookie.

Unsurprisingly though, betting site BetOnline.ag doesn’t consider Henderson the Rookie of the Year favorite. That spot belongs to No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama, widely considered the best prospect to enter the NBA since LeBron James.

Like LeBron in 2003, Wembanyama is considered a safe bet to make an immediate impact. While San Antonio will likely manage his workload, especially in back-to-back scenarios, he should play a significant frontcourt role on a retooling Spurs team that intends to build around him for years to come. It’s possible Wembanyama won’t match Henderson’s scoring numbers as a rookie, but he has a better chance to be a two-way force in his first NBA season.

While Wembanyama (-150) and Henderson (+250) are the two Rookie of the Year frontrunners, BetOnline.ag considers Thunder big man Chet Holmgren (+325) a legitimate contender too. The No. 2 overall pick in 2022, Holmgren missed his entire rookie season due to a foot injury, putting him in position to essentially get a second rookie year in 2023/24.

Holmgren likely won’t be asked to carry much of the offensive load for an Oklahoma City team that has plenty of scoring options, but his ability to protect the rim and block shots could make him an ideal fit for the Thunder, who could have used that sort of player last season (they ranked 22nd in blocks per game).

Holmgren’s year of NBA seasoning off the court could work in his favor, as could a strong year from the Thunder, who came one play-in game away from a postseason spot last season. Playing a key role on a playoff team helped swing the Rookie of the Year vote in Scottie Barnes‘ favor in 2022, for instance.

While BetOnline.ag views them as longer shots, other rookies who were drafted in the lottery in June, including Hornets forward Brandon Miller and the Thompson twins, could make a run at Rookie of the Year honors too.

We want to know what you think. Who’s your early pick for Rookie of the Year in 2023/24? Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section below to share your thoughts!