Former Thunder Players to Look Out For in 2023 Playoffs
With the Oklahoma City Thunder having been around for 15 years and having been through multiple roster eras, there are plenty of former Thunder players still in the league on other teams.
Oklahoma City is not part of the playoffs this season, but there are plenty of former Thunder players still in the postseason, and some even going head-to-head.
Some of these former Thunder players played with the franchise for years, and some for not too long. Either way, the Thunder played some role in their respective careers thus far.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets bring three former Thunder players – each of which were on the team in 2015 or earlier. Ish Smith played 30 games with the Thunder in the 2014-15 season.
Jeff Green brought one season of Seattle Supersonics experience before two full years with the Thunder. In his third season with the franchise, he was traded after 49 games.
Reggie Jackson is the third and final former Thunder on the Nuggets. He played the first three full years of his career, and was also traded in the 2014-15 season. He played 50 games for the Thunder in his fourth season.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies have one of the biggest fan favorites in Thunder history in Steven Adams. Unfortunately, Adams suffered a PCL sprain and will likely miss the entirety of the 2023 Playoffs. The 7-footer played the first seven years of his career with the Thunder.
Golden State Warriors
While on a two-way contract, Ty Jerome is unable to play in the playoffs, as he would have to be on a standard contract to be eligible for postseason play. The sharpshooting guard played his second and third NBA seasons with the Thunder.
Sacramento Kings
The other side of the Warriors vs. Kings series has two more former Thunder players. First off, there is PJ Dozier who played two games with the Thunder to kick start his career. He was also the first player after Kevin Durant to wear the jersey no. 35.
For the next Kings player that used to play for the Thunder, Domantas Sabonis played his rookie season with the Thunder, appearing in 81 games. After showing his potential, he was a part of the Paul George trade with the Indiana Pacers.
Los Angeles Clippers
Speaking of Paul George, he and Russell Westbrook both have rich history with the Thunder. George played two seasons with the Thunder, finishing with a top-3 MVP voting season and All-NBA First Team.
Westbrook’s resume in Oklahoma City speaks for itself. A finals appearance and an MVP. He averaged a triple-double in three-straight seasons. Westbrooks is highly regarded as the best Thunder in the short history of the organization.
Phoenix Suns
Cameron Payne, who was a part of the Suns’ first finals run, played his first season and a half with the Thunder before being traded to the Bulls.
Darius Bazley was the Thunder’s longest tenured player before being traded this season. He played three full seasons with the Thunder before being moved at the recent trade deadline.
Then there’s Chris Paul, who was traded to the Suns before the 2020-21 season. He played one full season with the Thunder, and it was a memorable season for many, many reasons.
Finally, the Suns’ best player and trade deadline addition, Kevin Durant. Before his departure in the 2016 offseason, Durant accomplished quite a bit alongside Westbrook.
Los Angeles Lakers
After backing up both Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul in his Thunder tenure, Dennis Schroder is with the Lakers for this year’s playoffs. He played two seasons with the Thunder.
Miami Heat
For the first Eastern Conference team, there’s Victor Oladipo, who played with the Thunder during Westbrook’s MVP season, the same as Sabonis’ rookie year. He, too, was a part of the George trade with Indiana.
Atlanta Hawks
Last season, Vit Krejci played 30 games with the Thunder to kick start his NBA career. He’s spent this season with the Atlanta Hawks, where he found himself before the season after being traded by the Thunder.
New York Knicks
Isaiah Roby spent three seasons with the Thunder before being waived by the Thunder ahead of this season. He was claimed off waivers by the Spurs, but was waived and ended up signing with the Knicks just ahead of the playoffs.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Mamadi Diakite spent one season with the Thunder, that season being last year, before joining the Cavaliers this season on a two-way contract, making him ineligible for postseason play.
Philadelphia 76ers
Playing the first three seasons of his young career, James Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets. After some time, he made his way to the Brooklyn Nets before being traded to the 76ers, where he’s now in his second playoff run. He was a part of the Thunder’s finals run – and a key part in that.
Boston Celtics
Last but not least, the Celtics and their three former Thunders. Al Horford played the 2020-21 season with the Thunder, and helped rejuvenate his career. He played a big role in the Celtics finals run last season.
Danilo Gallinari joined the Celtics ahead of this season, but was unable to play due to an ACL injury. He’s going to miss the entirety of the playoffs, unfortunately.
Mike Muscala was the first midseason, trade deadline domino to fall for the Thunder. He was traded ahead of the trade deadline to the Celtics.
Want to join the discussion? Like SI Thunder on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.
