Inside The Thunder

Former Thunder Guard Dominates Preseason Opener With Viral Buzzer Beater

The Oklahoma City Thunder shipped off Lindy Waters III to the Golden State Warriors this offseason to secure the draft rights to Ajay Mitchell. in his preseason debute for the Warriors, Waters III tossed in the game winning triple to cap off his dominating night.

Rylan Stiles

Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Lindy Waters III (12) dribbles the ball down the court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
Apr 14, 2024; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Lindy Waters III (12) dribbles the ball down the court against the Dallas Mavericks during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images / Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images
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In the flurry of moves the Oklahoma City Thunder made this season, they shipped hometown hero Lindy Waters III to the Golden State Warriors in a chain of trades during day two of the 2024 NBA Draft which netted the Thunder Ajay Mitchell.

Waters III headed West to continue his NBA journey which has been one of the more impressive stories in the league. From being undrafted and playing semi-pro ball to earning a standard NBA pact his resilience has been eye-popping.

The sharpshooting guard, who has vastly improved his defense over the years made a great first impression on his new squad as the Warriors opened up their preseason slate against the Clippers.

In just 15 minutes, the former Thunder guard tossed in five triples en route to 15 points, three rebounds and an assist including the game winning 3-pointer for Golden State.

Last season for the Thunder, Waters III averaged 3.6 points, 1.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.3 stocks per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor, 43 percent from beyond the arc and perfect at the charity stripe in 38 games. The Oklahoma State product spent three seassons, spanning 104 games with the Thunder.

Waters III cracked the NBA via a G League tryout with the Blue which he parlayed into a two-way contract with the OKC Thunder for the Norman, Oklahoma native.

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Rylan Stiles
RYLAN STILES

Rylan Stiles is a credentialed media member covering the Oklahoma City Thunder. He hosts the Locked On Thunder Podcast, and is Lead Beat Writer for Inside the Thunder. Rylan is also an award-winning play-by-play broadcaster for the Oklahoma Sports Network. 

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