Inside The Thunder

Game 82 Marks Last Opportunity for OKC Thunder's Two-Way Players

The Thunder's two-way players will be on the floor for the final time this season.

Ivan White

Jan 19, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Branden Carlson (15) runs down the court against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Jan 19, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder center Branden Carlson (15) runs down the court against the Brooklyn Nets during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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Oklahoma City is preparing for a potentially deep playoff run, but a few of its players won’t be on the court during that journey.

On Sunday, the Thunder will face the New Orleans Pelicans in the final game of the regular season as they look to become the seventh team in NBA history to win 68 games. While most of the regular rotation will have the day off, the Thunder still have a strong crew of bench pieces ready to prove their worth again after a dominant win in Utah.

Among those looking to prove their worth will be the Thunder’s three players on two-way contracts. Of course, while others will be looking to improve their chances of earning playoff minutes, two-way players are ineligible for the postseason, making Game 82 their final appearance of the season.

Adam Flagler, Branden Carlson and Alex Ducas control the Thunder’s three two-way slots and will all be free agents this summer. That doesn't necessarily mean much, considering Flagler is on his second year as a two-way player in Oklahoma City, and Carlson has already had his fair share of contract moves with the Thunder.

However, it does still mean their future with both the Thunder and in the NBA is far from safe. With limited playing time throughout the season, the final regular season game could be significant heading into the offseason.

Ducas’ ability to shoot from deep has been apparent in his garbage time stints, but he has rarely seen the floor in other situations. After getting only two shots up in Utah, it would make sense for the rookie to get more opportunities in this matchup, especially if the Thunder pull guys like Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe early.

Meanwhile, the Thunder’s other two-way players have each received some opportunities in important minutes throughout the season. Flagler is notable because he isn’t in his first year with the organization, which means the team roughly knows what it has with him. Still, that means Mark Daigneault and company know he is never afraid to shoot and should be a factor on Sunday, even if he isn’t in the team’s plans beyond this season.

Carlson is easily the most interesting player of the bunch heading into Game 82. Not only has Carlson played in legitimate situations for the Thunder this season, he has typically played well.

As a rookie, Carlson is someone the Thunder have been more than willing to give opportunities to, particularly when injuries have decimated the center spot at various points.

Assuming he can have another solid outing in New Orleans, Carlson could be at the top of the list of two-way guys to return for the Thunder next season. Of course, he might be on other teams’ lists of free agents. Considering his skillset and what he’s shown this season, Carlson might be out of Oklahoma City next season, but for a different reason than his peers would be.

It’s already difficult for two-way players to stay with the same team for multiple seasons, and with the Thunder set to add at least one player through the draft this offseason, it becomes an even tougher challenge. Still, Flagler, Ducas and Carlson will have one final opportunity on Sunday to make their case for next season.

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Ivan White
IVAN WHITE

Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered the OKC Thunder since 2022 and covers OSU athletics for The O’Colly.

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